Math Disagreement

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pandemonium73

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Please help solve this math disagreement between me and my roommate.

The rent where I live now is 1575 total.

Before I moved in the 3 people living here each paid 525 in rent, but when I moved in and replaced the person moving out, I took a bedroom for myself and the extra person moved into the living room. Because he had to live in the living room, the other roommate who has a room and I have agreed to each pay an extra 50 dollars above the original rent in order to drop his rent by 100.

So now, each of us who have a bedroom pay 575 a month, and the guy in the living room pays 425 a month.

The problem is, when I informed him during an argument that I pay 150 more than him each month, he said that can’t be right, his rent would be much lower and we only pay 50 more each month. I informed him that since he is no longer paying the original rent of 525 but is now paying 425, that I pay 150 more than him, not only 50.

He claims that’s not the right “equation” even though I’ve informed him it’s basic arithmetic and there are no hidden “equations” involved. He can’t seem to get that by taking one hundred away from his rent, and adding 50 to ours, the DIFFERENCE is greater than just the 100 subtracted from his original rent or the 50 added to ours, and is actually 150.

So please explain to him that when he pays 425 in rent, and the other two roommates pay 575 in rent, both of his roommates pay 150 more than he does each month. I cannot get him to listen to me, he will only listen to a math expert.
 
A pays 575
B pays 575
C pays 425
Total paid = 1575
425 + 150 = 575
Therefore 575 is 150 more than 425.
If you haven't done so, put it in writing so he can see it.
 
LOL, I even drew up some monopoly money in 100's, 50's, and 25's and showed him that taking away 100 from his rent pile in and of itself made our rent 100 more than his, and then I showed him how adding 50 to each of our rent piles to cover that 100 he is no longer paying brought our piles up to 150 more than his, and he STILL refused to acknowledge it.

I think he's not good at math, he's generally pretty smart-- Just too stubborn to admit I'm right. So I needed some back up to show him, since when you show someone something in the simplest terms you can think of, and they still say that black is white, all you can do is get back up and hope that maybe that'll shut him up. So the more folks that can back me up on this simplest of problems the easier it will be for me to resolve this..otherwise come rent time, I'm going to pay 425, add the extra 50 he thinks is all I'm paying more than him, and let him pull the other hundred out of his ear, since he insists all I pay is 50 more than him. I don't mind paying 150 more rent, but I do mind not having that fact recognized.

P.S. Thanks a bunch for the reply
 
pandemonium73 said:
Please help solve this math disagreement between me and my roommate.

The rent where I live now is 1575 total.

Before I moved in the 3 people living here each paid 525 in rent, but when I moved in and replaced the person moving out, I took a bedroom for myself and the extra person moved into the living room. Because he had to live in the living room, the other roommate who has a room and I have agreed to each pay an extra 50 dollars above the original rent in order to drop his rent by 100.
There is your problem - agreeing to something without using pencil & paper.
So now, each of us who have a bedroom pay 575 a month, and the guy in the living room pays 425 a month.

The problem is, when I informed him during an argument that I pay 150 more than him each month, he said that can’t be right, his rent would be much lower and we only pay 50 more each month. I informed him that since he is no longer paying the original rent of 525 but is now paying 425, that I pay 150 more than him, not only 50.

He claims that’s not the right “equation” even though I’ve informed him it’s basic arithmetic and there are no hidden “equations” involved. He can’t seem to get that by taking one hundred away from his rent, and adding 50 to ours, the DIFFERENCE is greater than just the 100 subtracted from his original rent or the 50 added to ours, and is actually 150.

So please explain to him that when he pays 425 in rent, and the other two roommates pay 575 in rent, both of his roommates pay 150 more than he does each month. I cannot get him to listen to me, he will only listen to a math expert.
Your original intent was - I believe to pay $50 more than the person living in the living room.

In that case,

assume the person in the living room pays "x" dollars.

Then,

x + (x+50) + (x+50) = 1575

3x = 1475

x = ~491.67

The sleeping room guys should be paying = 541.67 (not 575)

The living room guy should be paying = 491.66 (not 475)

Don't fight over that extra penny .....
 
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