SOLUTION: Can someone help me to work this backwards? Karen spent all but $8.00 of her savings in three stores. In each store she spent $2.00 less than half of what she had when she went

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Question 43162: Can someone help me to work this backwards?
Karen spent all but $8.00 of her savings in three stores. In each store she spent $2.00 less than half of what she had when she went in. How much money did Karen have at the start?
Someone answered this for me, but I couldn't get it to come up. Sorry, but I think my computer is fixed now.
Thanks,
Answer by aaaaaaaa(138) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Solving by backtracking is just doing the inverse operations at the inverse order. If we normally divide and add, to backtrack we will subtract and multiply. Algebraically meaning:
end+=+start%2F2+%2B+2
-start%2F2+=+2+-+end
-start+=+4+-+2%2Aend
start+=+2%28end-2%29
For end = 8, subtract 2 and multiply by 2:
s+=+12
For end = 12
s+=+20
For end = 20
s+=+36