Money: Change, Budgeting and Multi-Item Costs
Money problems at this level cover working with pounds and pence, calculating the change due from a note, totalling the cost of several items on a shopping list, and simple budgeting: checking whether a fixed amount of money is enough to cover several costs, and how much is left over or still needed. 11+ papers test this without a calculator, so pupils must add and subtract decimals confidently and convert between pounds and pence.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Convert all amounts into the same form (pounds with pence as a decimal) before adding or subtracting them.
- For a shopping list, add the cost of every item together first to find the total amount spent.
- To find change, subtract the total cost from the amount paid: change = amount given - total cost.
- For budgeting questions, compare the total cost against the budget: if the cost is more than the budget, state how much more is needed; if it is less, state how much is left over.
- Watch for offers or discounts, such as a reduced price on a second item, and work out the discounted price before adding it to the total.
- Check the final answer is a sensible amount of money, stated to the nearest penny.
Worked example
Priya buys 3 notebooks at 1.20 pounds each and 2 pens at 0.85 pounds each. She pays with a 10 pound note. How much change does she receive?
- Find the cost of the notebooks: 3 x 1.20 = 3.60 pounds.
- Find the cost of the pens: 2 x 0.85 = 1.70 pounds.
- Find the total cost: 3.60 + 1.70 = 5.30 pounds.
- Find the change: 10.00 - 5.30 = 4.70 pounds.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1A sandwich costs 2.65 pounds and a drink costs 1.15 pounds. What is the total cost?Show answer
Answer: 3.80 pounds
Q2Jack pays for a 4.35 pound magazine with a 5 pound note. How much change does he get?Show answer
Answer: 0.65 pounds
Q3A pack of 6 buns costs 2.40 pounds. What is the cost of one bun?Show answer
Answer: 0.40 pounds
Q4Amara has 20 pounds. She buys a t-shirt for 8.99 pounds and a cap for 6.50 pounds. Does she have enough left to buy a 5 pound water bottle? Explain your answer.Show answer
Answer: No. 8.99 + 6.50 = 15.49, and 20.00 - 15.49 = 4.51, which is 0.49 pounds short of 5 pounds.
Q5A cafe sells coffee at 2.80 pounds. On Tuesdays, every second coffee is half price. Work out the total cost of 2 coffees on a Tuesday.Show answer
Answer: 4.20 pounds (2.80 + 1.40)
Q6Three friends share the 18.60 pound cost of a pizza equally. How much does each person pay?Show answer
Answer: 6.20 pounds
Q7A shop reduces a 15.00 pound jacket by 3.25 pounds. What is the new price?Show answer
Answer: 11.75 pounds
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Ben buys 2 burgers at 3.45 pounds each, 3 portions of fries at 1.75 pounds each, and 2 drinks at 1.20 pounds each. He pays with two 10 pound notes. How much change does he receive?
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A school has a 250 pound budget for a trip. Coach hire costs 130 pounds. Each of the 24 pupils going also needs an entry ticket costing 4.50 pounds. Is the budget enough to cover the coach and all the tickets? Show your working and state how much money is left over, or how much more is needed.
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the money: change, budgeting and multi-item costs worksheet pack - 7 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 15 of 11+ Maths Workbook 3, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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