Choosing a Cellphone Plan
Ana is a student who needs a cellphone plan for communication and online classes. She has a budget of ₱500 per month. She compares two plans: Plan A: ₱300 monthly fee includes 5GB data and unlimited texts. Additional data costs ₱50 per GB. Calls cost ₱5 per minute. Plan B: ₱400 monthly fee includes 10GB data and unlimited texts and calls. Additional data costs ₱30 per GB. Ana estimates she needs about 8GB of data per month for online classes and social media. She rarely makes calls, maybe 30 minutes per month. She wants to know which plan is cheaper within her budget and gives her enough data.
1. Calculate the total monthly cost for each plan based on Ana's estimated usage (8GB data, 30 minutes calls). Which plan fits her budget?
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Plan A: Base ₱300 includes 5GB. She needs 8GB, so additional 3GB. Additional data cost: 3×₱50=₱150. Calls: 30 minutes×₱5=₱150. Total = 300+150+150=₱600. This exceeds her ₱500 budget. Plan B: Base ₱400 includes 10GB, which is more than her 8GB need, so no additional data cost. Calls are unlimited, so no extra cost. Total = ₱400. This is within her ₱500 budget. So Plan B fits her budget and provides enough data.
2. If Ana's data usage increases to 12GB per month, recalculate the total cost for each plan. Which plan would be more cost-effective then?
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Plan A: Base ₱300 includes 5GB. Additional 7GB needed: 7×₱50=₱350. Calls: 30×₱5=₱150. Total = 300+350+150=₱800. Plan B: Base ₱400 includes 10GB. Additional 2GB needed: 2×₱30=₱60. Calls: unlimited. Total = 400+60=₱460. Plan B is still cheaper (₱460 vs ₱800) and within budget. So Plan B remains more cost-effective.