Let's figure it out! Jan spent $5.25 on earrings. We know that she spent 3 times that amount on a shirt.
$5.25 x 3 = $15.75
So, Jan spent a total of $5.25 + $15.75 = $21 on earrings and a shirt.
If she came home with $9.50, we can subtract that from the amount she spent to find out how much money she took to the mall originally.
$21 - $9.50 = $11.50
Therefore, Jan originally took $11.50 to the mall.