What fraction of a family's total income goes towards savings if one-fourth is for the mortgage, one-eighth for car payments, one-eighth for groceries, and two-fifths on other expenses?

To determine what fraction of the family's total income goes towards savings, you'll first need to add up all the fractions allocated for expenses and then subtract that sum from the whole, which is represented as 1 (or 1 whole).

The fractions for each category of expenses are:

• Mortgage: 1/4

• Car payments: 1/8

• Groceries: 1/8

• Other expenses: 2/5

To combine these fractions, we need to find a common denominator. The least common multiple of the denominators 4, 8, and 5 is 40.

Next, we convert each fraction:

• 1/4 is equivalent to 10/40

• 1/8 is equivalent to 5/40

• 1/8 is again equivalent to 5/40

• 2/5 is equivalent to 16/40

Now, add these fractions together:

10/40 + 5/40 + 5/40 + 16/40 = 36/40

Now that we know the total fraction of income that goes toward expenses is 36/40, we can find the fraction that goes into savings by subtracting this from