A lady has a certain number of dollar bills in her purse. She has no other money. She spends half the money on a hat and gives $1 to a begger outside the store.She spends half the remaining dollars for lunch and tips the waiter $2. She then spends haif the remaining dollars for a book, and just before she goes home she spends $3 dollars on a hot fudge sundae. She now has $1 left. How many dollars did she began with?

Answer 1

$42

Answer 2

Thanks Ali.What did you do?

Answer 3

Let the original amount be $x

Amount left after first episode
= x/2 - 1

amount left after lunch
= (x/2-1)/2 - 2

amount left after buying book
= [(x/2-1)/2 - 2]/2

amount left after buying fudge
= [(x/2-1)/2 - 2]/2 - 3

then[(x/2-1)/2 - 2]/2 - 3 = 1
[(x/2-1)/2 - 2]/2 = 4
[(x/2-1)/2 - 2] = 8
(x/2-1)/2 = 10
x/2 - 1 = 20
x/2 = 21
x = 42

Answer 4

$6.00

Answer 5

42/2=21
21-1=20
20/2=10
10-2=8
8/2=4
4-3=1
the answer is $42