Expand mobile version menu

Real-Life Activities

Real-Life Math

Running a horse ranch is no easy business. Horses themselves are somewhat high-maintenance creatures. Each worker on a ranch spends the bulk of his time outside engaged in often dirty, sweaty work.

Although there are sometimes public tours and riding lessons to break the monotony of the hard work, the horse rancher's life is definitely not an easy one. This job requires tough, high-quality apparel, and clothing items that can withstand the rigors of the ranching life.

You are the owner of the Big "L" Horse Ranch. You have just taken on 9 men to assist you in the upkeep of the ranch for the spring and summer seasons. Although a hired hand will generally have his own apparel, you insist on a dress code.

"Money is a consideration in ranching," says horse rancher Jack Bradt. "I don't bring a calculator everywhere I go, but I do need to budget. Being poor at math might not be so good for business."

As you make the trek into town, you wonder how much it will cost to outfit your boys this year. You manage to narrow your search down to 2 places: Uncle Deke's Outfitting and Denim Dreams. Here are their prices for both the Karlyle brand chore jacket and the Bagglio brand work boots:

ItemUncle Deke's OutfittingDenim Dreams
KARLYLE CHORE JACKET$49.99$35.99
WILD COUNTRY JEANS$25.99$29.99
BAGGLIO WORK BOOTS$79.9$89.99

Unfortunately, the jacket-jeans-boots combination comes as a set. Therefore, you must purchase all 3 at the same time.

You will be buying 9 of each combo. Figure out the grand total at both places. Which place has a better bargain and by how much?