Adding Prices and Finding Change

What you will learn

• Add prices in pounds and pence.
• Find change by counting on or subtracting.
• Check totals by estimating.

Before you start: you should be able to add and subtract two-digit numbers and know coins and notes. See Recognising and Counting Money.

The idea

All prices here are in pounds sterling. A price like £2.45 means $2$ pounds and $45$ pence. Because $100$p make £1, prices work like decimals with two places.

Adding prices

Write the prices in a column with the decimal points lined up, then add as you would whole numbers. Put the decimal point in the answer straight under the others.

Finding change

Change is what you get back when you pay more than the price. Count on from the price up to the amount you paid, or subtract: change = amount paid minus cost.

Worked examples

Example 1: Adding

Add £2.45 and £1.30.

1. Line up the points: $2.45 + 1.30$.
2. $= 3.75$.

Answer: £3.75

Example 2: Change

£10 paid for £6.35. Find the change.

1. Count on: £6.35 to £6.40 is $5$p, to £7 is $60$p, to £10 is £3.
2. $0.05 + 0.60 + 3 = 3.65$.

Answer: £3.65

Example 3: Checking

A pen costs £4.60 and a ruler £2.85. Is £7.45 right?

1. Round: $5 + 3 = 8$, close to £7.45.
2. Exact: $4.60 + 2.85 = 7.45$.

Answer: Yes, £7.45

Tip: estimate first by rounding each price to the nearest pound. It catches slips with the decimal point.

Why it matters

Adding prices and checking change protect you from errors in shops and online. Next: multiplying prices and sharing bills.