Even if you don’t understand the principles behind the problems you solve every day, you must know the basic structure of mathematical processes to survive. Without a budget, you’d never know when you ran out of money and wouldn’t be able to save for vacation or even pay your rent on time. Math is used for common everyday activities, including shopping and eating out. Figure out the tip on a restaurant check, exchange phone numbers with a friend or plant seeds a certain distance apart -- all require you to practice math.