Counting & comparing money
In the UK we use pounds (£) and pence (p). There are 100 pence in £1. When writing amounts, the decimal point separates pounds from pence — so £2.35 means 2 pounds and 35 pence.
£1.00
= 100p
£0.50
= 50p = ½ of £1
£0.25
= 25p = ¼ of £1
£0.10
= 10p = 10% of £1
💡 Tip: Always line up decimal points when adding or comparing money amounts. £1.5 and £1.50 are the same — always write two decimal places with money.
Calculating change
Change is the money you get back when you pay more than something costs. To work out change, subtract the price from the amount paid.
You can also use the "counting on" method — start at the price and count up to what you paid.
💡 Example: You buy something for £2.60 and pay with £5.00. Change = £5.00 − £2.60 = £2.40.
Simple budgeting
A budget is a plan for spending money. You add up what you need to spend and check whether you have enough. If you spend less than you have, you have money left over. If you spend more, you have a shortfall.
Total spent
Add up all items
Budget left
Budget − spent
Best value
Cost ÷ quantity
Reading receipts & bills
Receipts list items and their prices. Bills show how much you owe. You should be able to add up prices, check the total, and spot mistakes.
💡 Always check: Add up each item yourself and compare to the total shown. Look for any items you didn't order or any wrong prices.
1Calculating change
▼
You buy a sandwich for £3.45 and a drink for £1.20. You pay with a £10 note. How much change do you get?
- 1Add the items: £3.45 + £1.20 = £4.65
- 2Subtract from amount paid: £10.00 − £4.65 = £5.35
✅ Answer: You get £5.35 change.
2Finding the best value
▼
Orange juice: small bottle 500 ml for £1.20, or large bottle 1500 ml for £3.30. Which is better value?
- 1Find the cost per 100 ml for each. Small: £1.20 ÷ 5 = 24p per 100 ml
- 2Large: £3.30 ÷ 15 = 22p per 100 ml
- 322p < 24p, so the large bottle is better value.
✅ Answer: The large bottle is better value at 22p per 100 ml.
3Simple budgeting
▼
Kezia has £25 to spend on groceries. She buys bread (£1.20), milk (£1.10), pasta (£0.85) and chicken (£4.50). How much does she spend and how much is left?
- 1Add up items: £1.20 + £1.10 + £0.85 + £4.50 = £7.65
- 2Money left: £25.00 − £7.65 = £17.35
✅ Answer: She spends £7.65 and has £17.35 left.
4Reading a receipt
▼
A receipt shows: Coffee £2.40, Cake £1.85, Toast £1.30. The receipt total shows £5.65. Is this correct?
- 1Add the items yourself: £2.40 + £1.85 + £1.30
- 2£2.40 + £1.85 = £4.25
- 3£4.25 + £1.30 = £5.55
- 4The receipt shows £5.65 but the correct total is £5.55 — there is an error of 10p.
✅ Answer: No — the correct total is £5.55, not £5.65. The receipt is wrong.
5Comparing prices
▼
Three shops sell the same book: Shop A £8.99, Shop B £7.50, Shop C £9.20. Which is cheapest? How much cheaper than Shop C?
- 1Compare prices: £8.99, £7.50, £9.20. The smallest is £7.50 — Shop B.
- 2Difference: £9.20 − £7.50 = £1.70
✅ Answer: Shop B is cheapest at £7.50, which is £1.70 less than Shop C.
6Splitting a bill equally
▼
Four friends share a meal. The total bill is £36.80. How much does each person pay?
- 1Divide the total by the number of people: £36.80 ÷ 4
- 2£36.80 ÷ 4 = £9.20
✅ Answer: Each person pays £9.20.
Question 1
You buy a magazine for £2.80 and pay with a £5 note. How much change do you get?
Question 2
Jamie has £15. He buys items costing £4.50, £3.20 and £2.10. How much does he have left?
Question 3
Two bags of flour: 500g for 80p, or 1.5kg for £2.10. Which is better value?
Question 4
A receipt shows: Tea £1.60, Biscuits £0.90, Juice £1.75. What should the total be?
Question 5
5 friends share a taxi fare of £22.50 equally. How much does each person pay?
Question 6
Leila earns £420 per week. She spends £180 on rent, £60 on food and £45 on travel. How much does she have left?
Question 7
A coat costs £48. It is reduced by £12 in a sale. What percentage discount is this?
Question 8
You have £30. You want to buy 3 items at £8.99 each. Do you have enough?