So, let's sum up the counting principle:

If you have a list of events (or choices) that occur in order (one after another) and there are   ways to do event 1 ways to do event 2 ways to do event 3 then the number of ways they can all be done is * and you can keep going... as many events as you have!

* The key is that you do event 1, then event 2,
then event 3, and so on.

Here's another example:

     You're buying a new car.  You have 3 choices for the model:  The
     Additron, The Subtracto and The Quotient.  You have 5 choices for
     color: red, blue, black, white and pina colada cream.  You have 2
     choices for transmission:  stick and automatic.  How many choices
     do you have?

TRY IT:

You're picking an outfit for school.  In your closet you find 4 pairs of pants, 8 shirts and 6 belts.  Assuming everything matches, how many outfits can you create?