Put Your Money Maths to the Test!

November is a month full of sales, special offers, and online shopping deals all across Australia. From Black Friday to end-of-season clearances, it’s the perfect time to get your family practicing money maths skills while navigating real-life spending!

Understanding how to manage money, calculate discounts, and compare prices are essential life skills for children to learn. Whether it’s cash, coins, or card payments, having strong money maths skills helps your child learn how to budget wisely, avoid overspending, and make smart financial choices – now and in their future.

To get you in the spirit (and practice), here are 10 money maths equations to challenge your family with this November:

1. Discount Dilemma

A jacket costs $120. There’s a 25% off sale. How much do you pay?

2. Coffee Countdown

You buy 3 bags of chips at $4.50 each. How much do you spend in total?

3. Coin Collection

You have 5 × $2 coins, 10 × $1 coins, and 8 × 50c coins. How much money do you have altogether?

4. Card vs Cash

A toy costs $75. You pay $50 by card and the rest in cash. How much cash do you give?

5. Percentage Off

A video game costs $80, and the store is offering 15% off. How much do you save?

6. Bulk Buy

A pack of 6 chocolate bars costs $18. How much does one bar cost?

7. Total Spend

You buy 4 books at $22 each and a notebook for $8. What’s the total cost?

8. Split the Bill

Dinner costs $96. You’re splitting it equally between 4 friends. How much does each pay?

9. Coin Change

You pay $12.50 in cash with a $20 note. How much change should you get back?

10. Sale Savings

A pair of shoes costs $150. They’re on sale for 30% off. How much do you pay, and how much do you save?

Why Money Maths Matters

• Budgeting: Helps your child learn to manage spending and learn positive money habits for the future.
• Smart Shopping: Quickly calculate discounts, compare prices, and avoid overspending.
• Everyday Life: From paying for groceries to splitting bills, money maths is everywhere. Being able to quickly figure out equations makes these Life Admin tasks so much easier!
• Confidence: Teaching your child to manage cash, coins, and card payments accurately builds independence and financial literacy skills.

These simple exercises show how maths and money go hand-in-hand in daily life. This November, while the sales are happening all around Australia, take a moment to help your child practice your money skills – it’s fun, practical, and sets your child up to be a smarter shopper, and learn money habits to set them up for life!

Now, who wants the solutions to our Money Maths questions?

1. $120 − 25% = $120 − $30 = $90
2. 3 × $4.50 = $13.50
3. 5×$2 + 10×$1 + 8×$0.50 = $10 + $10 + $4 = $24
4. $75 − $50 = $25 cash
5. 15% of $80 = 0.15 × $80 = $12 saved
6. $18 ÷ 6 = $3 per chocolate bar
7. 4×$22 + $8 = $88 + $8 = $96 total
8. $96 ÷ 4 = $24 each
9. $20 − $12.50 = $7.50 change
10. 30% of $150 = $45 saved; $150 − $45 = $105 to pay