Psychological Sleight of Mind With A Dollar

Three housemates walk into an electrical store with the intention of buying a TV.  It has to be second-hand, it has to be cheap, and they have to be able to take it away today.


They see one they all like..................

They ask the store owner how much it costs.

The store owner tells them  it costs $25 so they decide to split the cost.  Each housemate hands over $10 and the store owner takes the three $10 bills to the back of the store where the cash register is to get their change while the three housemates look at the TV admiring their purchase.

The store owner has a brainwave.  He thinks to himself 'I can make a little more profit and no one will know.  I will tell them I messed up, the TV costs $27!'

So the store owner does this.  He deposits three $10 bills into the cash register and takes out five $1 bills, two of which he puts in his pocket.

He then goes back to the three housemates and tells them he made a mistake, the TV was $27 and not $25...and hands each of them back $1.

The three housemates leave very happy with what they consider to still be a bargain, the store owner is happy for conning them out of an extra two dollars.  Everyone is happy....

...Is there a problem here?

Three housemates hand over $30 and the storeowner returns with five $1 bills. He palms two for himself, and gives each housemate $1.  This means the housemates have paid $9 each....

3 x $9 = $27 + $2 = $29

Suddenly, there is $1 missing.....

If you cannot figure out this psycho-mathematical problem then you have just had your pressure points massaged...