Question

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?

Item Cost
Cheese $2.99/ lb
Sliced Ham $4.29/ lb
Bread $2.49/ loaf
Potato Chips $1.99/ ea OR 2 for $3.00
Salsa $3.39/ container


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.

Answer 1

To calculate the total cost of the items purchased, let's follow these steps:

### Step 1: Calculate the cost of each item

1. **Cheese**:
\[
\text{Cost} = 0.5 \, \text{lb} \times 2.99 \, \text{per lb} = 1.495 \approx 1.50 \, \text{(rounded)}
\]

2. **Sliced Ham**:
\[
\text{Cost} = 2 \, \text{lbs} \times 4.29 \, \text{per lb} = 8.58
\]

3. **Bread**:
\[
\text{Cost} = 2 \, \text{loaves} \times 2.49 \, \text{per loaf} = 4.98
\]

4. **Potato Chips**:
- The price for 2 bags is $3.00 (which is cheaper than buying individually at $1.99 each).
\[
\text{Cost} = 3.00 \, \text{(for 2 bags)}
\]

5. **Salsa**:
\[
\text{Cost} = 2 \, \text{containers} \times 3.39 \, \text{per container} = 6.78
\]

### Step 2: Sum the costs

Combine the costs of all items:
\[
\text{Total Cost} = 1.50 + 8.58 + 4.98 + 3.00 + 6.78
\]

Calculate:
\[
1.50 + 8.58 = 10.08
\]
\[
10.08 + 4.98 = 15.06
\]
\[
15.06 + 3.00 = 18.06
\]
\[
18.06 + 6.78 = 24.84
\]

So, the subtotal before tax is:
\[
\text{Subtotal} = 24.84
\]

### Step 3: Calculate tax

Now calculate the sales tax (4%):
\[
\text{Tax} = 0.04 \times 24.84 = 0.9936 \approx 0.99 \, \text{(rounded)}
\]

### Step 4: Adding tax to the subtotal

Now add the tax to the subtotal:
\[
\text{Total with Tax} = 24.84 + 0.99 = 25.83
\]

### Step 5: Apply the discount

Since the total before tax was $24.84, we check the discounts:
- The $3.00 off coupon is applicable because the total is greater than $25.00.
- The 10% discount is not applicable as the total does not exceed $30.00.

Applying the $3.00 discount:
\[
\text{Total after Discount} = 25.83 - 3.00 = 22.83
\]

### Final Answer
The total cost of your purchases after tax and discount is:
\[
\text{Total Cost} = \text{\$22.83}
\]

In summary:
- Calculated individual item costs.
- Summed them for a subtotal of \( \$24.84 \).
- Added sales tax resulting in \( \$25.83 \).
- Applied the \( \$3.00 \) discount.
- The final total is \( \$22.83 \).