We need to retire ‘girl math’

OPINION We need to retire ‘girl math’ Around 2023, the viral phrase “girl math” gained traction, and much to my ire, it still hasn’t gone away. “Girl math” is a slang term referring to the variety of logical fallacies used to justify spending habits. If you Venmo $15 to your friend using your existing Venmo balance, it feels like it was free. If you returned $50 worth of clothes to T.J. Maxx and spent $70 on new clothes, it feels like you got the new clothes for $20. This psychological phenomenon is real, but calling it “girl math” sends a different message: “Women be shopping,” and being bad at math is a female trait. Our economic decisions have been studied by the behavioral economics field for decades. Mental accounting describes the idea that despite every dollar being equal in value, people sort money into different mental accounts, leading them to treat some money as “free” or “extra” depending on its source.

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