Skill: Solve one-step money word problems

A money word problem tells you about a price, an amount paid, a total, or a difference.

• Use addition to find a total or combine amounts.
• Use subtraction to find how much more, how much less, or the change.
• Line up the decimal points. The digits to the left show dollars, and the digits to the right show cents.

Example:
A notebook costs $6.75. You pay with$10.00. How much change should you get?

1. Decide what the problem asks. It asks for the change, so subtract the price from the amount paid:

$$10.00-6.75$$

2. Line up the decimal points:

     10.00
   -  6.75
   --------
   

3. Subtract:

$$10.00-6.75=3.25$$

4. Write the answer with a dollar sign:

   You should get $3.25 in change.

The answer makes sense because the change is the amount left after paying for the notebook.