Every percentage calculation builds from two anchors: 10% (move the decimal left once) and 1% (move it left twice). From these, you can construct any percentage in your head.
10%
Decimal left 1
$84 → $8.40
5%
Half of 10%
$8.40 ÷ 2 = $4.20
15%
10% + 5%
$8.40 + $4.20
20%
Double 10%
$8.40 × 2 = $16.80
25%
Divide by 4
$84 ÷ 4 = $21
1%
Decimal left 2
$84 → $0.84
50%
Divide by 2
$84 ÷ 2 = $42
33%
Divide by 3
$84 ÷ 3 = $28
For any other percentage: find 10% and 1%, then combine. For 17%, that’s 10% + 5% + 1% + 1%. For 35%, that’s 10% + 10% + 10% + 5%.
Tip Reference
Tip amounts for restaurants, bars, salons, and service providers. Find your bill and read across.
Bill
15%
18%
20%
25%
$20
$3.00
$3.60
$4.00
$5.00
$30
$4.50
$5.40
$6.00
$7.50
$40
$6.00
$7.20
$8.00
$10.00
$50
$7.50
$9.00
$10.00
$12.50
$75
$11.25
$13.50
$15.00
$18.75
$100
$15.00
$18.00
$20.00
$25.00
$150
$22.50
$27.00
$30.00
$37.50
$200
$30.00
$36.00
$40.00
$50.00
Fraction to Percentage
Fractions show up in recipes, measurements, statistics, and splitting costs. These are the conversions worth memorizing.
Fraction
Decimal
Percentage
Where You See It
1/2
0.5
50%
Half-off sales
1/3
0.333…
33.33%
Splitting bills 3 ways
2/3
0.666…
66.67%
Supermajority votes
1/4
0.25
25%
Quarterly reports, recipes
3/4
0.75
75%
Battery indicators
1/5
0.2
20%
Standard tip
1/8
0.125
12.5%
Recipe measurements
1/10
0.1
10%
Mental math foundation
1/12
0.0833…
8.33%
Monthly portion of annual
Sale Price Calculator
What you actually pay after a discount. Multiply by the “pay” factor for instant calculation.
Discount
You Pay
$25
$50
$100
$200
10% off
× 0.90
$22.50
$45
$90
$180
15% off
× 0.85
$21.25
$42.50
$85
$170
20% off
× 0.80
$20
$40
$80
$160
25% off
× 0.75
$18.75
$37.50
$75
$150
30% off
× 0.70
$17.50
$35
$70
$140
40% off
× 0.60
$15
$30
$60
$120
50% off
× 0.50
$12.50
$25
$50
$100
Percentage Errors That Cost Money
These mistakes are easy to make and can lead to significant miscalculations in financial situations.
Stacking Discounts
A 20% discount plus a 10% discount is not 30% off. The second discount applies to the already-reduced price.
$100 with 20% off then 10% off $100 × 0.80 = $80 $80 × 0.90 = $72 (not $70)
Reversing Changes
If something increases by 25%, it does not take a 25% decrease to return to the original. The percentages are calculated from different bases.
$100 + 25% = $125 To return to $100: $125 × 0.80 = $100 That’s a 20% decrease, not 25%
Loss Recovery
Losses require disproportionately larger gains to recover. A 50% loss requires a 100% gain to break even.