Final answer:
The inequality that represents the amount of money you can spend at the mall is m ≤ $34. This is calculated by subtracting the $3 required for bus fare from your initial $37, showing the application of budget constraints and trade-offs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to define an inequality that represents the amount of money, m, you can spend at the mall, given that you start with $37 and must save $3 for bus fare. The inequality that correctly represents this situation is m ≤ $34, meaning the amount of money you can spend is less than or equal to $34.
To arrive at this solution, we take the total amount of money you have, which is $37, and subtract the amount you need to save for the bus fare, which is $3. This leaves you with $34 to spend at the mall. Hence, the inequality that models this scenario is m ≤ $34.
Learning to solve problems involving budget constraints is an essential skill. Drawing parallels to typical consumer budget problems, like Alphonso's choice between spending on burgers and bus tickets, demonstrates the real-life application of such mathematics. The scenario helps us understand how to allocate limited resources and the concept of trade-offs.