Naty bought a dress for $24.95 and a skirt for $14.95. The sales clerk said the total cost including 9.5% sales tax was $49.40. Below are the steps the sales clerk completed.
Step 1: 24.95 + 14.95 = 39.90
Step 2: 39.90 + 9.5 = 49.40
Are the clerk's steps correct? If she is incorrect, identify her mistake and explain her error. Explain in writing how to accurately calculate the sales tax, the total cost, and state the correct total. (Round the final answer to the nearest hundredth)