26. Buy Something and Return It, You’ve Made Money

Girl Math: Returning an item means you get cash back, so you’ve made money
Source: @mckennaelianna
A girl named McKenna Elianna on TikTok was listing all of the things she “firmly believes” because of girl math, and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t agree. One firm belief had to do with returning items.

Buy Something and Return It, You’ve Made Money @mckennaelianna/TikTok
If you return something, you get the cash from it back. Your bank account number goes up, meaning you’ve actually made money. The fact that you bought it in the first place is a distant memory—all that matters is that you got cash back.

27. French Fries Addiction Girl Math

Girl Math: However many fries you can hold in one hand equals just one fry
Source: @sshnickerdoodles
Oh, you thought that girl math could only apply to buying stuff online or in a store? Girl math is everywhere, even at a restaurant. If you’re eating French fries and don’t want to eat too many, don’t worry. Girl math can save you.

French Fries Addiction Girl Math @sshnickerdoodles/TikTok
Whatever you hold in your hand equals one solitary fry. So, if you managed to fit six McDonald’s French fries in your hand to put into your mouth, you’ve technically only eaten one French fry.

28. The Math Is Not Mathing Today

Girl Math: How does $20 go from free to $50?
Source: @mia.dench
$28 is $25, which is basically $20, and anything that costs $20 is pretty much free. But, said TikToker @mia.dench, she has to pay shipping. Shipping costs $9, and $28 plus $9 is $37, which is a number that sounds a bit much.

The Math Is Not Mathing Today @mia.dench/TikTok
$37 is actually $40, which is basically $50, and all Mia wants to know is how her top went from being just $20 to $50? The math is not mathing. Darn shipping, it gets us every time, never hesitating to throw a wrench into our girl math plans.

29. Girl Mathing a $6100 Bracelet

Girl Math: Using a calculator and the CPA method to girl math a Van Cleef bracelet
Source: @chloeabeth4545
Can you girl math a $6,100 Van Cleef bracelet? Though that might seem impossible, you’d be wise not to doubt the power of girl math. @chloeabeth4545 has the answer, as she owns this beautiful piece of jewelry and has girl mathed it to oblivion.

Girl Mathing a $6100 Bracelet @chloeabeth4545/TikTok
Chloe used the “CPA method” (cost per action) and a calculator to girl math the bracelet, coming up, after quite a few complex steps, with a discount of around 70%. Sure, we were confused, but, if it works for Chloe, girl math has done its job.

30. PiggyVest Money Is Not My Money

Girl Math: Savings account money doesn’t really count
Source: @OloriOfOloris/Twitter
PiggyVest, for those who aren’t aware, is a secure savings platform that basically forces you to use financial discipline to make your finances grow. There are a million savings programs like it all around the world.

PiggyVest Money Is Not My Money ©annebel146/stock.adobe.com | @OloriOfOloris/Twitter
According to one Twitter user, @OloriOfOloris, savings account money isn’t her money, as, if she takes money out of it, she’ll just have to pay herself back. Girl math loves to create a disconnect between checking and savings, making the latter seem more distant and surreal than it really is.

31. Half Marathon Girl Math

Girl Math: Long distances are actually just short ones that are no big deal
Source: @laurenclarke132
Want to run a half-marathon, but feel intimidated by the distance? Honestly, don’t even worry about it, as girl math is here to help. Technically, a 21km distance is just four quick little 5Ks, says TikToker and runner @laurenclarke132.

Half Marathon Girl Math @laurenclarke132/TikTok
That’s really just a 10K and a great playlist. That last 1k is pure adrenaline, so it doesn’t really count. When the distance is broken down like that, it doesn’t really seem like a big deal, now does it?

32. Everything Paid in Cash Is Free

Girl Math: Cash doesn’t come out of your account, so it’s not real
Source: @vida_glow
“If I pay in cash for something, it’s free,” announced @vida_glow on TikTok, rehashing a girl math concept that is set-in-stone. Cash-in-hand doesn’t cause your bank account to drop, which means that, basically, paying with it isn’t paying at all.

Everything Paid in Cash Is Free @vida_glow/TikTok
As long as those account numbers don’t drop, you’re good to go. Though this might seem silly to those who don’t adhere to girl math, the cash trick has actually been used to help people budget and save for a while. And it really works, too.

33. Splitting Money Means Saving Money

Girl Math: If you split the money on a trip, you save money
Source: @mixedupmoney
Imagine this: you buy a seafood platter for $100, or you split the cost with 5 friends and give $20 each. You will eat the same portion in both cases, but one would cost you a hundred bucks, while the other a mere 20. That is basically saving money!

Splitting Money Means Saving Money @mixedupmoney/TikTok
Another of Alyssa’s girl math tenets states that you save money when you go out on vacation with your friends and split the cost evenly. Keep in mind the $100 and $20 difference, and you will get what we are saying!

34. #itsbasicallyfree to Get New Dr. Martens

Girl Math: Doc Martens last so long, the cost-per-wear is next to nothing
Source: @fvhzm
On TikTok, @fvhzm, a radio show, often does a segment about girl math (they even have a catchy theme song to introduce it). In one segment, the show girl mathed a new pair of Doc Martens, a brand known for its high-quality, expensive footwear.

#itsbasicallyfree to Get New Dr. Martens @fvhzm/TikTok
Wearing “IT’S BASICALLY FREE” t-shirts, a pair of Doc Marten sandals were cut down to free using a cost-per-wear justification. Because Doc Martens last so long, the cost-per-wear means that the money you spend on them is basically nothing, as you’ll have them forever.

35. Trying to Explain Girl Math

Girl Math: Dads don’t really get girl math
Source: @.isaescu
Be careful who you explain girl math to, as some people just aren’t going to get its splendor. Dads, for example, are inherently suspicious of girl math, and some may argue that our fathers are girl math’s biggest detractors.

Trying to Explain Girl Math @.isaescu/TikTok
When @.isaescu explained girl math to her father using a Lululemon shopping spree example, he was dubious at best. “It’s not free, it’s definitely not free,” her father said, and it was clear that he, along with the rest of our dads, just don’t get girl math’s magic.

36. Free Grand Prix Tickets

Girl Math: Buying ahead of time makes something feel free  
Source: @letschatf1podcast
“If I buy Grand Prix tickets now for next year, then [they’re] basically free.” Using girl math, @letschatf1podcast took the “basically free” GM catchphrase to a new level. The proposition here is that buying something ahead of time cuts its costs.

Free Grand Prix Tickets @letschatf1podcast/TikTok
It certainly gets the purchase out of the way, allowing your bank account to replenish itself by the time you go to the event. Once the money fills back up, the fact that you bought the tickets will be a distant memory, making them feel free.