Being a girl isn’t easy when you’re addicted to treating yourself. You see, women like myself believe that we go through sooo much in a single day that we deserve a reward. Being a woman is exhausting — just our general maintenance is a part-time job in itself.

But as someone who treats themselves more often than I should, it means my budgeting skills are wildly subpar. On a daily basis, I find myself cutting costs in unique ways to afford this lifestyle of faux luxury.

There’s a term for such behaviors: Girl Math. Created by the social media gurus, Girl Math originated on TikTok and trickled over to Twitter and beyond. In the wake of the Girl Dinner trend and Barbie, it appears everyone was fascinated with the Girl Mind and had to know all of our little secrets.

@relateables69 Girl maths !! #fyp ♬ original sound - relateables

Girl Math is a universal concept. You don’t have to be a girl to use Girl Math, but mastering Girl Math takes practice and critical thinking. If you don’t know how to master Girl Math, you will soon. Let’s dig in.

What Is Girl Math?

Girl Math’s rules are both simple and complex at the same time. The overall goal? Save money where you can … in the most delusional sense.

One of the prime Girl Math examples is using AfterPay or Klarna, which breaks down your purchase into easier payments every week or so. However, by the laws of Girl Math, you are actually paying less because you aren’t paying it all up front.

If you pay with cash in your wallet and don’t use your credit card, then the purchase was free. Girl Math. If you pay in advance for an event or your self-care appointments, then the purchase is free. Girl Math.

But it’s not just about money. The Jenners said it best when Kylie goes “I’m 25 and you’re basically 30” to the 27-year-old Kendall. The two year difference is like 100 years in Girl Time.

Girl Math is a way to justify your spending habits. When I received an expensive Gucci purse for a graduation gift, I leveled it out by dividing the cost down by 365 and seeing how many days a year I’d have to wear it to get my money’s worth. That’s the epitome of Girl Mathing.

Whenever you are out shopping and you want to purchase something a little out of your price range, you calculate the amount of use you get out of it in order to even the spending and make it worth the cost. This is a genius way of reframing the concept of “cost-per-use” and keeping you from “saving” your expensive purchases for special occasions. Girl Math says wear them now and wear them often.

How Can I Use Girl Math?

Returning a purchase from Sephora and purchasing something else for an equal value means it was free, according to the laws of Girl Math. So, gather a bunch of things to return and go on a mini-spree.

Another smart way to use Girl Math is doing your hair and nails at home, so you can spend that money elsewhere. Using your Dunkin Donuts rewards points from visiting so often and purchasing drinks to get a free coffee is still, at the end of the day, a free coffee.

And the girlies have inspired men! I saw a man on Twitter suggesting Boy Math: buying the jersey of a player who just signed a long-term contract so it’s actually saving you money by not having to switch jerseys over time. Genius, boys.

Use Girl Math by remembering when payday is…so technically those purchases are canceled out when the money is returned to your account the next day. If you paid half your purchase in cash, that half was free because it’s fake money — same thing with using Apple Pay.

Again, you want to be creative and look at the bigger picture. If you’re buying something a bit pricier, it helps to do the math and really think about whether or not you’re going to get the use out of it. But mostly, it’s about “paying it forward” for yourself.

My Favorite Girl Math Purchases

@kenna.hun explaining girl math to teryl
♬ original sound - Makenna Hunsaker

Now that you know how to Girl Math, let’s talk about what to use it on. Maybe for you, you Girl Math to buy Taylor Swift merch in bulk…or it’s a concert ticket for a year from now. Either way, Girl Math can help you treat yourself.

If you want to get that cash in your wallet out and combine it with a gift card, you’ve Girl Math’d your way to a free gift! Here are my picks for your next treat: