Mario spent a total of $87.33 last week but did not keep a perfect record of where his money went. Fortunately, Mario does have all but one of his receipts. He enters all of the information he has into his expense spreadsheet as shown below.
| | A | B |
|---|---------------|----------|
| 1 | Transaction | Amount |
| 2 | Oil change | $18.95 |
| 3 | Gas in car | $20.50 |
| 4 | Lunch out | $12.68 |
| 5 | Golfing | |
| 6 | Total Spent | $87.33 |
How much did Mario spend on golfing?
A. $35.20
B. $45.20
C. $4.88
D. $143.96
Answer (2)
Set up an equation: $18.95 + $20.50 + $12.68 + x = $87.33 .
Combine the known expenses: $18.95 + $20.50 + $12.68 = $52.13 .
Subtract the combined expenses from the total: x = $87.33 − $52.13 .
Calculate the amount spent on golfing: $35.20 .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are given the total amount Mario spent last week and the amounts he spent on an oil change, gas, and lunch. We need to find out how much he spent on golfing.
Setting up the Equation Let's denote the amount spent on golfing as x . The total amount spent is the sum of the amounts spent on each item. So, we can write the equation:
$18.95 + $20.50 + $12.68 + x = $87.33
Solving for x Now, we need to solve for x . To do this, we subtract the sum of the known expenses from the total amount spent:
x = $87.33 − ( $18.95 + $20.50 + $12.68 )
x = $87.33 − $52.13
x = $35.20
Finding the Answer Therefore, Mario spent $35.20 on golfing.
Examples
Imagine you are planning a budget for a weekend trip. You know your total budget and how much you've spent on transportation, accommodation, and food. To figure out how much you have left for activities and souvenirs, you can use the same method we used to solve Mario's golfing expenses. By subtracting the known expenses from the total budget, you can determine the remaining amount available for other activities, helping you stay within your budget and make informed spending decisions. This simple budgeting technique is useful for managing personal finances, planning events, or tracking business expenses.
Mario spent $35.20 on golfing. This was found by subtracting his known expenses from the total amount spent last week. The calculation of this was done step-by-step to ensure accuracy.
;
