John pays for half the cost of raising a child.  It cost $10,000 a year for the first 8 years and then twice that much per year until the child is 18.  University tuition then costs $250,000.  How much did it cost?
The first 8 years cost 8*10,000=$
<gadget id="calculator">8*10000</gadget>
<output>80_000</output>
80,000.
The next 18-8=
<gadget id="calculator">18-8</gadget>
<output>10</output>
10 years.
They cost 10000*2=$
<gadget id="calculator">10000*2</gadget>
<output>20_000</output>
20,000 per year.
So they cost 20,000*10=$
<gadget id="calculator">20000*10</gadget>
<output>200_000</output>
200,000.
So the cost was 200,000+80,000=$
<gadget id="calculator">200000+80000</gadget>
<output>280_000</output>
280,000.
Adding in the cost of tuition brings the cost to 250,000+280,000=$
<gadget id="calculator">250000+280000</gadget>
<output>530_000</output>
530,000.
Since John pays for half the cost of raising the child, he pays $530000/2 = 
<gadget id="calculator">530000/2</gadget>
<output>265_000</output>
265000.

<result>265_000</result>