Lizzy: Thomas started saving for a car almost 2 years ago. For the first year, his weekly allowance was $50. In the second year, he got a job that pays $9 an hour at a coffee shop and worked 30 hours a week, so his parents discontinued his allowance. If the car he wants to buy is $15,000 and he spends $35 a week on himself, how much more money does Thomas need to buy the car by the end of the 2 years?.
Me: Hmmm, let me think. I think this is the detailed solution:
There are 52 weeks in a year. For the first year, Thomas received 52 x 50 = $2600. In the second year, Thomas earned 9 x 30 = $270 a week. In a year, Thomas earned 52 x 270 = $14,040. The total for the two years is 14040 + 2600 = 16640. In 2 years, Thomas' weekly expenses amounted to $35 x (52 x 2) = $35 x 104 = $3640. By the end of 2 years, Thomas would have saved $16640 - $3640 = 13000. Thomas still needs $15,000 - 13000 = $2000. Final answer: 2000.