Final answer:
To find out how much money Sterling received for his birthday, we need to subtract the amount of money he spent from the amount of money he had left. Therefore, the amount of money Sterling received for his birthday is $38.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out how much money Sterling received for his birthday, we need to subtract the amount of money he spent from the amount of money he had left. Let's break it down:
- Sterling spent half of his money on a coat, so we can calculate his total money as double the amount he had left after shopping, which is $77. So, the total money before shopping is $77 x 2 = $154.
- He spent $74 on sneakers, so the remaining amount is $154 - $74 = $80.
- He then spent $42 for a pair of shoes, so the final amount is $80 - $42 = $38.
Therefore, the amount of money Sterling received for his birthday is $38.