We can see here that the cost of the food bill and tip before sales tax was approximately $253.20.
To find the cost of the food bill and tip before sales tax, you first need to calculate the tip amount and then add it to the food bill.
Given:
Food bill = $214.58
Tip rate = 0.18 (18% expressed as a decimal)
First, calculate the tip amount:
Tip = Food bill × Tip rate
Tip = $214.58 × 0.18
Tip = $38.6244 (rounded to two decimal places)
Tip ≈ $38.62
Now, add the food bill and the tip to find the total cost before sales tax:
Total cost = Food bill + Tip
Total cost = $214.58 + $38.62
Total cost = $253.20
Therefore, the cost of the food bill and tip before sales tax was approximately $253.20.