I Borrowed $50 From Mum and $50 From Dad Riddle

I Borrowed $50 From Mum and $50 From Dad Riddle

Full riddle is: I borrowed $50 from mum and $50 from dad to buy a bag costing $97. After the purchase, I had $3 left. I returned $1 to dad and $1 to mum, and reserved $1 for myself. I now owe $49+$49=$98 plus the $1 I reserved for myself, which is $99. Where is the missing $1?

Explanation

You borrowed $50 from your mum and $50 from your dad, which means you had $100 in total. You bought a bag that costs $97, so you had $3 left after buying the bag. Then, you gave $1 back to your dad and $1 back to your mum, leaving you with $1 to keep.

Now, it looks like you still owe $49 to your dad and $49 to your mum, which adds up to $98. You might think that if you add the $1 you kept for yourself, it should be $99, but this is where the confusion happens. There’s a trick in the way the numbers are added, and it can make things seem confusing at first.

Hints

Here some hints help you to solve the riddle

• You borrowed money from both your mum and dad.
• The total money you borrowed is $100.
• You spent $97 on a bag.
• After buying the bag, you had $3 left.
• You gave $1 back to your dad and $1 back to your mum.
• You kept $1 for yourself.
• Think about how much you still owe your parents now.
• Look closely at how you add the amounts to find the confusion.

Answer

The correct answer is a counting trick. The question can be confusing because it is not clear what we are adding up. Are we adding how much money we owe, how much was spent, or how much we have left? The final math mixes all these amounts, which makes it hard to understand.

To solve the puzzle, we should look at where the money went. You borrowed $49 from Mum and $49 from Dad. You spent $97 on the bag and kept $1 for yourself. So, when you add it up, $49 plus $49 equals $98, and $97 plus $1 equals $98. This shows that there is no missing dollar!

Alternate Answer

You have the wrong idea about the missing dollar. You borrowed $100 and paid back $2, so you really still owe $98. You spent $97 of that $98, which leaves you with $1. The $1 you kept is already part of the $98 you owe, not extra. The two dollars you gave back are no longer part of what you owe. A teacher named Rachel Frasier explained this clearly.

She said there is no missing dollar. You started with $100, spent $97, and had $3 left. You gave $1 back to your mum and $1 back to your dad, keeping $1 for yourself. You still owe $98, but that $1 you kept counts towards that. The total money you borrowed and spent adds up correctly, so there is no missing dollar.