You’ve likely heard of the term “girl math”, which has been trending on social media. “Girl math” is a way of thinking that helps justify spending habits, something that many people can relate to.

There have been increasing examples of “girl math”, as people continue to add to the list. 

For example, when ordering online, do not pay the extra $15 for shipping, but instead spend an extra $30 to earn free shipping. Using the logic of “girl math”, this saves money because they are not paying for shipping. 

For instance, if something is on sale for $90, and they buy it on sale for $50, then they technically have made $40 to spend on other things.

Another example is that if they paid with cash, it was free because there was no proof of spending. Or if it was under $5, it was free.

These are just simple examples. Some girls use “girl math” in a very complicated way.

For example, if you want to “girl math” a dress purchase for $330, the cost is first rounded down to $300. Then that $300 can be divided by how many times you will wear it, and what you get is how much the dress costs.  

“Girl Math” started as silly and relatable, but there is more beyond the seemingly harmless trend.

The problem with “girl math” is not the fact that girls are justifying their expenses by using a sort of “mental gymnastics”. 

The fundamental problem is that girls specifically feel like they have to justify their spending, which is how “girl math” was created in the first place. 

The reason “boy math” doesn’t exist is because boys don’t feel like they need to justify buying sports tickets or video games. But girls feel like they need to justify their interests in dresses, makeup, and other things.

When a girl spends money on something, they are often seen as stupid indulgences that they have to justify their way out of.

This should not be the case.

When girls decide that they have enough money to buy whatever they want to buy, they should not owe it to anyone to try to justify it. 

A common female stereotype is that they are shopaholics, and don’t know how to manage their money.  “Girl math” only reinforces that stereotype even more. Why is a trend regarding irresponsible spending habits called “girl math”? 

By supporting “girl math”, we are only reinforcing the stereotype that girls are not capable of making their own financial decisions and that we are irresponsible, incompetent, and immature.

Especially after girls started explaining “girl math” to their boyfriends and fathers, and got scolded for their stupidity. This only creates a power dynamic between men and women in which men are seen as more responsible and intelligent than women.

This female stereotype is shown in movies and shows too, and the story is always the same. Has there ever been a movie where the pretty cheerleader character is good at math? 

Although the “girl math” trend was fun when it started, as a society, we need to be mindful of the impact our trends have on our generation and the younger generation.

Being a girl is not synonymous with financial incompetence and irresponsibility, and as a society, that concept should not continue to exist.