Final answer:
It is more economically sensible for the consultant to focus on her consulting job, where she earns $200 per hour, and to buy vegetables instead of growing them because the income she foregoes (her opportunity cost) is likely greater than the cost of buying vegetables.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to the economic concept of opportunity cost, which is a key principle in the field of economics and applies to the scenario of a consultant who earns $200 per hour. It makes more economic sense for the consultant to spend her time working at her consulting job rather than attempting to grow vegetables because the potential earnings from her job outweigh the savings, she might achieve by growing her vegetables.
If she were to use the time, she spends consulting to grow vegetables instead, she would be giving up $200 per hour in potential earnings. Since it is highly unlikely that the savings from growing her vegetables would equal or exceed $200 per hour, her time is better spent earning money at her job and purchasing vegetables from a store or market.