Click image to open full size
Early Learners
Money Word Problems: Coins and Dollars
Money Word Problems: Coins and Dollars
Related Tools
Related Labs
Related Worksheets
Related Cheat Sheets
Money word problems help you practice using coins and dollars in real life. You might buy a snack, save money in a piggy bank, or count change at a toy store. These problems are easier when you look for what is being bought, how much it costs, and how much money you have. Counting carefully helps you make smart choices with money.
Key Facts
- 1 dollar = 100 cents
- 1 quarter = 25 cents
- 1 dime = 10 cents
- 1 nickel = 5 cents
- 1 penny = 1 cent
- Change = money paid - cost
Vocabulary
- Cent
- A cent is a small unit of money, and 100 cents make 1 dollar.
- Dollar
- A dollar is a unit of money equal to 100 cents.
- Coin
- A coin is a round piece of money, such as a penny, nickel, dime, or quarter.
- Cost
- Cost is the amount of money needed to buy something.
- Change
- Change is the money you get back when you pay more than the cost.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Mixing up coin values is wrong because a dime is 10 cents and a nickel is 5 cents, even though the nickel is bigger.
- Adding dollars and cents without converting is wrong because 1.25.
- Forgetting to subtract to find change is wrong because change means money paid minus the cost.
- Counting coins too quickly is wrong because skipping one coin or counting one twice changes the total.
Practice Questions
- 1 Mia buys a pizza slice for 75 cents. She pays with 1 dollar. How much change should she get?
- 2 Leo has 2 quarters, 1 dime, and 3 pennies. How many cents does he have in all?
- 3 A toy costs 65 cents. Sam has 3 quarters, and Ava has 6 dimes. Who has enough money to buy the toy, and how do you know?