Arrange the following steps to explain the effect of an increase in price on total consumer spending when demand is inelastic: A) Price increases, B) Quantity demanded decreases, C) Total consumer spending increases, D) Demand is considered inelastic.

When demand is considered inelastic, it means that consumers will continue to buy similar amounts of a product even if its price goes up. So, when the price increases (step A), the quantity demanded only decreases a little (step B) because people still want or need the product. Since the decrease in quantity is not very large compared to the price increase, total consumer spending actually increases (step C). For example, if a coffee shop raises the price of a popular drink, people may buy slightly less, but the total money spent on that drink can still go up because the higher price outweighs the small drop in sales. Therefore, the effect of a price increase on total consumer spending is positive when demand is inelastic (step D).