Money • Topic 3 of 7

Addition and Subtraction of Money

Adding and subtracting money works exactly like ordinary addition and subtraction of decimals, with one golden rule: keep the decimal points lined up so that rupees sit under rupees and paise under paise. When you add Rs 25.50 and Rs 13.75, you add the paise first (50 + 75 = 125 paise, which is 1 rupee and 25 paise), write down 25 paise, carry the 1 rupee, and then add the rupees (25 + 13 + 1 = 39), giving Rs 39.25. Subtraction follows the same alignment and uses borrowing when needed: to take Rs 17.80 away from Rs 50.00, you cannot subtract 80 paise from 00, so you borrow one rupee (100 paise) and work it through to get Rs 32.20. The most common mistake at this stage is treating the paise as if they were a separate whole number and forgetting that 100 paise roll over into 1 rupee, just as 100 centimetres roll over into a metre. A neat way to check any answer is to convert everything to paise, do the sum in whole numbers, and convert back. Real classroom practice uses shop role-play, where children total up purchases and then work out what is left from the money they brought.

✅ Solved examples

1. Add Rs 25.50 and Rs 13.75.
Paise: 50 + 75 = 125 paise = Rs 1.25, write 25 carry 1. Rupees: 25 + 13 + 1 = 39. Total = Rs 39.25.
2. Subtract Rs 17.80 from Rs 50.00.
Borrow across: Rs 50.00 - Rs 17.80 = Rs 32.20. (Check: 32.20 + 17.80 = 50.00.)
3. Meena spent Rs 42.50 and Rs 27.50 on two books. How much did she spend in all?
Rs 42.50 + Rs 27.50. Paise: 50 + 50 = 100 = Rs 1.00. Rupees: 42 + 27 + 1 = 70. Total = Rs 70.00.
4. From Rs 100, a boy spends Rs 63.25. How much is left?
Rs 100.00 - Rs 63.25 = Rs 36.75. (Check: 36.75 + 63.25 = 100.00.)

✏️ Practice — try these, take hints as needed

1. Add Rs 56.30 and Rs 18.90.
Add paise first: 30 + 90 = 120, carry 1 rupee.
Then add the rupees with the carry.
Rs 75.20
2. Subtract Rs 24.65 from Rs 80.00.
Borrow across the zeros.
Check by adding back.
Rs 55.35
3. Asha buys items costing Rs 35.75 and Rs 14.25. What is the total?
The paise add to 100.
75 + 25 = 100 paise = Rs 1.
Rs 50.00
4. A shopkeeper had Rs 250.00 and paid out Rs 137.50. How much remains?
Subtract with borrowing.
250.00 - 137.50.
Rs 112.50

📝 Topic test — 8 questions

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