Math Puzzle

The Three that Checked into the Motel

Three women came to town to attend a friend’s wedding. They found a motel and walked in to get checked in. They wanted to share one room to save cost. The clerk told them, “The room is $30.” All three women paid the clerk $10, received their room keys, and went up to their room. 

Moments later, the clerk realized he had overcharged the women for the room. It’s was actually $25. So he gave the bellman five, one-dollar bills, and instructed him to reimburse the tenants. 

As the bellman climbed the stairs, he realized it was going to be impossible to divide $5 three ways. So, he put two of the dollars in his pocket. He knocked on the door, told the ladies they had been overcharged, and gave each a dollar. 

Now let’s do the math. Each lady originally paid $10 but, after receiving the dollar, ended up paying $9. There were three women. So, 

3 X $9 = $27, plus the $2 the bellman put in his pocket, equals $29. Where is the missing dollar? 

(Answer coming soon)