Somehow or other I got talked into buying something on the installment.............What were my payments the first year?

Question

Somehow or other I got talked into buying something on the installment plan. I'm not sure I got a good deal. The payments to date, according to my checkbook, have reached $96. The second year cost $2.00 more than the first year; the third year cost $3.00 more than the second; and the fourth year cost me $4.00 more than the third.
What were my payments the first year?

Answer 1

1st year = x
2nd year =x+2
3rd year =x+5
4th year = x+9

sum of all these = 4x+16 = 96
x=$20