Solving it backwards

Maths tip

Sometimes the question calls for solving it backwards. Keep an open mind and try to tackle the problem from multiple ways.

Here’s an example:
Cindy, Dick and Eddy had $410 altogether. Cindy gave 1/3 of her money to Eddy. Dick then gave 2/5 of his money to Cindy. As a result, Dick had $20 less than Cindy and $30 less than Eddy. How much money had Cindy had at first?