'These earrings were quite literally free': Woman uses 'girl math' to explain her $3,950 Cartier buy
PHOTO: Screenshot/TikTok/chloeabeth4545
PUBLISHED ONSeptember 15, 2023 4:56 AMByVenkat Gunasellan Ever found yourself questioning a pricey purchase you didn't really need? Or felt guilt over your spending habits?
Well, here's a concept called "girl math" that might just put a smile on your face.
It's all about finding creative ways to rationalise your expenses.
For instance, take TikToker Chloe, who shared a tongue-in-cheek example of how she used "girl math" to explain how her $3,950 Cartier earrings became "practically free".
@chloeabeth4545 What should I girl math next? #girlmath #stayathomedaughter #cartier #fyp ♬ original sound - Chloe L.
In her 80-second video, posted on Aug 13, Chloe explained her spending using a financial calculator.
Yes, the irony is not lost on us.
Initially she wanted to get another pair of Cartier earrings which cost $5,250.
“I ended up compromising and saving money by getting the Trinity earrings for $3,950,” Chloe mentioned, explaining that she made a profit of $1,300.
But here's where the "girl math" gets truly entertaining. Chloe revealed she had $1,000 in mall vouchers from her previous shopping sprees, effectively reducing her expenses to $2,950.
At this point, she then divided $2,950 to two, since all earrings have a “buy one-get-one-free deal”.
Still with us? Chloe then used the "cost-per-wear theory", calculating that if she wore the earrings every day for four years, they'd cost her just $1 a day.
She concluded that the earrings were "quite literally free" because she remembered her father's credit card number.
'Girl math' resonates with netizens
The math is mathing.
A lot of netizens could relate with the satirical "girl math" concept.
One user mentioned how he has used "girl math" all his life without realising it.
While another user highlighted how she had learned "girl math" in school.
Another user even found another way to bring down the cost of the Cartier earrings.
With that said, the hilarity of "girl math" was lost on some users.
One user was questioning whether the video is satire?
'Girl math' explained
"Girl math" isn't a novel concept, but it's been gaining popularity on TikTok recently.
Local influencer Atiqa Dar decided to shed light on it by sharing an explainer video, breaking down some ludicrous examples of how "girl math" works.
@damndar galaxy brain 🧠 #girlmath ♬ original sound - Atiqa Dar
For instance, she highlighted how if you preload a Starbucks card and then use it for future purchases, you essentially get all your drinks for free.
Atiqa also applied the "cost-per-wear theory", showing that if you buy a pair of headphones for $200 and use them more than 200 times, they practically pay for themselves!
Additionally, she pointed out that on Black Friday, you can actually make money even while spending it.
This goes without saying, but "girl math" is a satirical take on personal finances and should not be taken seriously for actual financial advice.
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