Carissa is budgeting for her next semester at college. She spent $50 on gas this month. Economists are predicting gas prices to rise 8% per month for the next 6 months. How much should she budget for gas if classes start next month and are 4 months long?

Gas costs rise by 8% each month, so multiply the current $50 by 1.08 for each month. For the four months of classes, the estimated monthly costs are $54.00, $58.32, $62.99, and $68.02. Their total is about $243.33, so Carissa should budget $243.33.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.