Final answer:
Melanie spent $550 before the 25% discount at Texas Republic Clothing store, as calculated by dividing her savings of $137.50 by the discount rate of 0.25.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the original amount of money spent by Melanie before the 25% discount at Texas Republic Clothing store, we need to set up an equation based on the information given. Melanie saved $137.50, which represents the 25% discount. Therefore, we can say that $137.50 is 25% of the original price (before the discount), which we'll call x.
Let's express this relationship as an equation:
0.25x = $137.50
To find x, we need to divide both sides of the equation by 0.25:
x = $137.50 / 0.25
x = $550
Therefore, the amount of money Melanie spent before the discount was $550. The correct answer is (a) $550.