If you’ve never heard of the term Girl Math, neither have I until recently. It is a social media trend where young women (and Generation Z in particular) justify how they spend their money, especially on non-essentials.

The latest discourse to hit social media revolves around spending, consumerism and economics, both real and imagined. In some videos I saw, young women describe the logical manoeuvres that allow them to justify spending money on luxuries ranging from Botox to Beyonce tickets.

In the world of "girl math," cash is not real money, buying on sale is a form of saving and cosmetic procedure is an "investment in your future self."

"If I pay for something in cash, it feels like I got it for free," one TikToker explained. Another example she shared? If she cancelled a manicure appointment, she now has that money to spend. Look this is the first time I’ve ever watched a TikTok video and I’m a Boomer so I actually have no idea what these young girls are on about, but much of Personal Finance listeners are of the younger variety and it is important for us to cater to their needs.

So I got an expert to come and explain it all to me, and unpack the value proposition this trend holds for the fearless females of the future.

My guest today is Farzana Botha, a Segment Manager at Sanlam Risk & Savings. She has 17 years of industry experience and is currently working on her Honours in Integrated Organisational Communications through UNISA to add to her intellectual arsenal.

PERSONAL FINANCE