Question

You and your three friends have decided to go to Mackinaw City for a long weekend (3 days). The four of you are staying at your parent’s summer cottage for free. As part of your preparations, you want to know how far you will have to drive, so you can estimate how long it will take, and how much you will all have to spend on gas for the trip. We will use Flint as our starting point

1. How much in additional monies (discretionary expenditures) would you budget for your trip and what might you spend them on?

2. In making the trip to Mackinaw City, the four of you are going to be using your car. In dividing up the cost of gas, for the round trip, explain your rationale as how the costs could be shared between the four of you. What would you discuss with your three friends?

Answer 1

Stay is free so no cost.

Food cost would depend on type of food or beverages use, but assuming on an avg food cost of $20 per meal per day per person. Then cost would come to 3 days X 2 meals per day X $20 per meal = $120 per person.

The Journey from Flint to Mackinaw City is about 230 miles one way trip so it for a round trip it is 460 miles. The cost per mile depends on type of car, but on an avg if we assume $0.81 per mile the cost would come to $372.6. As all 4 are equally are part of trip, the trip cost should be divided equally. Hence the cost per person would be $93.15.

There would be some traveling around in the city, assuming the travel of around 30 miles in the city, additional cost would be 30miles X $0.81 per mile = $24.3. Per person cost would come to $6.075

Final costing would be = $120 + $93.15 + $6.075 = $219.225