"Ally bought a t shirt and a pair of shorts on sale, which reduced the prices by 1/4. The total savings on the two garments was $10.25. The original price of the shirt was $18. Find the original price for the pair of shorts"
So she got 25% off, which totaled $10.25 off of her total purchase. Let x= original purchase amount .25*x = $10.25, so solve for x by dividing both sides by .25, and you get x = $41. If the shirt was $18, the shorts must have been $41-$18 = $23
