Edward spent $ 5. Then he received $ 35 from his friend. Now he has $ 43. How much did Edward have before he spent his money?
Edward spent $5. This means that he had $5 less than he does now. 

Edward's friend gave him $35. This means that he had $35 more than he does now. 

Now Edward has $43. 

We can solve this using algebra: 

$43 = 5 - x + 35$

$43 = 40 + x$

$x = 3$

This means that Edward had $3 before he spent his money.