People who work with cash all the time, like tellers at the Credit Union and cashiers at stores, use a special way to make change very fast. It’s a lot faster than writing with a pencil on paper or even looking at a cash register. And once you learn how, it’s very easy to check that you are receiving the correct change after making a purchase. Here’s how it works:

Example 1:
Suppose that you are selling candy bars for $.48 each. Johnny gives you a dollar. How do you make change? It’s easy.

First: Say the cost of the item out loud. "$.48"

Second: Add the fewest coins to get to $.25, $.50, or $.75.

Third: Then, add quarter to get to the dollar bill.

In this example, you would start adding the smallest amount of coins to get to $.50 and say to yourself: 49, 50 (adding two pennies to get to 50), then you would say 75 (adding a quarter to get to 75), then say $1.00 (adding another quarter to get to a dollar) which is the amount Johnny gave you.

So how much change and what coins will Johnny get back?

Answer: Johnny will get back $.52 in change. Two quarters and two pennies. To check yourself, you can add $.52 plus $.48 to get $1.00.

Example 2:
Okay, let’s try it again but with bills larger than a dollar. Suppose the local video store is having a sale on previously viewed DVDs. Penny Wise wants a DVD they are selling for $7.38. She gives the cashier $10.00 to pay for it. How much change should she receive?

First: Say the cost of the item. $7.38

Second: Add the fewest coins to get $.25, $.50 or $.75.

Third: Now add quarters to get to a dollar.

Fourth: Add bills to get to $10.00

In this example, you would start adding the smallest amount of coins to get to $.50 and say to yourself: 39, 40 (adding two pennies), 50 (adding one dime to get to $.50), then you would say 75 (adding a quarter to get to .75), then say $8.00 (adding another quarter to get to the next dollar amount). After you figure the change to the nearest dollar, you can add dollar bills until you reach $10.00. So you would add one dollar to make $9.00 and another dollar to make $10.00. So altogether the change would be $2.62. To check yourself, you can add $7.38 and $2.62 to get $10.00.

Making change takes practice. So practice a few times and you’ll see how easy it can be!

It’s best to count each coin and bill total out loud. Remember don’t use five singles when you can use one $5.

Example 3:
George gives you $10 for a baseball trading card you are selling him for $3.45. What change will he get back?

Example 4:
At your garage sale, you sell the video game you no longer play to Sandy for $4.89. She gives you $10.00. How much change should you give her? Remember: don’t use five one dollar bills when you can use one $5.

Click here for ideas to make extra money.

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