Could Girl Math Save the Economy?

Ahh, girl math—my favorite type of arithmetic. I was never good at things like Algebra, Geometry, or Calculus in school, but if they’d had a class in girl math, I would have aced it (as I’m sure all girls would). If you’re confused about why we’re now gendering mathematics, let me explain. Girl math is a personal finance trend that took social media by storm last year. It’s where women share that although some of their financial decisions don’t make any sense on paper, they make sense in their minds—and that’s good enough for them. Girl math is essentially the practice of women retroactively justifying their financial decisions—even the arguably unwise ones. J.P. Krahel, a professor of accounting at the University of Loyola Maryland, shared with CBS News that , "Girl math is a bit of an in-joke. The idea is you kind of twist reality a bit. And again, this is all very tongue-in-cheek, but you act like you're saving money when you're not." Some examples of girl math in action include: Buying Concert Tickets The girl math equation for concert tickets goes something like this: Let’s say you buy concert tickets for a show months in advance. By the time the concert rolls around and it’s the night of the performance, you can barely even remember buying the tickets. Therefore, the concert is free! It doesn’t matter how much you spent on the tickets either—$50? $100? More? Doesn’t matter— it’s still free . Returning Items Makes You Money Girl math also allows you to earn money by returning items. How? Let me explain. If you buy a pair of jeans for $100, then return them and instead buy a top that’s only $50, you have actually made $50. Congratulations! Follow me for more “get rich quick” tips! Cash Isn’t Real Money The idea that cash isn’t real money is similar to the phenomenon of finding a twenty-dollar bill in your pocket. Even if you know it’s yours, it still feels like you found (and therefore earned) a brand-new twenty dollars! For the girl math equation, let’s say you buy something for a friend, and they pay you back in cash (which is truly a wild thing to do in the era of Venmo, but I digress). Whatever you buy with that cash is free . Since you’re not going to see that money come out of your bank account, it doesn’t count. This rule is especially true if you’ve had the cash in your wallet for a while. Cash isn’t real money; it’s basically just monopoly money. Anything Under $5 Is Free For most people, five dollars is not a very large amount of money. Therefore, when a girl buys a coffee, a sweet treat, or anything else that costs five dollars or less, that item is actually free . There’s no time limit on this rule either, so you could theoretically make multiple five-dollar purchases throughout the course of a day and they are all free. I think this rule might be related to Einstein’s theory of relativity, but I can’t prove it. Just one of those things where the girls who get it get it, and the guys who don’t, don’t. Girl Math and Basic Girl Fall Basic Girl Fall , which is all about embracing the basic pleasures of autumn, is another great example of girl math in action. If you leave the house to run errands on a Saturday, then you deserve a $6 Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Starbucks. While you’re out, you absolutely should stop at Home Goods to buy fall-themed decor and knick-knacks. And since it’s fall, you definitely need a new pair of leather boots to go with your ever-evolving sweater collection. I don’t make the rules. The Underlying Theme: Frivolous Spending The underlying theme here is frivolous financial expenditure, and while that likely isn’t something your financial advisor is going to recommend, it does have one upside: girl math might be saving the American economy. How Girl Math Is Saving the Economy In order for the American economy to grow and thrive, people need to put money into it. That means every drink you buy, every meal you eat at a restaurant, every trip you take, or concert ticket you purchase contributes to the growth of the economy. Now, this doesn’t mean that people should spend beyond their means and accrue large piles of debt, but when people have disposable income to spend on the things they want—rather than only on the things they need—it’s good for the economy. Frivolous spending is good for business. Enter girl math, which is the epitome of disposable spending. The more the girlies are out there buying their Starbucks and sweet treats, the more they’re helping American businesses and contributing to the economy. Don’t believe me? Take the Eras Tour as an example. According to the Federal Reserve , Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has been a boon to the American economy (and likely the global economy as well if you account for her European, Australian, and Canadian legs). Analysts believe the Eras Tour could generate anywhere from $5 to $10 billion for the U.S. economy alone. Julie Calvert, president and CEO of Visit Cincy, told WKRC last year that , "Taylor Swift is a force to be reckoned with. The economic impact Swift creates is staggering, as fans travel from far and wide to attend her concerts, filling hotels, restaurants, and local attractions. Swift's influence on tourism is a testament to her ability to captivate audiences and drive economic growth." This makes a lot of sense when you think about it. When you factor in the price of the concert tickets plus travel expenses, hotels, and meals, someone could spend well over a thousand dollars (likely more!) to attend the Eras Tour . Considering the fact that the overwhelming majority of people who purchased Eras Tour tickets were likely women, that’s some pretty good evidence that girl math contributed greatly to the economy. So the next time you stop for a coffee on your way out, pop into T.J. Maxx “just to look around,” or spend more money so you can get free shipping when you’re shopping online, think about this: You’re not engaging in frivolous spending—you’re actually helping save the U.S. economy! We didn’t need another reason to buy an iced coffee, but that’s a pretty dang good one! Closing Thoughts So what’s the big takeaway here? Keep girl mathing, ladies! We have an American economy to save. Just don’t break the bank too much. Girl math is all fun and games until the credit card bill comes due, so while we’re all for treating yourself, do it while keeping an eye on your bottom line to ensure your spending doesn’t get too far out of control.