Today's 'Pay the Rent': only two solutions
Today's 'Pay the Rent' game had only two $100,000 solutions:
The items (with revealed prices):
Trash bags $8.99
Baking mix $6.49
Cat food $4.99
Raisins $4.29
Cocoa mix $3.49
Lime juice 99¢
As always, the single most expensive item must be placed in the 'attic': Trash bags $8.99
Then, just to confirm, the second-highest item can't be put in the 'mailbox' (Baking mix $6.49), because then the 99¢ lime juice can't be combined with any remaining item to yield more than that $6.49.
Further, the baking mix can't be combined with anything OTHER than the lime juice itself to avoid exceeding $8.99; therefore, baking mix and lime juice are a fixed pairing, total $7.48.
Next we see that even the minimum pairing of the remainders, cocoa mix plus raisins, is MORE than $7.48; hence, the baking-mix/lime-juice pair must go in the 'first floor' -- and having the overall second-highest item that low is counter-intuituve, but necessary.
We also see that the two $4+ remaining items together would exceed $8.99; therefore the $3.49 cocoa mix must go in the 'second floor'. Then either of those $4+ items may be paired with it, with the other going in the 'mailbox' at the bottom.
Thus, we have:
Trash bags $8.99
Cocoa mix $3.49 + Cat food $4.99 = $8.48
Lime juice 99¢ + Baking mix $6.49 = $7.48
Raisins $4.29
or
Trash bags $8.99
Cocoa mix $3.49 + Raisins $4.29 = $7.78
Lime juice 99¢ + Baking mix $6.49 = $7.48
Cat food $4.99