‘Girl maths’ is the TikTok trend which felt like a personal attack: we were suddenly noticing (and getting called out on) spending habits we have all adopted without a second thought. There was never a topic on this in maths class at school, so where has it come from?
It’s obviously a common gender stereotype thay women love shopping, but surely we all do? Nothing releases endorphins quite like knowing we’ve got a parcel arriving in the post, especially if we ‘haven’t had to pay’ for delivery.
If this is a concept that hasn’t graced your social media feeds, or you feel you are unfamiliar with, let us give you a quick ‘girl maths’ 101. Spending an extra £20 on clothes to qualify for free delivery makes more sense than forking out that £5 for standard shipping, and if we have to return the clothes, the refund we receive then becomes free money.
‘Birthday money’ is also free money, even though it has been gifted to us, and cash is merely monopoly money so if we buy something in cash, we’ve basically got it for free.
Cash is often reserved for the occasions where we want something, such as a late night sweet treat run in our dressing gowns, but will wince at the bank transaction notification.
If we bulk order masses of clothes online just to send half of them back, that’s completely acceptable because we’re making profit on the items we’re returning.
Any money we receive back from friends for something that has already left our bank account, such as concert tickets or a Friday night chinese feels like free money.
The most satisfying of all: if we have a weekly budget and we only spend half of it, that means that we can spend double next week.
I’m hoping that you’ve all nodded your heads in agreement and reflected on the fact that you too have some of these spending habits. Quite frankly, they sound daft, but why do they make complete sense in our heads?
“When we hold two conflicting beliefs or engage in conflicting behaviors, it is called cognitive dissonance,” says psychologist Dr Deborah Gilman, who believes that our ‘girl maths’ traits are innate.
“For example, we may want to save money, but also want to buy things we desire, so ‘girl maths’ can be used to justify spending to reduce the discomfort between wanting to save money and wanting to make a purchase.
“An example would be buying an expensive item on sale and justifying it by the money saved rather than focusing on the money spent.
It doesn’t just begin and end in our own brains: we don’t notice you’re doing it but we go out of our way to explain purchases we make to other people too, using these ‘girl maths’ epiphanies as our comfort blanket.
“Sometimes, we use our feelings to justify our behaviours. Whenever someone concludes that their emotional reaction to something defines its reality, they’re engaged in what we call ‘emotional reasoning’,” Dr Gilman continues.
“Since purchases can be emotionally driven, where the immediate gratification outweighs financial considerations, girl math is a type of emotional reasoning used to justify impulse purchase by claiming it was needed for emotional well-being or self-care.
“Modern consumer culture emphasises instant gratification, where the pleasure of immediate rewards can overshadow the benefits of long-term financial planning.”
Now that ‘girl maths’ is gaining attention on social media, we’re all able to revel in the fact that we do all likely share these habits, but there is a suggestion that we don’t find as comedic.
Does this silly little trend perpetuate outdated stereotypes that we are bad with money?
Some may think that women feel a need to justify and apply logic to all their purchases. There are still some societal issues around discussing money, and it is much more acceptable for men to discuss their riches.
Financial advisor and consultant, Kevin Huffman, unpacks the way that the trend may bring about gendered stereotypes.
“I have come across this fun trend ‘girl maths’, which describes the women rationalising their purchases. Whilst it’s lighthearted, it also reveals interesting elements of financial psychology around women’s spending patterns.
“It may be a notion of deservingness. Women may attempt to ‘reward’ themselves for putting in effort day-to-day, as an act of emotional self-reciprocation.
“Marketing tends to reach women in ways that might encourage a want for expensive or more aesthetically appealing items. Advertising often focuses on themes of sentimental association and social comparison. They might want to look nice and trendy, or not fall behind their friends and colleagues. They might care less about value and more about looking good when they buy a new item.”
The hot take is that we shouldn’t feel ashamed of our ‘girl maths’ habits, and should never feel like we have to justify our purchases- especially a man! Money comes back, especially if it’s free money from a refund or a tenner here and there from your friends after you’ve bought them a cocktail or two.
So, let’s keep being delusional, it’s not hurting anyone.
Expert insight: Dr Deborah Gilman
Dr. Gilman is a licensed psychologist, child specialist, coach, and dynamic speaker. Dr. Gilman has special expertise working with children, adults, families, schools, businesses, communities, and other organisations
Expert insight: Kevin Huffman
Kevin is a finance expert and consultant. He is the owner of Kriminil Trading, a platform where he shares insights from his favorite finance, and market-related books. He also provides in-depth analysis and explanations of market activities, trends, phenomenon, and terms.
