To find Marco's starting balance, we first need to calculate the total expenses over the past two weeks and then add that total to his ending balance from the bank statement.
Here are the expenses:
- T-shirt: $20
- Gas: $22
- Movie: $13
- Video game: $39
- Jeans: $34
- Hat: $15
- Books: $31
Now, let's calculate the total expenses:
\[ 20 + 22 + 13 + 39 + 34 + 15 + 31 = 174 \]
Marco's total expenses for the past two weeks amount to $174.
Now, we have his ending balance, which is $81. To find his starting balance, we can use the following formula:
\[ \text{Starting Balance} = \text{Ending Balance} + \text{Total Expenses} \]
Substituting in the values we have:
\[ \text{Starting Balance} = 81 + 174 = 255 \]
Therefore, Marco's starting balance is $255.
The correct answer is: a. $255