When it comes to “girl math”, an association of a whimsical and glitter-laced financial philosophy swirls in the air (or in one’s head). Think of it this way, Pandas, why would someone sane spend $15 on shipping when shopping online? No, we don’t do that here, instead, a lot of women usually prefer to dive into the treasure trove of online goodies, handpicking just enough items to meet that required $30 threshold where free shipping awaits them with open arms. And that’s just one example of “girl math” in question.
And really, who needs the ‘finance bros’ to mansplain the logic behind money or purchases (or even going as far as not counting the calories you’ve consumed over the weekend) when you can simply just… trust “girl math”? Being a woman is certainly not easy, there are a lot of things to consider at all times, so why not make it fun for ourselves?
Image credits: thames0
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Guy here - I do the same thing if I'm gonna buy the second thing eventually anyways.
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I do that too, but, to justify it, you are getting $15 worth of product you can actually use, possibly for years to come, whereas the shipping is not that.
Yeah, I never understood the complaints about this. There is almost certainly something else I need (genuinely need, not just want) when ordering online, so I might as well get it at the same time and avoid paying shipping. It's pretty straightforward.
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As long as you’re buying something you actually need and will use at some point, it’s ok to do this 🙂
But when you spend the extra $30 you get another $30's worth of stuff. When you pay the $15 shipping fee you just pay $15 to get your original stuff. Not a girl but nine times out of ten I will buy the extra stuff!
Well yeah, at least spend the money on something you would actually use yk?
Well, duh... if your going to spend that much on shipping anyway, you may as well spend it on goods and get something for your money.
If you were going to buy this item later anyway then it makes perfect sense!
I do this. I find something I was going to buy anyway but was putting off.
Yeah, obviously! I'd rather have more things delivered than pay for the actual delivery - Amazon prime's best customer here
Well now - if you're got to spend $10 on shipping or spend $11 to get free shipping - I say spend the $11 and it's really like you're getting that bonus item for $1!
No, don't make this a gendered thing. I've seen more men do this than women but that's just anecdotal and it's just bad math and money management all around. Yes, get a treat once in a while but don't justify your s**tty math and poor self restraint like this.
Why would I waste money on shipping, when I can spend that same money on something I can actually take out of a package and use? Add up the money you've spent on shipping and think about what you could used that for. Don't forget to check your math
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Hold on! This can totally be defensible. The saved shipping cost can make the second purchase be the best way to make that purchase. If the second purchase has little or no value, this is bad, but if you were just going to make the second purchase any way at some later date, and you just bought it a little sooner?
I though it was, if I sleep on it, I might get to common sense, and see I don't need it?
On, and in case you didn't know, the quirky concept is currently gaining traction on TikTok, where young females share their unique and maybe slightly 'irrational' money habits or spending rationales. To add to more examples, in “girl math”, money saved from a self-imposed spending freeze, after failing to return an item for refund on time, is considered as money regained.
Yup especially if you bought it 3 weeks before and that money is forgotton about then the new thing only feels like it costs 10 euro
I’m looking at you, ULTA. Every dang time I feel bad for passing on “free” makeup for only $75.
Still, it's wise to perceive that “Girl math” also operates under various other whimsical rules. For instance, if you receive cash from a friend as repayment for their share of a dinner that you previously charged to your credit card, this cash is seen as... well “free money”. Similarly, purchases under $5 are not regarded as real expenditure, because they are perceived as so inexpensive that they’re practically free, we said what we said.
Yeah, and then they added the taxes and whoosh you‘re paying $55 or so. Means, there are $488 left on the bank account and $38 new dollar to spend…
And that money can then be used to get something you would not spend your own money on because it is spare money
Another example of “girl math” thinking is the belief that not capitalizing on sales, discounts, or free shipping offers equates to losing money. And in a way that's true, if an item is on sale, not purchasing it means you're financially at a loss (can't go a day without fueling that shopping addiction, right?). That's why, any money saved by forgoing daily treats like coffee or soda is viewed as earnings!
It was in an account you couldn't get to and thus couldn't spend, so yes, free money......which you would need for new deposit, but still...
@Andy Cran (I don’t know if the @ will work but the point is there) I completely agree with what you’re saying, and I consider Mariah Carey a huge a*****e for that, but this really isn’t the best post to talk about it. People came here looking for girl stuff, so they don’t want to see the truth behind abuse towards men. I’m sorry.
Well duh, you need friends at a concert! I’d rather do nosebleed seats with friends over the pit by myself. 🥹
Cash doesn't count, and the tens/ones left over from your hundreds don't count
I don’t care for MISTER Bernard telling me about girl math. Except the Amazon one. That’s true. Good boy.
Yes!! Paid a little bit extra each week by a miscalculation, then at the end of the year, the real estate agent says please could you stop giving us money, it's messing up our books. I was very ok with that proposal
It's funny how, decades ago, cash was "real" and credit cards felt like free money, but now it's the reverse.
Depending on how many dozens of miles you walked, this could be true.
Translation: I bought something yesterday and still stayed within my budget. Now today, I can enjoy it and stay within today's budget.
Note: this post originally had 53 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
What started out as a joke has spread like a disease through social media. It's now endorsing another damaging gender stereotype. Way to go girls! 🤦♀️
It's literally all women just making jokes about themselves?? Are we not allowed to do that?
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I know it's wrong because I'm a girl and generally good at math and make reasonable financial decisions. I know guys that can't afford their phone bill because they bought a playstation last week. But at the same time I can choose not to get offended by it. Same as I choose not to he offended by blonde jokes, or women driver jokes. We can't complain about this but be OK with phrases like Mansplain or Manflu.
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Stupid article. Coming up with excuses to rectify your strange view on spending money, has nothing to do with gender!
Agree. All the people I know who are hopeless at math are male.
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How is this ok? This is just people with deranged financial decision making. Gender has absolutely nothing to do with this disfunction. What a revolting post. Edit: what might bother me most is that it is *women* who created and are perpetuating this sexist c**p as if saying “”it’s a joke” makes it any less disturbingly sexist.
"deranged", "revolting", "disturbingly sexist"... think you may be taking it a little too seriously. The fact that it is women saying this in a light-hearted, joking, self-aware and self-deprecating way (i.e., the posts are "aren't *I* silly for thinking this way" and not "aren't (other) women stupid") means this general concept is not really sexist. However, the needlessly gendered title of it (as many of my men friends do "girl math" as my women friends) is definitely problematic (and could possibly be weaponised). I do think we live in a misogynistic society and there are many things to get angry about. But, for me at least, women joking about refunds feeling like free money - that ain't it.
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Is a black comedian who does jokes about black life a racist?
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Um.... misogyny bad. And my hubby sucks at math. I don't. And we dn't have such stupid attitudes toward spending. FYI, if you wnt "boy math", check out the US national debt and how male-dominated Congress thinks we shouldn't pay on our debts like we promised! (AKA "shutdown") Yep, that's "good" math/s/
As a guy, half of these make me wonder why they're being put down as anything other than perfectly valid thought processes (maybe expressed in a goofy way). The other half make me think someone is being very misogynistic for labelling falling for stupid gimmicks, "girl math."
I think we all know that guys do this some of this math as well. ;)
Buying 8 cartons of my favorite ice cream because it's on sale for 1/2 price!
Seriously? I know it's meant as a joke but don't we have enough shite to deal with already being women?
What started out as a joke has spread like a disease through social media. It's now endorsing another damaging gender stereotype. Way to go girls! 🤦♀️
It's literally all women just making jokes about themselves?? Are we not allowed to do that?
Load More Replies... I know it's wrong because I'm a girl and generally good at math and make reasonable financial decisions. I know guys that can't afford their phone bill because they bought a playstation last week. But at the same time I can choose not to get offended by it. Same as I choose not to he offended by blonde jokes, or women driver jokes. We can't complain about this but be OK with phrases like Mansplain or Manflu.
Load More Replies... Stupid article. Coming up with excuses to rectify your strange view on spending money, has nothing to do with gender!
Agree. All the people I know who are hopeless at math are male.
Load More Replies... How is this ok? This is just people with deranged financial decision making. Gender has absolutely nothing to do with this disfunction. What a revolting post. Edit: what might bother me most is that it is *women* who created and are perpetuating this sexist c**p as if saying “”it’s a joke” makes it any less disturbingly sexist.
"deranged", "revolting", "disturbingly sexist"... think you may be taking it a little too seriously. The fact that it is women saying this in a light-hearted, joking, self-aware and self-deprecating way (i.e., the posts are "aren't *I* silly for thinking this way" and not "aren't (other) women stupid") means this general concept is not really sexist. However, the needlessly gendered title of it (as many of my men friends do "girl math" as my women friends) is definitely problematic (and could possibly be weaponised). I do think we live in a misogynistic society and there are many things to get angry about. But, for me at least, women joking about refunds feeling like free money - that ain't it.
Load More Replies... Is a black comedian who does jokes about black life a racist?
Load More Replies... Um.... misogyny bad. And my hubby sucks at math. I don't. And we dn't have such stupid attitudes toward spending. FYI, if you wnt "boy math", check out the US national debt and how male-dominated Congress thinks we shouldn't pay on our debts like we promised! (AKA "shutdown") Yep, that's "good" math/s/
As a guy, half of these make me wonder why they're being put down as anything other than perfectly valid thought processes (maybe expressed in a goofy way). The other half make me think someone is being very misogynistic for labelling falling for stupid gimmicks, "girl math."
I think we all know that guys do this some of this math as well. ;)
Buying 8 cartons of my favorite ice cream because it's on sale for 1/2 price!
Seriously? I know it's meant as a joke but don't we have enough shite to deal with already being women?
