How Math is Used in Everyday Life

A calculator, pen, and paper on the grass.

Odds are you use math at least once today. It’s incredible how math is used in everyday life; in some ways, you’d expect and in others, you may not. We see math all around us in nature, our buildings, cars, and even in some languages. How do we use math every day? Let’s look at some examples.

Time and Time Management

Telling and keeping track of time are big parts of how math is used in everyday life. Although there is an abundance of digital clocks in the world, there are still times when we need to tell time with an analog clock. Math helps us to decipher the minutes, broken up by increments of five on a clock. Similarly, some people measure time in halves or quarters. If someone tells you to “Be there by quarter to ten,” you need to understand what that means. There’s a lot of math to determine that they mean 9:45!

Another way we use math with time is to manage our time. We often have to get places by a specific time or only have a predetermined amount of time to accomplish something. To help manage our time well, we need to understand how to add and subtract time to know when to leave the house to arrive at a particular place or when to start a task to finish on time. These essential elements of daily life answer the question, “How do we use math every day?”.

Budgets and Spending

We also use math daily by managing our budgets and spending. It’s a fact of life that you can’t spend more than you bring in for too long! That’s why it’s important to set a budget and keep track of the money you spend on essential items like food, clothing, transportation, and housing while leaving funds to spend on entertainment or to save for unexpected expenses.

Budgeting is one of the primary examples of how math is used in everyday life. Budgets start with recording how much money you bring in each month, something you may need math to help determine. If you’re earning money from multiple jobs or have a job that pays hourly, you’ll need math to figure out how much you make each month. You’ll also need to take out taxes before determining your final income.

Once you know how much you make, you need math to decide how much you spend each month on essential items. Variable costs like electricity and water can be tricky, so you’ll need to determine your average cost using math. It’s also wise to put away a certain percentage of your earnings to savings, helping save for emergency needs and retirement. Math will help you determine the correct dollar amount to save based on your income. Once you know how much you can spend each month, math will help you stick to your budget as you watch your spending. Mental math is useful when you’re out shopping to help you quickly decide if you can afford that something extra you want to put in your cart.

A measuring cup of flour with cookies in the background.

Cooking, Baking, and Nutrition

Cooking and baking are some of the sweetest examples of how math is used in everyday life. All recipes require measuring, something that requires math skills. Often we need to half or double recipes, requiring some calculations to ensure the correct ratios for ingredients are used. Sometimes we might not have the right measuring cup or spoon and need to use math to convert measurements to the one we have on hand.

Nutrition is another example of how math is used in everyday life. To stay healthy, we need to pay attention to the amount of calories, protein, vitamins, and other nutritional elements we eat. Those with chronic conditions have unique dietary needs and have to pay attention to the percentages and amounts of certain things they consume. Parents need to consider the nutrition their children are getting and use math to calculate what to feed them based on each child’s needs.

Math Matters

How math is used in everyday life makes it an invaluable skill. Beyond these examples, math competency also helps in everyday problem-solving. Plus, according to Research.com, almost 90% of all professionals use math daily. Math can help train your mind to think creatively, solve problems quickly, and overall have confidence in your decision-making. It’s a skill that makes life easier and more rewarding.

Based on how math is used in everyday life, you should ensure your child uses and understands math daily. At Maths@Singapore, our small group classes help children build math confidence and rigor using the world-leading Singapore Ministry of Education math program taught to children in Singapore. We’re focused on making math something your child can use daily, helping them become life-long math learners.

Find out more about our program here, or get in touch to connect with one of our knowledgeable team members today.

Author

Christina Sng is a three-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author that finds peace in mathematics and the macabre. Her poetry, fiction, essays, and art appear in Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, Interstellar Flight Magazine, and The Washington Post. Aside from having over 20 years of experience in the field of writing, she also has an extensive background in UX design and IT. Her educational background combined with her interests and neverending curiosity about the world is the perfect recipe to have her tackle fascinating topics about math. She is able to approach the highly logical field of mathematics through an extremely creative lens that sheds new light and exposes new avenues on how it impacts our lives.