To determine Marco's starting balance, we need to follow a few clear steps:
1. Calculate the total expenses:
We will first sum up all his individual expenses.
- T-shirt: \[tex]$20
- Gas: \$[/tex]22
- Movie: \[tex]$13
- Video game: \$[/tex]39
- Jeans: \[tex]$34
- Hat: \$[/tex]15
- Books: \[tex]$31
The total expenses can be calculated as follows:
\[
20 + 22 + 13 + 39 + 34 + 15 + 31 = 174
\]
2. Determine the starting balance:
Marco's ending balance is given as \$[/tex]81. To find his starting balance, we add the total expenses to his ending balance. This is because Marco's starting balance, minus his total expenses, equals his ending balance. Thus, we have:
[tex]\[
\text{Starting Balance} = \text{Ending Balance} + \text{Total Expenses}
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
\text{Starting Balance} = 81 + 174 = 255
\][/tex]
So, Marco's starting balance is \[tex]$255. Therefore, the correct option is:
a. \$[/tex]255
