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Trump wrapped up the GOP nomination on the cheap

Donald Trump has spent just $47 million to essentially lock up the GOP presidential nomination.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during the MSNBC Town Hall in Charleston, South Carolina on February 17, 2016.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during the MSNBC Town Hall in Charleston, South Carolina on February 17, 2016.

In the era of Michael Bloomberg spending more than $100 million to win re-election as New York City mayor, it's worth noting that Donald Trump has spent just $47 million to essentially lock up the GOP presidential nomination, according to the latest Federal Election Commission fundraising reports though the end of March. (Trump loaned his campaign $36 million, per those same fundraising reports.)

By contrast, Ted Cruz's campaign spent $70 million, Hillary Clinton's has spent $158 million and Bernie Sanders' camp has spent $168 million.

What's more, Trump's campaign has spent just more than $18 million in advertisements - compared with the $77 million Jeb Bush's Right to Rise Super PAC spent alone, or Bernie Sanders' $56 million on ads, or Hillary Clinton's $43 million.

Of course, winning a party's presidential nomination on the cheap is one thing; winning a general - priced at $1 billion or more - is another.

This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com.