Girl math: A viral social media trend decoded; should you indulge in it?

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

What Pahwa has done is ‘girl math’, and she’s not the only one doing it. The accountant in you may baulk, but people are apparently buying things for ‘free’. Or, at least, that’s what social media will have you believe.

Want to spend an outrageous amount on a designer dress, but can’t justify the cost? Enter, girl math. Just calculate the per wear cost until it’s down to a level that’s easy on the ear.

This popular social media trend, which has millions of women around the world explaining their discretionary and, sometimes impulsive, purchases is essentially ‘mental accounting’. This is a cognitive bias in behavioural economics, where people tend to assign different values to money based on its usage or origin, resulting in irrational decision-making.

For instance, if one recovers lost money or gets a bonus, one assumes it to be a bounty they have fortuitously come across, not the money that belongs to them. They then consider it their right to spend it freely.

This is precisely what girl math is all about, a way to justify extravagant purchases. A refund is being considered free cash because the woman has already spent it.

If she wants something and it’s on sale, she is losing money if she doesn’t buy it. Similarly, you would be losing money if you don’t spend enough to qualify for free shipping. You’re making money every time you skip your daily tea or coffee.