How to Count Money

Counting money is a relatively simple task, but it's also helpful to know exactly how much spare change you have. It's a great way to practice your arithmetic skills. You’ll find that learning to count money accurately is a quick and enjoyable task, especially useful if you work in retail or any cashier-related field.

Gather all your coins together. The first thing to do is to collect all the coins into a pocket, wallet, or any place where you’re keeping them. Spread them out on a flat surface so you can see every coin, making sure none of them are stuck together. This way, you can easily distinguish each coin from the others.

Sort by size and value. The next step is to group the coins by their value. For example, gather all the 5-cent coins in one place, all the 10-cent coins in another, and so on. Continue this process until you have piles of coins sorted by denomination. Stack the coins into small piles. You’ll have a collection of little coin stacks on the table.

Calculate the value of each coin stack. Now, you’ll count each stack of coins to determine their total value and record it. For instance, if you have a stack of 10 one-cent coins, note that the stack is worth 10 cents. A stack of five 50-cent coins? Write down $2.50. Finally, finish counting all the coin stacks.

Add it all up. Once you know the value of each stack, you need to add the value of all the stacks together to get the total amount. You can add as you go to save time. If you think you might forget, jot down the value of each stack so you can review them and calculate the final total later.

Consider using a coin sorting machine. If you have a lot of coins or need to sort change frequently for work, you should consider using a coin sorting machine. This device will sort coins by denomination. Some modern machines can even count and total the value of the coins.

Sort the paper money. After counting the coins, you can move on to counting paper money. Essentially, you’ll do the same thing as you did with coins: separate the paper bills into groups based on their denominations and calculate the value of each group. The first step is to lay the paper bills on the table so you can clearly see each one. Then, group them accordingly.

Count and record the value of each paper money group. Now that you’ve grouped the paper bills, you need to count and calculate the value of each group. For example, if you have five $20 bills, that’s $100. Just like with coins, you can count each group and write down the amount on a piece of paper, then calculate the total value. If you’re confident in your math skills and memory, you can mentally calculate as you go and add the final total at the end.

Add up the total value of paper money and coins. The final step is to calculate the combined value of the coins and paper bills. You will now have the total value of the money you’ve counted. Write down that value and keep it for tracking your personal finances and budget.

• Double-check your calculations to ensure accuracy.
• Keep a record of the counted amounts and their total value for personal storage. This not only helps you keep track of your finances but also gives you insight into how quickly you’re spending.
• Try playing an online money counting game to practice and improve your math skills.