Money Word Problems (Grade 4)
Money word problems test your ability to apply addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to real-life shopping, budgeting, and saving situations. In Class 4, the problems become more complex — involving multiple items, bills, making change, and simple concepts of profit and loss.
You will read the problem carefully, identify the operation needed, and calculate amounts in rupees and paise.
What is Money Word Problems - Class 4 Maths (Money)?
Money word problems describe real-life situations involving Indian currency (₹). To solve them:
- Read carefully — what is given and what is asked.
- Identify the operation — add (total), subtract (change/difference), multiply (multiple items), divide (equal sharing/per item cost).
- Calculate — keep rupees and paise aligned.
- Check — does the answer make sense?
Solved Examples
Example 1: Example 1: Total shopping bill
Problem: Ria buys a notebook for ₹42.50, a pen for ₹15.75, and a pencil box for ₹85.00. What is the total bill?
Solution:
Step 1: ₹42.50 + ₹15.75 + ₹85.00
Step 2: Paise: 50 + 75 + 00 = 125 paise = ₹1.25
Step 3: Rupees: 42 + 15 + 85 + 1 = 143
Answer: Total bill = ₹143.25
Example 2: Example 2: Finding change
Problem: Aman buys a cricket ball for ₹68.50 and pays with a ₹100 note. How much change does he get?
Solution:
Step 1: Change = ₹100.00 − ₹68.50
Step 2: Paise: 100 − 50 = 50. Rupees: 99 − 68 = 31.
Answer: Change = ₹31.50
Example 3: Example 3: Cost of multiple items
Problem: One packet of chips costs ₹20.00. Priya buys 6 packets for a school picnic. How much does she spend?
Solution:
Step 1: 6 × ₹20.00 = ₹120.00
Answer: Priya spends ₹120.00.
Example 4: Example 4: Sharing equally
Problem: Meera, Aditi, and Neha share a taxi fare of ₹147.00 equally. How much does each pay?
Solution:
Step 1: ₹147.00 ÷ 3 = ₹49.00
Answer: Each person pays ₹49.00.
Example 5: Example 5: Budget problem
Problem: Dev has ₹500. He buys a book for ₹175.50 and a geometry box for ₹124.75. Does he have enough money left to buy a bag worth ₹210?
Solution:
Step 1: Total spent = ₹175.50 + ₹124.75 = ₹300.25
Step 2: Money left = ₹500.00 − ₹300.25 = ₹199.75
Step 3: Bag costs ₹210. Since ₹199.75 < ₹210, he does not have enough.
Answer: No, Dev is short by ₹210 − ₹199.75 = ₹10.25.
Example 6: Example 6: Profit calculation
Problem: Arjun buys a used book for ₹80 and sells it for ₹95. Does he make a profit or loss? How much?
Solution:
Step 1: Selling price (₹95) > Cost price (₹80), so it is a profit.
Step 2: Profit = Selling price − Cost price = ₹95 − ₹80 = ₹15
Answer: Arjun makes a profit of ₹15.
Example 7: Example 7: Loss calculation
Problem: Kavi buys a toy car for ₹250 and sells it for ₹220. Profit or loss? How much?
Solution:
Step 1: Selling price (₹220) < Cost price (₹250), so it is a loss.
Step 2: Loss = Cost price − Selling price = ₹250 − ₹220 = ₹30
Answer: Kavi makes a loss of ₹30.
Example 8: Example 8: Reading a bill
Problem: A shop bill shows: 2 kg rice at ₹55.00/kg, 1 kg dal at ₹120.00, 500 g butter at ₹90.50. Find the total bill.
Solution:
Step 1: Rice: 2 × ₹55.00 = ₹110.00
Step 2: Dal: ₹120.00
Step 3: Butter: ₹90.50
Step 4: Total: ₹110.00 + ₹120.00 + ₹90.50 = ₹320.50
Answer: Total bill = ₹320.50
Example 9: Example 9: Savings over time
Problem: Aditi saves ₹25.50 every week. How much does she save in 8 weeks?
Solution:
Step 1: 8 × ₹25.50
Step 2: 8 × 25 = 200 rupees. 8 × 50 = 400 paise = ₹4.00
Step 3: ₹200 + ₹4 = ₹204.00
Answer: Aditi saves ₹204.00 in 8 weeks.
Example 10: Example 10: Multi-step problem
Problem: Rahul earns ₹350.00 from selling lemonade. He spent ₹85.50 on lemons, ₹30.00 on sugar, and ₹15.75 on cups. What is his profit?
Solution:
Step 1: Total expenses = ₹85.50 + ₹30.00 + ₹15.75 = ₹131.25
Step 2: Profit = Earnings − Expenses = ₹350.00 − ₹131.25 = ₹218.75
Answer: Rahul's profit is ₹218.75.
Key Points to Remember
- Read the problem carefully to identify which operation to use.
- Total cost = Add individual prices. Change = Amount paid − Cost.
- Cost of many items = Price per item × Number of items.
- Cost per item = Total cost ÷ Number of items.
- Profit = Selling price − Cost price (when SP > CP).
- Loss = Cost price − Selling price (when CP > SP).
- Always write amounts with the ₹ symbol and two decimal places.
- Check your answer — does it make sense in the context of the problem?
Practice Problems
- Neha buys 3 ice creams at ₹35.50 each and 2 juices at ₹22.00 each. Find the total amount.
- Priya pays ₹500 for items worth ₹384.25. How much change does she get?
- A shopkeeper bought pencils for ₹60 and sold them for ₹75. Find the profit.
- Dev, Aman, Kavi, and Rahul share a dinner bill of ₹620.00 equally. How much does each pay?
- Meera saves ₹18.50 per day. How much does she save in 2 weeks (14 days)?
- A toy costs ₹150. It is sold at ₹130. Find the loss.
- Ria has ₹1,000. She buys shoes for ₹650.75 and socks for ₹89.50. How much is left?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do you solve money word problems?
Read the problem, identify what is given and what is asked, choose the correct operation (add, subtract, multiply, or divide), calculate carefully aligning decimal points, and check the answer.
Q2. What is the difference between profit and loss?
Profit occurs when the selling price is more than the cost price (you earn extra). Loss occurs when the selling price is less than the cost price (you lose money).
Q3. How do you calculate change?
Subtract the cost of the item from the amount you paid. Change = Amount paid − Cost. For example, ₹100 − ₹73.50 = ₹26.50.
Q4. How do you find the total bill for multiple items?
Add the costs of all items. If buying multiple units of the same item, first multiply the price by the quantity, then add all totals.
Q5. What does 'share equally' mean in money problems?
Divide the total amount by the number of people. Each person gets the same share. For example, ₹120 shared among 4 people = ₹30 each.
Q6. How do you handle paise in calculations?
Treat paise as the decimal part of rupees. Keep two decimal places in all calculations. If paise total exceeds 100, convert: 150 paise = ₹1.50.
Q7. What is a budget problem?
A budget problem gives you a fixed amount and asks if you can afford certain items. Add up all costs and compare with the budget. If costs exceed the budget, you cannot afford everything.
Q8. Can money word problems have more than one step?
Yes. Many problems require two or more operations. For example, find the total cost of items (multiplication), then subtract from the amount paid (subtraction) to find change.
