You are the owner of four Taco Bell restaurant locations. You have a business loan with Citizens Bank hisen out $60$ days ago that is due in $90$ days. The amount of the loan is $$40,000,$ and the rate is $9\mathrm{.}5\%$ using ordinary interest.

You currently have some excess cash. You have the choice of sending Citizens $$25,000$ now as a partial payment on your loan or purchasing an additional $$25,000$ of serving supplies such as food containers, cups, and plastic dinnerware for your inventory at a special discount price that is $"10\%$ off" your normal cost of these items.

a$.$ How much interest will you save on this loan if you make the partial payment and don't purchase the additional serving supplies?

b$.$ How much will you save by purchasing the discounted serving supplies and not making the partial payment?

c$.($Optional$)$ What other factors should you consider before making this decision?