Girl Math, Real Money: The Lies We Tell Ourselves About Spending

Photo by Tamanna Rumee on Unsplash

 Girl Math.

 If you spend any time on social media, you must have come across the term.

Defined as a “humorous, informal way of rationalizing spending or financial decisions Girl Math is based on playful logic that prioritizes emotional satisfaction, convenience, or perceived value over actual financial accuracy”.

Girl math is aid to have originated in New Zealand, from a  Radio show segment  in which the hosts told a caller that her $400 wedding hair extensions were “basically free" because of “Girl Math.”

Thereafter it spread to TikTok and went viral, with TikTokers and their followers putting their own spin on it.

Even though it’s coated with humour I actually hate the term Girl Math because it is low- key rooted in an old stereotype: i.e. that women aren’t serious with money. Whereas men build wealth, women simply spend 😒😒😒.

But that is not the focus of this post.

 Even ignoring the stereotypical origins of girl maths, we have all been guilty of rationalising our spending on things perhaps we know we shouldn’t buy:

• “If I return something that cost 200k and buy something else for 150k, I just made 50k.”
• “If I pay in cash, it’s basically free because it’s not showing up on my bank statement.”
• “If I pay with Momo (mobile money), it's not real money.”
• “If I use a gift card, I didn’t spend any actual money.”
• “If I go to the gym five times this month, my gym membership was basically free.”

As someone who loves fashion for me the Girl Math I have struggled most with is: “If it’s on sale, I’m saving money by buying it.” (don’t we just love those 70% off sales?) And that is how I have ended up buying clothes I did not love and which just ended up hanging unworn in my wardrobe!

While it can be funny and relatable, unchecked girl math thinking can put us in a bad place financially.

I’m still learning lessons from some of my bad spending decisions.  And one of those lessons is learnt that spending money per se it’s not the problem. It is how the spending aligns with our values. 

I’m now learning to reframe my justifications for buying.

For instance, instead of mindlessly shopping sales I would rather pay full price for one item of clothing something that I value and will actually wear than buy five things “cheaply” on sale and never use. 

What are/have been your “Girl Math” moments?

By Martha Songa

miss.songa@gmail.com