Discounts and best buys
This page focuses on using percentages within problem solving. Take a look at Fraction and percentage in order to recap percentages.
Dylan’s Deli reduces their sandwiches by 30% at 3pm. Calculate the cost of these sandwiches after 3pm:
- a ham sandwich, which originally cost £2.50
- a falafel sandwich, which cost £4
Ham sandwich
1. Find 30% of £2.50:
£2.50 ÷ 100 × 30 = £0.75
So there is a discount of 75p.
2. Subtract the discount from the original value:
£2.50 - £0.75 = £1.75
The discounted ham sandwich costs £1.75p.
Falafel sandwich
£4 ÷ 100 × 30 = £1.20
£4 - £1.20 = £2.80
The discounted falafel sandwich costs £2.80p.
You may notice that the falafel sandwich has a bigger discount. This is because the original price was higher.
There is an alternative way of calculating this. Sandwich prices are reduced by 30% which means that the reduced price is 70% of the original price.
Ham sandwich
70% of £2.50 = £2.50 ÷ 100 × 70 = £1.75
Falafel sandwich
70% of £4.00 = £4.00 ÷ 100 × 70 = £2.80
Question
Top TV has a £400 television on sale reduced by £80. Attic Appliances has the same TV originally priced at £350 with a 22% reduction. Who has reduced the TV by more and which TV is now cheaper?
| Reduction | Sale price | |
| Top TV | £80 | £400 - £80 = £320 |
| Attic Appliances | £350 ÷ 100 × 22 = £77 | £350 - £77 = £273 |
| Top TV | |
| Reduction | £80 |
| Sale price | £400 - £80 = £320 |
| Attic Appliances | |
| Reduction | £350 ÷ 100 × 22 = £77 |
| Sale price | £350 - £77 = £273 |
Top TV reduced their TV by a larger amount but the TV is cheaper at Attic Appliances.
There is an alternative way of calculating the price at Attic Appliances.
The price is reduced by 22% which means that the reduced price is 78% of the original price.
78% of £350 = £350 ÷ 100 × 78 = £273
