Budgeting, saving, and knowing the differences between fixed and flexible expenses aren’t always taught in your typical high school or college-level courses. To make matters worse, the internet phenomenon known as “girl math” doesn’t help women make the best financial and budgeting decisions.
What is girl math?
For those unfamiliar with the term, the phrase girl math refers to a trend on TikTok that first started sometime in August 2023. The trend speaks about how sometimes spending can be a form of saving. Let me give a few examples.
Here’s a simple scenario I’m sure many of us can relate to. You’re buying items, and you spend extra to get free shipping. We’ve all been there. You spent more than shipping would have actually cost, but girl math would dictate that as saving money. Here’s another one: You spend money on a new pair of jeans only to return them a week later. The money you received from the return is now a new fifty dollars you can spend and is like profit. It doesn’t always make the most sense, but girl math overall can be applied in many different ways. However, girl math is not the most financially efficient mindset.
What should actual good budgeting look like then? If it’s not spending to save, then what is it? I’m glad you asked. To avoid endlessly applying girl math to your day-to-day, I’m going to go over some of the basic tenets of budgeting outlined in the budgeting basics course from Cash Course to help you save a little more and spend a little less.
What is a budget?
A budget, simply put, is a way of planning one’s spending. That plan can be on a daily, weekly, monthly, and/or yearly basis. It helps to ensure you aren’t spending more than you’re earning. It separates the needs from the wants and encourages the user to prioritize their needs first. Buying things you want can be fun and all, but a new pair of shoes isn’t going to be all that useful if you can’t afford to buy this week’s groceries.
Calculating your Income and Expenses
To create a budget you first must look at the income and expenses of the previous month to understand how much money you are earning versus spending. Income is money that you know you will receive each month. For example, a salary or monthly allowance would be a source of income that’s reliable from month to month. Something like a birthday gift, while it is income, shouldn’t be included in your monthly income as it’s not reliable for every month. Expenses are money taken out to pay for any fixed or flexible costs for the month. Fixed expenses are expenses that are unchanging like rent or monthly subscriptions; they don’t change in price and are generally always the same amount each time. Flexible expenses are things like food or gas. While food is in the need category, it’s categorized as a flexible expense as you can spend more or less on food during a month. For example, eating out more than cooking at home can often be more expensive.
Separating the Needs from the Wants
Now that you’ve calculated your income and expenses, it’s time to break down the needs from the wants. Needs, as you might have guessed, are necessities. Food, living expenses, and transportation to school or work are all needs; you need them in order to continue to live as a functioning member of society. Wants, oppositely, are things you don’t need to live. Sure you need food, but you don’t need to spend money on a lobster dinner. You might need clothes, but you don’t need to buy them from Dior. If you understand how much you earn, you can pay for the things you need and then use the extra income as you see fit. However, it becomes dangerous when you switch the order and put your wants before your needs as you just might end up with a room full of empty Dutch Bros cups and an eviction notice.
Benefits of Budgeting
Here comes the exciting part. The money left over after fixed expenses and needs can be used in many ways, but I’ll name just a few. For starters, the extra money you earn can be used for any wants you may have. New phone? You earned it! Netflix subscription? Go for it! By budgeting, you can save up for all the things you’ve been wishing for with your own hard-earned cash.
Secondly, you can put some money aside in an emergency account. Having an emergency fund can help you when you’re in a tough spot. It’s money you save up for when your car breaks down and you need it for your daily commute, or when you get fired and need some time to search for a new job. It’s meant for emergencies and emergencies only. Being hungry in the morning after skipping breakfast, no matter how hangry you may be, does not qualify as an emergency to buy food with those saved funds.
Thirdly, you can be charitable with your extra income. Whether it’s tithing in church or donating to a non-profit, charity can be a generous way of spending for the good of others.
Final Thoughts
Budgeting can be a daunting word, especially for those of us who aren’t good with money. However, taking the time to budget can only help you. And hopefully, over time, you can achieve any financial goals you may have in mind all through thoughtful spending. Girl math, on the other hand, won’t be helping you buy any first house or dream car anytime soon.