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Fifth/Counting Money

Money Change Problems

Students solve word problems involving making change and finding how much money is left after a purchase. Real-world scenarios include buying items and receiving change, calculating remaining money from allowance, and determining savings after spending. These subtraction problems build understanding of practical money transactions and strengthen subtraction skills with dollars and cents.
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Prerequisites
Adding Money6 WS
Emma buys an apple for $0.75 and a juice for $1.25. How much does she spend in total?

Practice Questions

  1. 🍦 Tom has $5.00. He buys an ice cream for $2.75. How much change does he get?
    Show answer

    $2.25

  2. Sarah had $10.00. She spent $6.50 on lunch. How much money does she have left?
    Show answer

    $3.50

  3. 🧸 Jake pays $10.00 for a toy that costs $7.25. How much change should he receive?
    Show answer

    $2.75

  4. Emma has $8.00 in allowance. She buys a snack for $3.25. How much does she have left?
    Show answer

    $4.75

  5. 📚 Carlos has $12.00. He buys a book for $8.50. How much money remains?
    Show answer

    $3.50

Teacher Resources
Teaching Notes

Teach "counting up" strategy for making change (easier than subtraction for many students). Example: Item costs $3.25, paid $5.00 → count up from $3.25: 75¢ to $4.00, then $1.00 to $5.00 = $1.75 change. Practice with play money and role-playing cashier scenarios.

Vocabulary
Subtract: Take away one amount from another.
Change: Money returned after payment.
Common Mistakes
  • Subtracting smaller from larger regardless of context
  • Decimal alignment errors
  • Not understanding "change" means subtraction
  • Not aligning decimals
  • Incorrect borrowing/regrouping
  • Forgetting dollar/cent symbols
  • Miscalculating remaining amount
Differentiation
SupportUse play money; simplify amounts to whole dollars.
ChallengeIntroduce two-step problems or multiple items for purchase.
Discussion Questions
  • What does "change" mean in a shopping situation?
  • Why is it important to count change you receive?
  • Which is easier: subtracting or counting up? Why?
  • Why is making change an important skill?
  • How can you check if your change is correct?
  • When do you use money subtraction in daily life?
  • What if you don't have enough money?
Extension Activities
  • Store role-play: Students take turns being cashier and customer
  • Change challenge: Given price and amount paid, race to calculate change
  • Real shopping: At home, help with real transactions and verify change
Parent Tip

Ask your child to calculate change for a pretend purchase.

Learning Path
Skill Cluster

Financial Literacy & Number Operations

Estimated Time

20 minutes

Skills Practiced
Making changeMoney subtractionFinding remaining amount