1. **State the problem:** Mauricio bought four bags of chips at $1.99 each and a 12-pack of cola for $5.45. He paid with a $50 bill. We need to find how much change he received. 2. **Write the formula:** Total cost = (price per bag of chips \times number of bags) + price of cola 3. **Calculate the total cost:** $$\text{Total cost} = 4 \times 1.99 + 5.45$$ 4. **Multiply:** $$4 \times 1.99 = 7.96$$ 5. **Add the cost of cola:** $$7.96 + 5.45 = 13.41$$ 6. **Calculate change:** $$\text{Change} = 50 - 13.41$$ 7. **Subtract:** $$50 - 13.41 = 36.59$$ **Final answer:** Mauricio received $36.59 in change.