Thrift shopping has become increasingly popular all over the world. One popular place to go thrift shopping in Palo Alto is Goodwill. The closest Goodwill is at 4085 El Camino Real.

Going thrift shopping means that you are buying used (and heavily discounted) clothes and other items.  Aside from getting some cute clothes, thrift shopping is also a great chance to practice math skills. Here are some ways to have fun thrift shopping while working out your math brain:

1. While waiting in line to pay, add up the cost of everything you are planning to buy in your head. Once you find the sum, calculate how much everything will cost with tax. Then, try to figure out how much change you are going to get. If you got the right cost and change, good job!
2. Goodwill is 1.4 miles away from Palo Alto – Menlo Park Mathnasium. If you drive right after your session at an average speed of 35 miles per hour, how long will it take you to get to Goodwill (assuming no traffic and no red lights)? If you bike to Goodwill after your session at Mathnasium at 9.4 miles per hour, how long will it take you to get to Goodwill?
3. The first thrift store opened in 1899. How many years has it been since this store first opened?
4. One of the first thrift stores opened in Broad Street, Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is approximately 5,317 miles away from Goodwill in Palo Alto. How long will it take you to get to one of the first thrift stores from Goodwill if you take a private jet whose speed is 580 miles per hour?

Thrift shopping is a great way to get some discounted goods as well as practice money math and other types of math facts.

If you liked these math problems and want to learn more, check out the website for Mathnasium of Palo Alto-Menlo Park.