By Bed Threads Entertainment 01.08.2023

‘Girl Math’: Everything You Need to Know About the Viral TikTok Trend

Because you deserve a little treat every now and then.

Sometimes, we feel guilty about purchasing nice things for ourselves. Maybe there's fear this money could be better spent on something we need, or maybe we don't feel we deserve nice things. While constantly buying treats for yourself probably isn't the most financially savvy idea, you deserve to get yourself nice things every now and then.

If you've been on social media recently, you're likely familiar with the relatable 'Girl dinner' trend, a tasty assemblage of no-cook snacks to be enjoyed as a meal. If you're yet to catch up on the next viral trend, we're here to tell you that 'Girl math' is taking over our 'For You' pages and it's all about the mental gymnastics we often use to buy nice things for ourselves.

What is 'Girl math'?

The phrase 'Girl math' first sprung up on TikTok and is gaining popularity online, particularly among those who identify as women, hence the name. Essentially, the term is used to explain and justify more lavish spending habits and to help remove any guilt associated with spending money on things you might not necessarily need for survival, but you desperately want and think will enhance your quality of life. It involves breaking down the price of expensive items and coming up with a reason for buying it.

For example, let's say you've been eyeing a $500 handbag, but the price tag is throwing you off. Enter a little bit of mental gymnastics. Maybe you justify the exorbitant price by estimating the number of times you expect you'll use the handbag; there are 365 days in a year and you'll have the bag for several years, so the bag is free every day. Or maybe you calculate how much of a saving you get if it's discounted. The total price is “basically free"; Girl math.

One TikTok by user @lucywlecher shares her example; “I just returned a skirt, which means I'm $70 richer, which is $70 I never had, so everything I buy with that money is completely free. I love girl math." It's illogical from a financial saving perspective, but we would be lying if we said we hadn't used this kind of justification when purchasing at least once in our lives.

And look, it's maybe not the most responsible way to look at money, but sometimes you've just got to livin' la vida loca and treat yourself. Personally, we don't think you should need to find excuses to buy yourself something nice.

PSA: Please don't spend all of your money on things you don't genuinely want or need!

Where did the term 'Girl math' come from?

From the looks of things, the 'Girl math' phrase was coined by the hosts of the ‘Fletch, Vaughan & Hayley’ show on station ZM. The team has a segment where listeners call in and explain the 'Girl math' they've used to justify a purchase. Our personal favourite comes from their team member Lucy, who has her eye on a bedding set from yours truly.

Here's how the 'Girl math' went down. They rounded up a King Bedding Set to $700, "cause anything that's over $650 feels like $700." They then divided 700 by 365 (the number of nights you'll sleep in your bed a year) and then divided that by two (as there are two people sleeping in the bed). This equals 95 cents per day for just one year of sleeping in high-quality bedding. "That's not a steal, that's basically free!"

We don't think you can compromise on good bedding. When the sleep experience is like no other, it’s basically free! Girl math.