Solving story problems about how much money is left
In 2nd grade, children learn to find how much money is left after buying something, to work out the change from a dollar, and to write the answer with the $ or ¢ symbol.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
Try these with your child
These are real questions from our 2nd grade practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
Mia had 70 cents. She bought a sticker. Now she has 40 cents. How much did the sticker cost?
- 40 cents
- 110 cents
- 30 cents
Why this matters
Working out what's left is the moment money starts to feel real to your child. If they have 75¢ and a sticker costs 40¢, they can tell you there's 35¢ to spend on something else. These problems turn subtraction into something useful, and they build the careful checking that saving and spending need. You'll see it with pocket money, at a lemonade stand, or in the change at a corner store.
If adding up coins still feels new, your child can review solving story problems by counting bills and coins before working out what's left.
Where kids can get stuck
- Adding the price to the money instead of subtracting, so having 80¢ and spending 30¢ seems to leave 110¢ instead of 50¢.
- Treating a dollar as 1 instead of 100 cents, so the change from $1 for a 60¢ snack seems impossible to find.
- Giving only the last coin as the change, so counting up from 70¢ to $1 gives 25¢ instead of 30¢.
How you can help
- At a yard sale or bake sale, give your child a set amount, like 90¢ in coins. After they buy something for 35¢, ask how much is left, then count the coins in their hand to check.
- Talk through birthday or allowance money. If your child has $9 and spends $4 on a kite, ask how many dollars are left, and write the answer with the $ sign together.
- Ask a change question on the way to the store: "If a juice box costs 45¢ and I pay with 2 quarters, how much change do I get?" Let your child use real coins if it helps.
If it’s helpful, you can watch the kid-friendly video below, or sign up for free, adaptive practice in Bobby's Math Club.
Kid-friendly explanation
Questions parents ask
Why does my child count up from the price to find change?
Counting up is often easier than subtracting from 100 in your head, and it's how a cashier may count out change. For a 65¢ snack paid with a dollar, your child starts at 65¢, adds a dime to reach 75¢, then a quarter to reach $1. The coins they added, 35¢, are the change. It builds on the coin counting they already know.
My child can count coins. Why are change problems harder?
Counting coins asks your child to add, while change asks them to find what's missing between the price and what was paid. That's a different kind of thinking. Start with whole dollars, like the change from $5 for a $3 toy, then move to cents with friendly prices, like 50¢ or 75¢. Real coins in their hand make each step easier to see.
How do I explain to my child why we get change back?
Tell your child the store keeps only the price and gives back the rest. If a pencil costs 30¢ and you pay with 4 dimes, the store keeps 30¢ of your 40¢, so 10¢ comes back to you. Acting it out at home, with one of you as the shopkeeper, makes the idea concrete and gives your child a turn at handing back the change.
Make learning math fun
Bobby's Math Club turns 2nd grade math practice into something fun to do together.
- Unlimited practice, completely free
- Questions matched to your child’s level, a few minutes a day
- You see their progress and what to work on next
Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
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Join the clubNote for teachers: This skill is covered by Common Core math standard 2.MD.C.8: “Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately. Example: If you have 2 dimes and 3 pennies, how many cents do you have?” Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow. (Common Core 2.MD.8)