To calculate the total cost of the restaurant outing, we will break it down into steps.
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Calculate the total cost of the meal before tax and tip:
- Appetizer: $8.99
- Entrees: 2 x $9.99 = $19.98
- Dessert: $5.49
Total meal cost = Appetizer + Entrees + Dessert \[ \text{Total meal cost} = 8.99 + 19.98 + 5.49 = 34.46 \]
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Calculate the sales tax:
- Sales tax = 4% of total meal cost \[ \text{Sales tax} = 0.04 \times 34.46 = 1.3784 \approx 1.38 \]
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Calculate the total cost including tax: \[ \text{Total cost with tax} = \text{Total meal cost} + \text{Sales tax} = 34.46 + 1.38 = 35.84 \]
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Calculate the tip:
- Tip = 15% of the total cost with tax \[ \text{Tip} = 0.15 \times 35.84 = 5.376 \approx 5.38 \]
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Calculate the final total cost: \[ \text{Final total cost} = \text{Total cost with tax} + \text{Tip} = 35.84 + 5.38 = 41.22 \]
After rounding, the total cost of your restaurant outing is approximately $41.21.
Thus, the answer is: $41.21