‘Girl Math’ returns as shoppers navigate holiday shopping finances

“Girl math” makes a timely return this holiday season, throwing the spotlight on new seasonal spending habits that consumers are adopting this year.

Users on TikTok say if you’re buying gifts months before Christmas, it will be “free” by December. If you splurged during Cyber Week, you are technically saving more for Christmas day.

Welcome to girl math — but with a holiday twist.

Girl math is a viral TikTok trend on personal finance. It reveals ways women shoppers rationalize their spending habits — often involving mental gymnastics to justify one’s purchases in a way that maximizes happiness.

This holiday season, the return of girl math may be a sign that consumers are starting to feel a strain on their wallets, but just can’t stop shopping.

While inflation has stabilized, prices remain high and consumers are still spending.

Over half of holiday shoppers say they feel financially burdened this holiday season, according to a study by Bankrate.

However, even as consumers remain cautious, “shoppers do feel like they want to celebrate the holiday season right,” Bryan Gildenberg, managing director at Retail Cities, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” in late November.

Analysts say shoppers may be working up to the gifting season with girl math to rationalize their purchases amid rising costs.

“An extended holiday season may be an example of girl math, as shoppers may view discounts as ‘saving money.’ For example, having a 40% discount on a $100 item is saving $40 to them,” Melissa Lee, a financial consultant from Great Eastern, told CNBC.

Girl math has become a means for shoppers to create a “mental label…