Word Problem Wednesday: Back to School Shopping

One of the most common questions asked in math classes is “When am I ever going to need this?” The fact is, we use math every day, in ways we don’t always think about, including cooking, measuring, telling time, and of course, SHOPPING!

This week’s word problem lets you practice some real-life math skills with a real-life back-to-school problem you may be facing right now: Buying school supplies. Imagine how impressed your parents will be when you tell them you’ve figured out the best price on notebooks, and that you’re ready to go back-to-school shopping! 

Challenge: Ashley needs to buy spiral notebooks for school. NoteMart sells 2 spiral notebooks for $1.50. A+ Stationery sells spiral notebooks for 85¢ each. Hank’s Discount School Supplies sells 10 spiral notebooks for $8.00. Where should Ashley buy her notebooks if she wants the best deal?

Take your time, and when you've found your solution go ahead and check it against ours below. Good luck!

Solution: Each notebook from NoteMart costs $1.50 ÷ 2 = 75¢. Each notebook from A+ Stationery costs 85¢. Each notebook from Hank’s Discount School Supplies costs $8.00 ÷ 10 = 80¢. Since 75¢ is the smallest cost per notebook, NoteMart has the best deal on spiral notebooks.