Expert: Steve Holleran - 2/19/2008

Question
Doris spent 2/3 of her savings on a used car, and she spent 1/4 of her remaining savings on vintage fuzzy dice. If the dice cost her $250, how much did her original savings total?
can you help me?

Answer
Hi Jason,

Okay, we can do this a couple ways.

First, you could reason backwards:  if $250 was 1/4 of her remaining savings, then the remaining savings after the car was 4 * 250 = $1000.

Then, if she spent 2/3 on the car, the remainder was 1/3.
So $1000 = 1/3 of here savings, and her savings then would be 3 * $1000 = $3000.

Second, if you want to use algebra, Call her savings x.

The x - 2/3 x = 1/3 x = remainder after car purchase.

And 1/4(1/3 x) = 250 so 1/12 x = 250 and x = 12 * 250 = 3000.

Hope this helps
Steve