Answer: Let's break down the total cost of dinner into three components: the cost of the meal itself (M), the sales tax (T), and the tip (P).
We know that the sales tax is 8% of the meal cost, so we can write:
T = 0.08M
We also know that the tip is 20% of the total cost, which is the sum of the meal cost and the sales tax, so we can write:
P = 0.20(M + T) = 0.20(M + 0.08M) = 0.20(1.08M) = 0.216M
Finally, we know that the total cost of dinner must be no more than $30, so we can write:
M + T + P ≤ 30
Substituting the expressions for T and P that we derived earlier, we get:
M + 0.08M + 0.216M ≤ 30
Simplifying and solving for M, we get:
1.296M ≤ 30
M ≤ 23.15
Therefore, the most expensive item you can order is $23.15 or less (before tax and tip) to stay within your budget of $30.
Explanation: