Question

You have
several purchases you need to make from the grocery store.
From the grocery store you need to purchase 1/2 lb cheese, 2 lbs sliced ham, 2 loaves of
bread, 3 bags of potato chips, and 2 containers of salsa. You have a coupon for $3.00 off
if your purchase totals more than $25.00 or 10% off if the total is more than $30.00. The
food sales tax is 4%. What is your total purchase

Be sure to include in your response:

The steps you followed to complete your computations.

The choice you made regarding which discount to use.

The total cost of your purchases
Cheese-$2.99/ lb
Sliced Ham -$4.29/ lb
Bread-$2.49/ loaf
Potato Chips -$1.99/ each OR 2 for $3.00
Salsa-$3.39/ container

Answer 1

To calculate the total purchase from the grocery store, we can break down the steps as follows:

### Step 1: Calculate the Cost of Each Item

1. **Cheese**:
- Price: $2.99/lb
- Weight: 0.5 lb
- Cost: \( 0.5 \times 2.99 = 1.495 \) (approximately $1.50)

2. **Sliced Ham**:
- Price: $4.29/lb
- Weight: 2 lbs
- Cost: \( 2 \times 4.29 = 8.58 \)

3. **Bread**:
- Price: $2.49/loaf
- Quantity: 2 loaves
- Cost: \( 2 \times 2.49 = 4.98 \)

4. **Potato Chips**:
- Price: $1.99 each (or 2 for $3.00)
- Quantity: 3 bags
- Cost Calculation:
- For 2 bags: $3.00
- For 1 more bag: $1.99
- Total cost for chips: \( 3.00 + 1.99 = 4.99 \)

5. **Salsa**:
- Price: $3.39/container
- Quantity: 2 containers
- Cost: \( 2 \times 3.39 = 6.78 \)

### Step 2: Calculate Subtotal Before Discounts

Now, we can add up the costs of all items to find the subtotal:

- Cheese: $1.50
- Sliced Ham: $8.58
- Bread: $4.98
- Potato Chips: $4.99
- Salsa: $6.78

**Subtotal**:
\[ 1.50 + 8.58 + 4.98 + 4.99 + 6.78 = 26.83 \]

### Step 3: Apply Discounts

Now, we need to determine if we can use any discounts:

1. **Coupon for $3.00 off if the total is more than $25.00**:
- Our subtotal is $26.83, which qualifies for this coupon.

2. **10% off if total is more than $30.00**:
- Our subtotal does not qualify for this discount.

Since the subtotal qualifies for the $3.00 off coupon, we will use that.

**New total after coupon**:
\[ 26.83 - 3.00 = 23.83 \]

### Step 4: Calculate Sales Tax

Now, calculate the sales tax:

- Sales Tax: 4% of $23.83
\[ \text{Sales Tax} = 0.04 \times 23.83 = 0.9532 \] (approximately $0.95)

### Step 5: Calculate Final Total Cost

Finally, add the sales tax to the total after the coupon:

**Final Total**:
\[ 23.83 + 0.95 = 24.78 \]

### Summary of Calculations

- Total cost before discounts: $26.83
- Discount applied: $3.00
- Total after discount: $23.83
- Sales tax (4%): $0.95
- **Final Total Cost**: $24.78

### Conclusion

The total cost of your purchases, after applying the appropriate discount and including tax, is **$24.78**.