Shopping total and budget
This type of problem asks you to add the costs of items and then compare that total with a budget or amount available.
1) Find the total cost
- Add the prices of all the items.
- If there are repeated items, include each one in the sum.
- Keep the units the same, usually money.
2) Compare with the budget
- If the budget is larger than the total, find how much money is left:
budget − total
- If the total is larger than the budget, find how much extra is needed:
total − budget
3) Simplify the final answer
- Write the result as a single amount.
- Use the correct money unit.
- If the exercise gives exact values, do not round unless asked.
4) Check your work
- Add the item costs again to confirm the total.
- Recalculate the difference between the budget and the total.
- Make sure your final answer matches the question: money left or money needed.
A good habit is to organize the numbers before computing. This helps avoid missing an item or reversing the subtraction.