To find the net cost of the material after applying discounts, we need to subtract the discounts from the total bill amount.
Step 1: Calculate the first discount of 5%
Discount 1 = (5/100) * $857.63
Discount 1 = $42.88
Step 2: Subtract the first discount from the total bill amount
Net cost after first discount = $857.63 - $42.88
Net cost after first discount = $814.75
Step 3: Calculate the second discount of 3% on the net cost after the first discount
Discount 2 = (3/100) * $814.75
Discount 2 = $24.44
Step 4: Subtract the second discount from the net cost after the first discount
Net cost after both discounts = $814.75 - $24.44
Answer: The net cost of the material after applying a 5% and 3% discount is $790.31.