1. **State the problem:** Roy and 2 friends (3 people total) each buy a hot dog for $3, fries for $2.49, and a drink for $2.50. They have a coupon for $1 off each drink. We need to write an expression for the total cost and then find the total cost. 2. **Write the expression:** - Cost of one hot dog = $3 - Cost of fries = $2.49 - Cost of one drink before coupon = $2.50 - Coupon discount per drink = $1 The cost of one drink after coupon is: $$2.50 - 1 = 1.50$$ Total cost for one person is: $$3 + 2.49 + 1.50$$ Since there are 3 people, total cost is: $$3 \times (3 + 2.49 + 1.50)$$ 3. **Calculate the total cost:** First, simplify inside the parentheses: $$3 + 2.49 + 1.50 = 6.99$$ Then multiply by 3: $$3 \times 6.99 = 20.97$$ 4. **Final answer:** The total cost for Roy and his 2 friends is **20.97**.