Money Math Practice
Practise counting coins and making change — the most useful real-world math there is.
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How to count money and make change
Money math is really place value and decimals in disguise — 100 cents make a dollar, just as 100 of anything make the next unit up. Two everyday skills cover most of it: counting a pile of coins, and working out change.
- Know the coins: penny 1¢, nickel 5¢, dime 10¢, quarter 25¢.
- To count coins, add up their values — start with the biggest.
- To make change, subtract the price from what was paid.
Worked examples
Tips & common mistakes
For counting, start with the largest coins and add on — it’s faster and less error-prone. For change, it’s just subtraction with decimals, so lining up the decimal point matters. Type cents as a whole number, and dollar amounts with the decimal-point key.
- Mixing up the coin values (a dime is worth more than a nickel even though it’s smaller).
- Forgetting to line up the decimal point when making change.
- Counting coins one cent at a time instead of by their value.
Frequently asked questions
What are the coin values?
Penny = 1¢, nickel = 5¢, dime = 10¢, quarter = 25¢. A dollar is 100 cents.
How do you count coins?
Add up their values, starting with the largest coins. Three dimes and two nickels is 30 + 10 = 40 cents.
How do you make change?
Subtract the price from the amount paid. Change from $1.00 for a $0.65 item is $0.35.
What grade is money math?
Counting coins starts in grade 1–2; making change and working in dollars continues through grade 4.
How do I type a dollar amount?
Use the number keys and the decimal-point key — for example 0 . 3 5 for thirty-five cents.