Question 1185673
let x equal the cost of the meal without tax and tip.
then 1.26x equals the cost of the meal with tax and tip.
your equation is  1.26x = 15.00
solve for x to get:
x = 15.00 / 1.26 = 11.90476190.
you could spend up to that on the meal and still be within your budget.
note that x is the cost of the meal and .26 * x is the tip.
x + .26x = 1.26x after your factor out the x.