Brain Teasers
Marco's Mice
Marco's Uncle Oscar gave him a pair of piebald mice for his birthday. Marco named one mouse Whiskers and the other one Oscar after his favorite uncle. Now Marco has to buy supplies for his mice. He wants to buy a cage, an exercise wheel, a water bottle, one bag of wood shavings, and 12 ounces of Mouse Chow.
At the Fin 'n' Fur pet store, he found a nice big cage for $29.90, a water bottle for $4.50, an exercise wheel for $6.00, bags of wood shavings priced at 3 for $13.95, and 12 ounces of Mouse Chow at $0.56 an ounce. Luckily, the cage, water bottle, and exercise wheel are on sale at 10% off.
The store also has a Pet Starter Kit that includes a cage with a built-in wheel, a water bottle, a bag of wood shavings, and 12 ounces of Mouse Chow, all for $44.95. A 5% sales tax applies to all non-food items, including the complete Pet Starter Kit. The tax is applied after a sale price is determined.
Which collection of supplies is the better deal: purchasing each item separately or purchasing the Pet Starter Kit?
At the Fin 'n' Fur pet store, he found a nice big cage for $29.90, a water bottle for $4.50, an exercise wheel for $6.00, bags of wood shavings priced at 3 for $13.95, and 12 ounces of Mouse Chow at $0.56 an ounce. Luckily, the cage, water bottle, and exercise wheel are on sale at 10% off.
The store also has a Pet Starter Kit that includes a cage with a built-in wheel, a water bottle, a bag of wood shavings, and 12 ounces of Mouse Chow, all for $44.95. A 5% sales tax applies to all non-food items, including the complete Pet Starter Kit. The tax is applied after a sale price is determined.
Which collection of supplies is the better deal: purchasing each item separately or purchasing the Pet Starter Kit?
Hint
1. Keep in mind how much of each item Marco wants to buy.2. Remember to calculate the 10% discount for items on sale.
Answer
The Pet Starter Kit is the better deal.The total cost of the Pet Starter Kit after the 5% sales tax is applied is $47.20.
The sum of the cost of the individual items is $47.73, before the tax is applied. Since the Mouse Chow is a food item, the total amount to be taxed is only $41.01. After applying the 5% sales tax and adding the cost of the Mouse Chow, the total cost of the individual items is $49.78.
Marco will save $2.58 by buying the Pet Starter Kit.
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