Julia worked 45 hours last week. If her earning rate is $6.50 for straight time (40 hours) and she earns time-and-a-half rate for all hours over 40, how much did she earn last week?

First, start by multiplying 6.50 by 40, to get your straight time. The product is 260. The add that to the overtime. Getting the overtime is a bit more complicated. Start with multiplying 6.50 by 1.5, which gives you 9.75. Then multiply that by the 5 hours worked overtime, to give you 48.75. Finally, add 260 (from the beginning) to the 48.75 we just found. Your answer should be, "She earned $308.75 last week."