Girl Math: Harmless Joke or Something More?

What if your reaction to money isn’t really about money?

Perhaps you feel anxious when you think about your finances.

Your heart races.
Your body tenses.
You struggle to sleep.
You avoid making decisions.

Girl Math: Harmless Joke or Something More?

“It’s basically free.”

“I paid cash, so it doesn’t count.”

“If I wear it 30 times, it only cost me $10 a wear.”

We’ve all heard it.

“Girl Math” has become a familiar way of joking about how women justify a purchase to themselves — turning a questionable financial decision into something that somehow makes perfect sense.

And, on the surface, it’s funny.

But I think there’s a more interesting question underneath the joke:

What happens when women repeatedly make themselves the punchline of their own financial decisions?

The problem isn't the humour.

Women are perfectly capable of laughing at themselves.

The concern is what the language can reinforce.

“Girl Math” suggests that women have their own special — and slightly ridiculous — relationship with money.

As though women need to find creative ways to explain spending.

As though buying something enjoyable requires justification.

As though financial decisions made by women are somehow less rational, less serious or less worthy of being taken seriously.

And that matters because many women already carry complicated messages about money.

Be responsible.

Don't spend too much.

Don't be selfish.

Think about everyone else.

Make sure you're secure.

Don't talk about money too much.

Don't appear greedy.

Don't get it wrong.

Then along comes “Girl Math” and gives us another label for laughing about our financial behaviour.

What if we changed the conversation?

Instead of:

“I used Girl Math to justify buying this.”

What if we asked:

“Why did I choose to spend my money on this?”

That's a very different question.

Perhaps the purchase reflected something you value.

Perhaps it was spontaneous.

Perhaps it wasn't particularly sensible.

Perhaps it was exactly what you wanted.

The point isn't that every financial decision needs to be justified.

It's that women deserve to make financial choices without automatically positioning themselves as the joke.

Your money. Your choice. Your responsibility.

There is a difference between financial accountability and financial shame.

We can acknowledge that a purchase wasn't aligned with our priorities without deciding that we're “bad with money”.

We can enjoy spending without pretending it was free.

We can change our minds.

We can make mistakes.

We can learn.

And we can talk about money without turning ourselves into the punchline.

This is part of what I mean by Financial Identity.

Financial Identity isn't about whether you're “good” or “bad” with money.

It's about understanding who you are with money — the beliefs, experiences, emotions, values and behaviours that influence your choices.

So perhaps the next time you hear yourself saying:

“That's just Girl Math…”

pause for a moment.

And ask:

“What am I actually trying to tell myself about this decision?”

Because the more honestly we can answer that question, the more intentional our financial choices can become.

And perhaps that's a conversation worth having.

Not Girl Math.
Not Boy Math.
Just your money — and your choices.

Or perhaps you simply find yourself thinking:

“Why do I react like this when I know better?”

The answer may be found beyond the numbers.

Our financial decisions are influenced by far more than financial knowledge. They can be shaped by our experiences, emotions, beliefs, environment, values and behaviours.

And some of those influences may have been present long before we ever made our own financial decisions.

The financial stories we experienced growing up can shape the beliefs we develop about money — what it means, what it represents and who we believe we are with it.

Over time, those beliefs can become part of our financial identity.

This is where Financial Identity changes the conversation.

It gives us a way to look beyond the behaviour and ask:

What is influencing this decision?

What am I feeling?

What have I learned to believe?

Does this belief still serve the woman I am today?

Because becoming more financially self-aware isn’t about becoming better with numbers.

It’s about becoming more aware of yourself with money.

And when you understand yourself differently, you can begin to make different choices.

Your financial identity has a history.
Your future doesn’t have to repeat it.