Understanding Boy Math: 4 Ways I Tried To Justify Financial Decisions Over The Past 12 Months

“Boy math” is the internet’s term for how men sometimes justify their financial decisions.

Unlike “girl math”, which often revolves around how much money was saved, boy math tends to focus on productivity, utility, or how quickly the money can be earned back.

For example, girl math is buying a tailored suit in Bangkok for S$200 and reasoning that the same suit would cost S$300 in Singapore. Therefore, you did not spend S$200. You saved S$100.

Boy math is buying the same suit and telling yourself that it will be useful for important client presentations. Looking more professional could help you perform better at work, impress clients, and eventually earn more money. Therefore, the S$200 suit is not an impulse purchase. It is a necessary “investment” in your career.

Boy math is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the spending remains within a healthy financial structure. Some purchases can genuinely improve our quality of life, productivity, career prospects or ability to support our families.

Here are four ways I have spent money over the past 12 months, and the boy math I used to convince myself that each one made perfect financial sense.

#1 Driving To The Office

Driving to the office every day, especially if you work in the CBD, is rarely the cheapest option. Between season parking, ERP charges and petrol, it will almost certainly cost more than taking public transport.

But according to boy math, the real question is not how much driving costs. It is how much time driving can save.

As my schedule has got busier over the past year, I have found myself needing more time in the office. Unfortunately, working later also meant sacrificing family time in the evenings.

My ‘solution’ was to start driving straight to the office after dropping the kids off each morning. Previously, I would return home first to shower and change before taking the public transport to work. By driving directly to the office, I could start work at around 8 am.

Of course, season parking in the CBD costs a few hundred dollars each month. Once ERP charges and petrol are added, the total cost is even higher.

However, starting work earlier also gives me a better chance of finishing earlier. On some days, I can drive home in time to have dinner with the kids and spend the evening with them.

According to my own calculations, I save about 2 hours each day (assuming I work the same 9 hours), or about 8 hours a week (we work from home once a week). So if I am paying about $450 a month to buy back around 32 hours, that works out to about $14 an hour. Not cheap, but after all, time is money.

#2 Hiring A Domestic Helper To “Outsource” Household Chores

For a long time, we tried not to hire a domestic helper.

Part of the reason was personal. We wanted to remain involved in running the household rather than outsourcing everything. But the reality is that when both parents are working and have young ones creating messes daily, household chores can be overwhelming.

Hiring a helper creates a significant recurring expense, especially once you include salary, levy, food, insurance, medical costs and other household expenses. Depending on the arrangement and expenses involved, hiring a domestic helper can cost between S$1,000 and S$1,500 per month.

That is not a small amount. However, boy math tells me to look at the time and mental energy we get back.

Instead of spending evenings clearing dishes, folding clothes and preparing for the next day, we can focus more on the children, catch up on work when necessary or simply get more rest. Weekends, when required, may be used to catch up on work rather than do more laundry and ironing.

Read Also: How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Maid In Singapore?

#3 Paying For Personal Coaching To Learn Faster

For the longest time, I was never a fan of personal coaching.

It costs more than group classes or learning a skill on your own, and it did not feel like a financially sustainable way to learn something over the long term. Why pay for one-to-one coaching when there are free YouTube videos, cheaper classes and plenty of opportunities to practise on your own as long as you are serious about learning.

As I have grown older, however, I have started to realise that learning a new skill is not just about putting in more hours. It is also about learning the right things from the start.

Whether it is golf, boxing or even a non-physical hobby such as learning a new musical instrument, a good coach can spot mistakes early, correct bad habits before they develop and help you improve faster. This is different from YouTube videos or large group classes, where the advice is usually more general. You can also save time by arranging sessions for a time slot when you are usually available, and possibly even near your home.

#4 Spending More To Invest In My Health

Spending money on health can feel unnecessary when there is no immediate problem to fix. Healthier food may cost more, getting enough sleep may mean choosing not to work late, and health screenings can seem expensive when you feel perfectly fine.

But according to boy math, these are not costs. They are investments in staying healthy and productive for longer.

Eating better, sleeping well, and getting appropriate health screenings may improve energy levels and help identify potential issues earlier. Poor health, on the other hand, can lead to medical bills, time away from work and less energy for the family.

Of course, this does not mean buying every supplement or signing up for every available test. The spending still has to make sense for your age, lifestyle and medical needs.

Still, this may be the easiest form of boy math to defend. Spending more on our health today could help us avoid paying a much higher health tax later.

And when the possible return is more energy, fewer medical problems, and more time to live our best life with the people who matter, the math starts to look quite reasonable.

Read Also: 7 Things That The Wealthy Will Pay For That Most People Will Never Need (Or Afford)

Photo Credit: iStock/DragonImages