[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-post-title” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Black Han Sans|700||on|||||” header_text_align=”center” header_font_size=”46px” header_letter_spacing=”4px” custom_margin=”25px||5px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-name” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font=”|||on|||||” header_4_text_align=”center” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
WORDS: Jo Hoare<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1478382086.jpg” alt=”Russell Brand” title_text=”Thoughtful woman gesturing and holding calculator against pink background” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n You\u2019ve probably seen it all over Tiktok and Instagram: Girl Math, first coined by a New Zealand podcast, is a term currently used to describe the justifications women make around purchases.<\/p>\n By and large a catchier and more creative reworking of the age-old \u2018cost per wear\u2019 arithmetic, Girl Math excuses purchases of \u00a3500 plus hair tools and persuades us that it\u2019s fine that Taylor Swift concert tickets now cost the same as a luxury minibreak. So far so fun? Maybe not. As someone who spent all of the 00\u2019s and a fair amount of the 2010s in a state of COMPLETE fiscal irresponsibility it\u2019s a trend that worries me.<\/p>\n Money mistakes I made in my twenties and early thirties in the name of over consumption \u2013 you might have Girl Math but we had Carrie Bradshaw- still plague me now in my 40s. With today\u2019s added temptation of buy-now-pay-later and sky-high interest rates across the board, kidding ourselves that it\u2019s cute or fun to be flippant with our finances now feels more dangerous than ever.<\/p>\n If Girl Math still isn\u2019t quite adding up, allow me to give you a quick 101.<\/p>\n Say you buy a pair of shoes online, they\u2019re not right and for once you get round to returning them (instead of letting them sit in the corner til it\u2019s too late to get a refund and then selling them for a fiver on Vinted – just me?). You get \u00a360 back into your account – that\u2019s free money!<\/p>\n Or you buy concert tickets on a credit card for you and your friend, and she gives you cash, well that\u2019s free money too and your Girl Math duty to spend it straight away.<\/p>\n A jacket for \u00a3250 that you\u2019re definitely going to wear every single day for the rest of your life? Well that\u2019s like 10p an outing!<\/p>\n For the advanced Girl Mathematicians amongst us, almost any cost can be put through the lens of a GM equation. From a haircut that\u2019ll definitely lead to a promotion to an Uber for a date that\u2019s sure to equate to becoming a DINK (double income, no kids) couple any day now, your overdraft might not agree with it but Girl Maths will.<\/p>\n Following the mathematical theme, here\u2019s six reasons Girl Math(s) needs to get in the bin.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-in-article-bold” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n It’s our money, so why the excuses?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n At first glance (or one hundred and first if your \u2018For You\u2019 page is anything like mine) it seems totally harmless. It\u2019s a funny trend that has us all texting our friends \u2018we do this!\u2019. But dig a little deeper and in the year 2023 do we really need to be making excuses or rationalising what we as women buy with our money? Money that we earnt. In real jobs. That we are qualified for and good at. To negate buying things we want in this way feels horribly regressive and harks back to the days of women having to be frugal with the \u2018housekeeping money\u2019 to cream off enough for a new dress. Catherine Morgan, Financial Adviser, Money Psychology expert and author of \u2018It’s not about the money\u2019 agrees that it\u2019s reinforcing gender stereotypes around women and finance.<\/p>\n \u2018When I saw the videos talking about Girl Math, I was glad that women are communicating about a subject that is still considered so taboo for so many. Given that 90% of our decisions around money do not come from a place of logic, I love how it opens up the topic of money not making mathematical sense.<\/p>\n \u2018However, there is a dark and rather concerning side. Women are already fighting against a backdrop of financial biases. This isn’t just about “girl math” or whatever new trend comes along. It’s about years and years of financial neglect and stereotypes that have seeped into our collective psyche,\u2019 she explains, adding: \u2018Girl Maths is really addressing the concept of mental accounting. A psychological angle on giving ourselves permission. Given that we want and need greater financial diversity, inclusion and equality, the most important (and under-talked) point here is that women feel they have to lean on these concepts to justify purchases because we are really attempting to justify our own internal guilt.\u2019 Doesn\u2019t seem quite so meme-able after hearing that\u2026<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-in-article-bold” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n It encourages overspending and debt<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n So it\u2019s our money to spend how we want. But what about when we don\u2019t have it? Who hasn\u2019t done the money juggle in their mind about whether you should put an amazing sale bargain on a credit card as you know it\u2019ll be sold out by the time you get paid? Whereas the occasional stretch of your finances for something fun is part of life, as a regular habit it can be harmful.<\/p>\n Jacqueline Bayley, a wealth management consultant with Janine Edwards Wealth Management advises us to remember that the initial cost of something is still the cost (or even more if you\u2019re paying interest on debt you incur to buy it). She explains: \u2018We all need to be more mindful about our spending habits, the environmental impact, and prioritising our own financial wellbeing and happiness. Don’t get swept up buying things based on something costing you \u00a31 per wear, or it owes me nothing – especially when it is not budgeted for, it is not essential and you have to go into debt to buy it. Really, you are living beyond your means. And the true cost of the item is way more than you originally justified to yourself.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-in-article-bold” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Aren\u2019t we women anyway?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n See also Girl Dinner (I couldn\u2019t possibly eat a whole meal, like a man!) Girl Boss (I have an annoying inspirational quote in my email signature) and Hot Girl Walk (tbh I\u2019ve got no idea how you can girl-ify putting one leg in front of the other, maybe it\u2019s in a crab like fashion, like how riding side-saddle used to save our virtue?).<\/p>\n The debate of women vs girl is a whole other piece in itself so I\u2019ll keep it brief, but I and a lot of other women I know have a problem with being called girl. Sure if you\u2019re under 11\/an amiable female golden retriever\/prominent in the D and S community, girl is fine but otherwise no thanks. And don\u2019t even get me started on girlie.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-in-article-bold” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n We still have a significant gender wealth gap<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Not only are we likely to be paid less, but as women we are also likely to experience a gender wealth gap across all aspects of our financial lives, and this downplaying of the value of female financial intelligence is doing nothing to help.<\/p>\n \u2018I see it all the time in my work as a financial coach and wealth strategist\u2019 explains money and investment expert, Vix Munro www.retirerichwithvix.com, adding: \u2018This gap shows up in various ways, like women having more debt, less in savings and investments, smaller pension savings, fewer women in business ownership, and lower levels of financial literacy compared to men. Sometimes, women even inherit less than male members of their family. In addition, women are more vulnerable to economic hardships due to things like divorce, widowhood, or just plain living longer. Plus, societal expectations about gender roles can seriously limit women’s chances to build wealth.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-in-article-bold” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n It could leave us more open to financial harm<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n \u2018Financial Inequality is still wrongly, very much alive and kicking today and Girl Math is doing nothing to change this!\u2019 says Lesley Thomas \u2013 Founder of \u2018The Money Confidence Academy\u2019, and for all the humour around the retaliatory \u2018Boy Math\u2019 (more of that later) it\u2019s unlikely to cause our male counterparts as much harm.<\/p>\n She adds: \u2018By perpetuating the stereotype that women are less capable or less interested in managing their finances, Girl Math is effectively undermining the fact that women can and should be financially independent. It actively encourages the idea that it is OK for women to be clueless about their finances, which only creates a situation where women could be more at risk of financial exploitation.\u2019<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”fp-in-article-bold” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_font_size=”18px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Let\u2019s talk about boy math<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n As anyone who has ever been on a dating app will know, it\u2019s boy math that\u2019s the real issue any way. How else do you explain anything over 5\u2019 9\u2019\u2019 always adding up to six foot? And as for, ahem, more intimate measurements – well no cost per wear equation is going to excuse that. If you\u2019re feeling down about Girl Math and its implications a quick search of #BoyMath will have you laughing (nearly) all the way to the bank\u2026.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#111111″ divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”2px” module_class=”custom-divider” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-texts” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|||on|||||” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n IMAGE: Getty<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If Girl Math still isn\u2019t quite adding up, allow me to give you a quick 101.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"kschwarz","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=744"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":750,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/744\/revisions\/750"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}