E05 Missing Dollar-Dublin517

Concerning the missing dollar, it is to get distracted on the last three lines of the post “Now, each of the ladies paid $9. Three times 9 is $27. The waiter has $2 in his pocket. Two plus 27 is $29. The ladies originally handed over $30.”. However, where attention needs to be paid is on the original cost of the meal, $25. The women paid $9 each, when in fact, 25 (the total cost) divided by three is $8.33. When the waiter gives back a dollar, the total paid by each woman  is now $9.33, which multiplied by 3 is equal to roughly $28. When the waiter keeps his $2, it does in fact add up to $30. The estimated 33 cents per lady was lost not accounted for because no small change was used. That being said, the restaurant got its $25 it was owed, the women were given back $1 each ($3) and the waiter kept his $2, the $30 is all intact. This puzzle is an example of getting stuck on certain details that can detract from the actual story, and cause confusion.