Janine's shoes cost $44.50, her pants cost $20.80, and her t-shirt cost $14.95. What is the total of her purchases?

• A. 82.25
• B. 80.52
• C. 85.20
• D. 80.25

Answer: (D)

When adding money, line up the decimal points and add the cents first, carrying any whole dollars as needed. The cents from the three items are 0.50, 0.80, and 0.95, which sum to 2.25 dollars—that’s 2 dollars and 25 cents to carry over. The dollar parts are 44 + 20 + 14 = 78; add the 2 dollars carried from the cents, giving 80 dollars. Combine with the 25 cents, and the total is $80.25. If you don’t carry properly or misplace the decimal, you could end up with totals like 80.52, 82.25, or 85.20, but the correct approach yields $80.25.