Answer:
50%
Explanation:
Lets start solving the question,
the best way to solve any question is read it step by step and take time to understand it first before solving,
So here in this question a set of data is given in tabular form and a question is asked about Percentage of Gentrys' Food and Housing Budgets Combined.
Here one needs to pay attention to the words used in the question, it is asked that What is the percentage of the Gentrys' food and housing budgets combined?
so after reading it it is clear that our final answer will be in a percentage form because percentage is asked.
then the other important entities that is mentioned is Food and Housing so
from the given set of data you have to select only those values of this items.
i.e. for food 20% is given and for Housing 30% is given.
and the combined budget is asked.
so the answer will be the addition of these two items.
20+30=50%
But here i would like to mention some points, how student's generally do mistakes in such problems,
In the table the first value which is given is $29,742.42 i.e. the yearly income.
and student calculate the answer by multiplying the combined percentage 50% with this yearly income value to get result.
Please read the question correctly, only combined percentage is asked so answer in percentage not in exact value.
Generally such question having values listed in table comes in a group of 4-5 and you need to solve all.
in such case i will suggest too calculate the values for individual item first and then start solving questions as it will help you to solve it in a better way and you will not waste your time in calculating the same values multiple times.
I hope this will help you.