Adults who have filled out their income tax returns know exactly how important basic math skills can be. Basic math skills pop up everywhere on the IRS' Form 1040. Adults must be able to add and subtract properly to determine refunds or how much they owe. Basic math skills are even more important for adults who run businesses out of their homes. They need to understand the basics behind percentages and multiplication. For example, they'll have to determine their home-office deductions by first calculating what percentage of their residence is devoted to the office.
The costs of running a household, from paying a mortgage to weekly groceries, require basic math skills. Adults need to be able to subtract expenses from income. They also need to consider basic probability when determining how the figures might rise or fall in the future. Adults who want to slash their expenses might want to determine what percentage of their monthly household costs are devoted to cable TV or Internet access. Those who want to determine how much money they'll save each year by skipping that cup of coffee on the way to work will have to first use division to see how much the beverage is costing them each week and then multiplication to determine the costs for an entire year.
For adults who want to pay for their groceries in cash, without the help of credit cards, basic math skills can help them estimate how much they've already spent as they travel through the supermarket. They'll need to estimate total cost as they add items to the basket. They can then use basic subtraction skills to take off any savings from coupons.