Calculating Change and Discounts: Practical Skills for Everyday Life

Objectives

1. Understand the concept of change and its practical application in buying and selling situations.

2. Learn how to calculate discounts on goods purchased for cash.

3. Develop basic mathematical skills related to subtraction and percentage.

4. Encourage logical reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Contextualization

Let's imagine that you are at the bakery buying a small bread roll. The price of the bread is R$ 5.00. You hand a R$ 10.00 bill to the cashier. How much change should you receive? And if the bread had a 10% discount for being a loyal customer, how much would you pay? Understanding how to calculate change and discounts is an essential skill for our everyday life, both for buyers and sellers.

Relevance of the Theme

Knowing how to calculate discounts and change is a highly valued skill in the job market. Professionals working in stores, supermarkets, bakeries, and even large companies need to master these calculations to ensure that transactions are carried out correctly. Additionally, these skills help avoid mistakes that could harm the business and customer satisfaction.

Concept of Change

Change is the amount that a seller returns to the buyer when the latter pays an amount greater than the price of the product. For example, if a product costs R$ 7.50 and the buyer pays with a R$ 10.00 bill, the seller must return R$ 2.50 in change.

• Change is the difference between the amount paid and the price of the product.

• It is a common practice in commercial transactions.

• Knowing how to calculate change correctly avoids errors and customer dissatisfaction.

Concept of Discount

A discount is a reduction in the original price of a product or service. It can be offered for various reasons, such as promotions, sales, or to reward customer loyalty. The discount is generally expressed as a percentage of the original price.

• A discount is the reduction in the original price of a product.

• It is usually expressed as a percentage.

• It helps attract customers and increase sales.

Calculation of Change

To calculate the change, we subtract the price of the product from the amount paid. For example, if the price is R$ 5.00 and the amount paid is R$ 10.00, the change is R$ 5.00. This calculation is essential to ensure that the customer receives the correct amount back.

• Subtract the price of the product from the amount paid.

• Ensure that the customer receives the correct amount back.

• Avoid errors in financial transactions.

Calculation of Discount

To calculate a discount, we multiply the original price by the discount percentage and subtract the result from the original price. For example, if an item costs R$ 50.00 and has a 10% discount, the discount is R$ 5.00, so the final price will be R$ 45.00.

• Multiply the original price by the discount percentage.

• Subtract the discount amount from the original price.

• Determine the final price after the discount.

Practical Applications

• In a supermarket, calculating change correctly helps avoid conflicts and ensures customer satisfaction.
• Offering discounts in a store can attract more customers and increase sales, especially during promotions and sales.
• In a small business, knowing how to calculate change and discounts is essential to keeping finances in order and ensuring business sustainability.

Key Terms

• Change: Amount returned to the buyer when the amount paid is greater than the price of the product.

• Discount: Reduction in the original price of a product or service, usually expressed as a percentage.

• Final Price: Amount to be paid after applying a discount.

Questions

• Why is it important to know how to calculate change and discounts correctly in commercial transactions?

• How can these skills impact your daily life and future career?

• In what other everyday situations do you think the skills of calculating change and discounts may be useful?

Conclusion

To Reflect

In this summary, we reviewed essential concepts of change and discounts, skills that are crucial for both our everyday life and the job market. Knowing how to correctly calculate change ensures that financial transactions are fair and accurate, avoiding possible errors and dissatisfaction. Similarly, understanding how discounts work is important to make the most of buying opportunities and to attract customers in a commercial environment. By mastering these skills, we are better prepared to handle real situations and become more conscious and efficient consumers and professionals.

Mini Challenge - Challenge: Shopping and Calculations

Let's put into practice what we learned about change and discounts!

• Form pairs with your classmates.
• Each pair will receive a set of fake money (bills and coins) and a list of items with prices and discounts.
• One student will be the 'customer' and the other will be the 'seller'.
• The customer will choose some items to buy and calculate the total amount to be paid, including discounts.
• The seller will calculate the change to be returned to the customer.
• After the purchase, switch roles and repeat the process.