When determining the optimal consumption of goods within a budget, it is essential to compare the marginal utility per dollar spent on each good to maximize __________.

When deciding how to spend your money on different goods, it’s important to look at the marginal utility per dollar for each item. Marginal utility is the extra satisfaction you get from consuming one more unit of a good. For example, if buying an extra slice of pizza gives you 10 units of satisfaction and costs $2, the marginal utility per dollar is 5 (10 divided by 2). If a drink gives you 6 units of satisfaction for $1, its marginal utility per dollar is 6. To maximize your overall happiness within your budget, you should spend your money on the goods that give you the highest marginal utility per dollar until your budget runs out.