[mindcrime]

Same here. The odd thing is, I'm usually pretty good at rote memorization, but the multiplication tables just didn't interest me or something. So, like you, I use a "multiply then add" strategy to multiply anything I don't have memorized. And it's never seemed to affect my ability accomplish anything.

[khedoros1]

I went in the opposite direction. I rote-memorized the table, and then discovered different ways to compose the numbers while playing around with them in my head later.

Of course, "multiply then add" is the only easy algorithm to use when the numbers are larger than the size of the table that you know, so most things beyond 10*10 (and some squares above that) are going to default back to that anyhow.