John buys twice as many red ties as blue ties.  The red ties cost 50% more than blue ties.  He spent $200 on blue ties that cost $40 each. How much did he spend on ties?
How many blue ties did John buy? ** He bought 200 / 40 = <<200/40=5>>5 blue ties
How many red ties did John buy? ** So he bought 5 * 2 = <<5*2=10>>10 red ties
How much do red ties cost? ** Each red tie cost $40 * .5 = $<<40*.5=20>>20 more than blue ties
How much do red ties cost? ** So they each cost $40 + $20 = $<<40+20=60>>60
How much did John spend on red ties? ** So he spent $60 * 10 = $<<60*10=600>>600 on red ties
How much did John spend on ties? ** So he spent $200 + $600 = $<<200+600=800>>800 on ties
#### 800