Written by: Briana Wong, Natalie Choo, Tan Shi Qing, Darius Loong
“If you don’t buy anything when a store is having a sale, you’re actually losing money!”
If you’ve been keeping up with the times on Internet culture, then you’ve probably heard of the term “Girl Math”. Girl Math is the recent viral sensation, the trend quickly becoming widely practised amongst everyone, regardless of gender. With the phenomenon infiltrating timelines on social media, it leaves some people with a question: What is Girl Math?
What is Girl Math?
Girl math isn’t about actual equations or financial formulas, it’s a playful approach to justifying our sometimes questionable spending habits. It makes use of creative calculations and mental gymnastics to twist the narrative and make guilty pleasures seem a lot less guilty. It’s the unique phenomenon people are using to transform a splurge into a steal.
Some common examples of girl math include:
1. Cost per wear
Dividing the cost of wearable items by the estimated number of wears, concluding that it’s practically an investment for your future self, “If I wear these $300 shoes 300 times, it’s basically a dollar per wear!”.
2. Promotion justification
Taking advantage of sales and promotions as soon as possible because they are temporary, “It’s 50% off until tomorrow, If I don’t buy it now, I’m losing money! I need to buy three more things to get free shipping too.”
3. Value over price
Giving value to experiences and things that cannot be given monetary value, “This $15 avocado toast is cheaper than therapy if you consider its health benefits.”
4. Cash in hand
Categorising physical cash as ‘free money’ to spend because the number in your bank account stays the same.
While the term may carry a hint of stereotyping, Girl Math transcends gender. It’s a shared language of the sometimes messy and hilarious way we navigate our relationship with money. It’s about recognizing our spending biases, and then happily subverting them with humour and creative logic. After all, why whip out calculators to count your finances, when you have Girl Math?
The Invention of a New Math era
The trend can be traced back to a video posted by Tiktoker Samantha Jane in August 2023, where she boldly took the Tiktok “Girl Dinner” Trend, the predecessor of the “Girl Math” trend, to the next level. The video quickly gained over 629,000 likes in just six weeks. “I got a Starbucks today that was $4.90; anything under $5 feels like it’s pretty much free. Girl Math,” the Tiktoker quipped.
But why the sudden buzz all over social media? Well, we humans love affirmation. This nameless equation that validates our guilty pleasures finally found virality through the masses on social media and has now been lovingly dubbed “Girl Math”.
On top of that, 2023 was the year girls ruled, or one might say, slayed. The dropping of the critically acclaimed Barbie movie ushered in the era of a pinkish chic aesthetic. The girl-ish label shed to light and came to its zenith. The birth and celebration of this girl-ish trend on TikTok is simply about women reclaiming their girlhood and basking in the light of acceptance.
The virality of the “Girl Math” trend was pushed even further when morning presenters, Fletch, Vaughan & Hayley, on the New Zealand radio station ZM, introduced a segment called “Girl Math” where listeners would call in and receive some “Girl Math” advice. The presenters would always end every scenario with, “It’s basically free!” Clips of the radio segment circulated on Tiktok, cooking up a storm. Thanks to Tiktok, women can now justify their impulse purchase decisions, free of guilt, and most importantly, free of charge.
Why it became a trend
Girl math initially became popular on TikTok as many women related to the concept and expanded on it by sharing their own examples of Girl Math such as buying a dress that was on sale, loading a Starbucks card, and then treating the drink as free, or buying a handbag and dividing the cost by the number of days it will be used. The examples are never-ending and the ‘excuse’ is always inventive boarding on outrageous. But that’s the beauty of the trend.
Girl Math is often about quality of life decisions and the impact of your spending’s value, rather than just focusing on the price tag. This can help women overcome the guilt or shame that they may feel when spending money on themselves. Girl Math can be a way of celebrating one’s achievements, expressing one’s personality, or rewarding oneself for hard work. Thus, many resonate with the concept of girl math allowing it to become a huge trend.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Girl Math is a fun, humorous trend. The most salient point about the phenomenon is that it’s not meant to be taken seriously or treated as real financial advice. It is, however, important to understand that if you start believing these justifications, it is no longer lighthearted and simply a poor excuse for a lack of self-control and it may be the time to start checking out your bank statement…
Nevertheless, there is no harm in indulging yourself when you need a little retail therapy. So why not treat yourself and splurge a little with the help of Girl Math?
