Step 1 :This problem is about counting the number of ways to choose one item from each category. Since the choices in each category are independent of the choices in the other categories, we can simply multiply the number of choices in each category together to get the total number of meals.
Step 2 :We have 3 different salads, 5 different main courses, and 4 different desserts.
Step 3 :So, the total number of different meals we can get is \(3 \times 5 \times 4 = 60\).
Step 4 :Final Answer: You can get \(\boxed{60}\) different meals for $3.98.