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It’s not that hard. Europeans act like it’s impossible to calculate taxes in your head. If the sales tax is 9.25%, round up to 10%, so $1 on every hundred. I
by refurb 3y ago
It’s not that hard. Europeans act like it’s impossible to calculate taxes in your head.
If the sales tax is 9.25%, round up to 10%, so $1 on every hundred.
I walk into a store and buy something for $7.32. Ok, I know in my head the tax is about $0.70, so cool, it’s be “about” $8.
That’s all I need to know. I don’t carry rolls of Pennie’s around so I’m not worried about the cents. He’ll, when was the last time you paid in cash?
It’s the same with Fahrenheit or miles. It’s a simple calculation, not a massive obstacle that holds Americans back from daily living or technological advances.
- zestyping 3y agoYour estimate is "about $8" but 7.32 + 0.70 is 8.02, which you can't pay for with $8. Your example is actually a great illustration of why expecting people to calculate taxes in their head doesn't work. If you are trying to buy a product priced at $7.32, you can't easily tell whether $8 is enough. No one should have to multiply 9.25 by 7.32 in their head to know whether they can buy something. Enough with this insanity. If the price is $8, then $8 should be enough!
- sgarland 3y agoYou added a decimal - ceil($73.28 * 10%) = $8. I’m sure you knew that and just typed it wrong, but it does speak to how easy it is to make a mistake with simple math, especially for people unlikely to frequent HN. Case in point, I asked for 1/3 lb of deli meat yesterday at the grocery store, and received 0.41 lbs. Worse, the worker was concerned that they hadn’t given me enough.