How Math runs our lives.

I just hate it when Mom was right! Yes, my mother was an accountant. I did not like Math any more than the next child, but my Mama insisted there were certain things I needed to know in order to survive. The simple business of mathematics is around every corner, behind every fruit stand, and even in your pocket.

In my pocket? Yes! How much money do you have on you right now? Add it up. You have 3-$1.00 bills, 2-$5.00 bills, and a $10.00 bill. (Goodness, you're rich, can I borrow some lunch money?) How much do you have? And, if someone wanted to take one $10.00 bill, and one $5.00 bill, they'd still leave you with over half the bills in your pocket that you began with, so they wouldn't be taking much, would they?

If you went to a restaurant, say Micky D's for lunch, and you ate a salad(around $5 dollars), do you have enough left for an apple dessert? Especially after your brother borrowed the money from you and hasn't yet paid you back, those bills the $5 and $10 dollar bills. And can you pick up a couple of things at the grocery store before you come home?( A loaf of bread, $2.50, and a chunck of cheese, $3.99), or will you be broke before you even get to the check out counter?

Oh, and I thought you said you were stopping at Wal-mart to check out a pair of Jeans you'd been wanting, on sale for $19.99. Or did you and your brother just eat your jeans and you can't take advantage of that sale. By the way, the bank just called, and you are $50.00 overdrafted, when will you be in with the cash to bring your balance back up where it belongs? The amount was in 2 checks, not one, so the $25.00 overdraft fee is now $50.00. So it's going to take $100.00 to bring your balance back up to zero at the bank.

And, did you check the mail? The electric bill jumped from $170.00 last month to $350.00 this month, because it's been so daggoned hot! Did you say you earn only $7.50/hour at your job? How do you plan to catch up on the utilities in time to make the house payment? (A mere $650.00 per month?) Good grief! You can't afford to live!!

Let's add that up.

$5.05 at Micky D's for lunch.

$15.00 in your brother's pocket that was yours.

$6.50 at the grocer's, which you couldn't spend.

$20.00 on jeans you couldn't buy.

$100.00 at the bank because you were overdrafted.

$350.00 for electricity.

$650.00 for house payment.

Factor in money for groceries, and make sure you buy laundry detergent and soap and enough toilet paper so you have enough.

Oh, and remember gasoline is $4.00 per gallon, so it takes $80.00 to fill up your gas tank for the week. Oops, your car insurance is due, and that's $200.00 per month because you had that accident 6 months ago, and it was ruled contributory negligence.

You make almost $250.00 per week, take home. Is it going to be enough? Can you afford to live? Or will you need to take in boarders so that you can make the house payment? Better go back to school. You need to earn at least $20.00 an hour just to keep up with the basic bills!

(And I didn't even factor in the money to go to the movies to see Indiana Jones, DANG!)

Sorry. maybe next month.

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