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Working out change

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NC68 | 18:39 Mon 15th Nov 2004 | Business & Finance
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What is the easist way of working out change from a customer. Say like someone pays �5.10 for items and they pay with a �10 note, is there any tips or hints that can be remembered for the change? Cheers

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Subtract the cost of the item from the total sum of money tendered for the transaction. That should give you the amount of change owed to the customer.
Question Author

Cheers for that. What about working it out in your head. Any hints to make the change correct?

 

I am not sure there is a standard method.  In the example you give, the easy way is to say:  five pounds away from ten is five, take away another ten pence makes �4.90.  Or you can start from �5.10 and count to six pounds... that makes 90 pence.  From six pounds to get to 10 pounds it's four pounds.  Hence �4.90.
Like HGrove says, you need to make it up to �10, starting off with �5.10.  So you would get a 20p for �5.30, another 20p for �5.50, then a 50p for �6, and then 4 pound coins, making �10 in total.
as mentioned by the last 2 answers, don't try and do the subtraction in your head, instead count upwards, it's much easier. That's what shop assistants do (if they haven't got fancy tills) andnif you count it out to the customer too, you can double check it.
Doesn't the answer �4.90 just 'pop' into your head?
Question Author

Cheers for all the help, I only wanted to know if there was an easy way of working it out without too much hard work, but thanks for the tips. And yes I know its �4.90.

The biggest difference between those that can do it and those that can't is confidence.When thinking of doing it, believe you can, cos you can, don't get hot or flustered, and it'll come.

When I was at primary school I was taught to count upwards.i.e. suppose something is �4.30 and you get a �10 note. Simply count upwards from the cost until you reach the total value of the note you are given:

Example

�4.30 + 20p = �4.50 + 50p = �5 +�5 = �10

Personally I can usually do the sums in my head but if you can't this helps.

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