what happened to the buck?

Question

Three lads, traveling together decide to get a room for the night. The clerk tells them that the room is $30.00 a night, so all three pull out a $10.00 bill each and pay for the room. Later, the overnight clerk looks over  the register and realizes that he overcharged them because of a special. The room was supposed to be $25.00 a night. He sends the bellboy up with three $1.00 and a $2.00, for a total of $5.00 to correct the mistake. The three lads were impressed by the honesty of the hotel and decided to each take $1.00 back and give the bellboy and the night clerk a $1.00 tip each. Now the question.
 each paid $10.00 and got $1.00 back so the room cost $9.00 each. 3 X 9 = 27 plus the 2 dollar tip makes 29. What happened to the other dollar?

David Owen Nunes · Accepted Answer

You're right about the 27 dollars, but that includes the 2 dollar tip. (25 plus 2)
The other three to make 30 was 1 dollar each.
Good one, though.

? · Answer

The "missing" dollar was already given back to the room renters. Let me explain:

Three men EACH gave ten dollars so they paid a total of 30 dollars by using multiples of three. But because the price was 25, the clerk subtracted five from the 30 but five isn't a multiple of three. So three dollars were given back and the two was kept by the staff. 

Originally, it was $10(3) = $30.
Then, after they got the money back, it was $9(3) = $27.
If you add back the money they got back, it's $9(3) + $1 + $1 + $1 = $30. 
So there you go. No missing dollar bills.

Then, where did the two dollars go? Well, it went to the staff as a tip. The men paid a total of 27 but they really only needed to pay 25 so they just gave the two dollars as a tip. So it's $27 - $2 = $25.

Do you understand now? :D

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what happened to the buck?

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