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multiplication

Multiplication with money

Use prices, packs and repeated costs to practise multiplication.

Quick answer

Multiplication with money means using multiplication to work out how much things cost when you buy more than one of them. For example, if one pencil costs 50p, then 3 pencils cost 3 × 50p = 150p or £1.50.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to multiply amounts of money using repeated addition, arrays, and equal groups. You will know how to work out the total cost when buying several items at the same price. Success signs:
  • You can multiply a price by the number of items you buy
  • You can use repeated addition to check your multiplication
  • You can draw arrays to show how money is grouped
  • You can solve real-life problems with money multiplication

Why this matters

Multiplying money helps you work out how much you’ll spend when you buy more than one of something. This skill is useful for shopping, saving up, planning trips, or even playing pretend in a shop. It helps you understand how prices grow when you buy more items, and it prepares you for bigger maths like percentages and decimals later on.

How it works

Multiplication with money works just like normal multiplication, but instead of counting objects, you're counting how much money you have. Here’s how:
  1. Find the price of one item
  2. Find how many of that item you are buying
  3. Multiply the price by the number of items
  4. Write the answer in pounds and pence
For example:
  • One toy car costs £2
  • You want to buy 4 toy cars
  • So, 4 × £2 = £8

Examples you can see

Let’s look at some examples you can imagine or draw. Example 1: Buying sweets One sweet costs 10p. You want to buy 5 sweets.
  • One sweet = 10p
  • 5 sweets = 5 × 10p = 50p
You can draw this as 5 groups of 10p each:
Group 1Group 2Group 3Group 4Group 5
10p10p10p10p10p
Example 2: Buying books One book costs £3.50. You want to buy 3 books.
  • 3 × £3.50 = £10.50
You can also think of this as:
  • 3 × £3 = £9
  • 3 × 50p = 150p = £1.50
  • £9 + £1.50 = £10.50
Example 3: Buying stickers One sticker costs 25p. You buy 4 stickers.
  • 4 × 25p = 100p = £1

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Toy Shop Challenge You are going to a toy shop with £10. You want to buy 3 toy cars, and each car costs £2.50. How much will you spend? Will you have enough money? Let’s work it out:
  • 1 car = £2.50
  • 3 cars = 3 × £2.50 = ?
To solve this, you can:
  1. Break it into parts: 3 × £2 = £6
  2. Then 3 × 50p = 150p = £1.50
  3. Add them: £6 + £1.50 = £7.50
You spend £7.50, so you have £2.50 left. That’s enough to buy one more item!

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking 3 × 50p = 150p, but forgetting to convert to pounds.
    Why it happens: Not remembering that 100p = £1.
    Fix: Remember that 100p = £1, so 150p = £1.50.
  • Mistake: Mixing up pounds and pence when multiplying.
    Why it happens: Not writing the decimal point clearly.
    Fix: Always write money with the decimal point, like £3.50.
  • Mistake: Forgetting to write the correct unit (p or £).
    Why it happens: Rushing through the problem.
    Fix: Always check that your answer has the right unit.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child by:
  • Practising multiplication with real money at home
  • Using everyday shopping to show how multiplication works
  • Encouraging your child to draw arrays or groups to show their work
  • Checking that they write the correct units (p or £)
  • Letting them make mistakes and learn from them
In 5–10 minutes, you can:
  1. Ask your child to find the cost of 3 apples if one costs 40p
  2. Let them draw 4 groups of 20p to show 4 × 20p
  3. Ask them to work out how much 5 toy trains cost if each costs £1.20
Don’t worry if they make small mistakes — they are part of learning!

Practice questions

  1. One pencil costs 15p. How much do 4 pencils cost?
  2. One ice cream costs £1.75. How much do 3 ice creams cost?
  3. One sticker costs 30p. How much do 5 stickers cost?
  4. One toy block costs £2.25. How much do 4 toy blocks cost?
  5. One chocolate bar costs 60p. How much do 7 chocolate bars cost?
Answers:
  1. 4 × 15p = 60p
  2. 3 × £1.75 = £5.25
  3. 5 × 30p = 150p = £1.50
  4. 4 × £2.25 = £9.00
  5. 7 × 60p = 420p = £4.20

FAQ

What is multiplication with money?

Multiplication with money means using multiplication to work out how much it costs to buy more than one item at the same price.

How do I multiply money?

Multiply the price of one item by the number of items you are buying. For example, if one toy costs £2 and you buy 3, then 3 × £2 = £6.

Why is it important to know how to multiply with money?

It helps you work out how much you’ll spend when buying several things, like at the shop or online. It’s useful for planning, saving, and budgeting.

Can I use repeated addition instead of multiplication?

Yes! You can add the same amount multiple times. For example, 3 × 50p is the same as 50p + 50p + 50p = 150p.

How can I practice this at home?

Use play money to act out shopping, or ask questions like, "If one cookie costs 20p, how much do 6 cookies cost?"