Use the following information about the current year operations of a company to calculate the cash paid for merchandise.

Cost of goods sold	$ 234,000
Merchandise inventory, January 1	62,800
Merchandise inventory, December 31	64,600
Accounts payable, January 1	61,600
Accounts payable, December 31	67,800

• $234,000.

• $226,000.

• $229,600.

• $242,000.

• $238,400.