Marge Simpson once justified buying a Chanel suit on the basis that it would be good for the economy, and a viral trend is looking to eliminate buyers’ remorse for a new generation by applying a similar perspective on shopping.
The Girl Math / Maths (depending on your country) trend began on New Zealand radio station FVHZM, where morning presenters Fletch, Vaughan, and Hayley have developed a phenomenon.
What happened in New Zealand may once have stayed there, but thanks to TikTok, women worldwide are grateful to an equation that can justify just about impulse purchase - even for an expensive dress made in Italy.
FVHZM has now made Girl Maths a regular part of the morning show and the segment even has a theme tune with listeners sending in their scenarios to receive some advice.
And whatever the price tag, the genius behind the equation will end with the presenters declaring “it’s basically free”.
It follows on from the TikTok trend Girl Dinner and, of course, the release of Barbie. What a time to be alive.
How does Girl Maths work?
Read carefully, because this logic and equation will surely be appearing in a mathematics GCSE or A-level paper soon.
According to Fletch, Vaughan, and Hayley (mostly the latter), Girl Maths works by taking the price of an outfit and then dividing it by the number of times it is worn.
In one example, Hayley’s mother bought a silk dress from a designer shop in Italy for 1,000 Euros but this figure came down and down when it was considered it could be worn for two weddings and on a cruise. “So, it’s basically free!” she said.
“Also, dresses are 50 per cent off because you only have to wear one item of clothing - rather than a shirt and pants. You don’t need to pair two items together, so she is saving mental stress.
“She applied girl maths to my father - who used to be an accountant - and he bought it.”
Girl math.
— SpuraMaluda (@sthebee) August 8, 2023
If i pay for it using actual cash, i basically didn’t spend anything or it was free because there’s no proof of spending.
The trend is now reaching a worldwide audience, and TikTok is awash with heroic stories of shopping that will surely one day inspire a Hidden Figures-esque film.
Ariana Rosado said that she exchanged an item for a cheaper one - which she felt was the same as being paid to wear her preferred outfit.
girl math is so real… i returned something for $90 and then bought something for $100 so i really only spent $10! what a deal
— mar (@itsmariannnna) August 8, 2023
The concept was taken further by Marina, who tweeted: “Girl Maths is so real… I returned something for $90 and then bought something for $100 so I really only spent $10.”
Spura Maluda added: “If I pay for it using actual cash, I basically didn’t spend anything or it was free because there’s no proof of spending.”
“Girl mMths is me waiting until the next day to buy something I really want whenever I feel like I’ve spent too much in a day because my spending resets at midnight,” Freaky T said.
girl math is me waiting until the next day to buy something i really want whenever i feel like i’ve spent too much in a day because my spending resets at midnight
— 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘆𝗧ᥫ᭡ (@ThenjiBopape) August 10, 2023
And people are loving it.
“Doing Girl Maths to justify purchases is our version of being finance bros and I’m here for this new financial movement,” Thameenah tweeted.
It really is the movement we deserve.
