Add and subtract money in word problems up to £1: Example question
31 October 2026
When children learn to add and subtract money, word problems help make the maths feel real. This example shows how to work out how much money is left after buying a few small items, using amounts up to £1.
Worked example
Amira has 65p. She buys a pencil for 35p and a rubber for 15p. How much money does she have left?
Step 1: Add the cost of the pencil and the rubber. 35p + 15p = 50p
Step 2: Subtract the total spent from the money Amira started with.
65p - 50p = 15p
The correct answer is 15p.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Pencil | 35p |
| Rubber | 15p |
| Total spent | 50p |
| Money Amira had | 65p |
| Money left | 15p |
Key insight: After working through this example, your child will recognise how to add up what has been spent and subtract it from the total amount. They can now try a similar question to build confidence with money word problems up to £1.
