Enough money, but the wrong combination: practise exact payment
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni2 min read
Having enough money does not always mean being able to pay the exact amount. If an agreed purchase requires payment without change, your child needs to examine the combinations their money permits. Start with the total, then look at the individual denominations.
Try combinations from what you have
In a hypothetical practice example, your child needs to pay 23 units. They have one token representing 20, one representing 10, and three representing 1. Their total is 20 + 10 + 3 = 33 units. The price and situation are invented; imagine a seller who has explicitly requested exact payment. Tokens are teaching pieces rather than claims about a country's coins.
Your child can choose 20 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 23 and keep the 10 token. Payment uses four pieces but costs 23 units. Giving 20 + 10 = 30 would require 7 back. That is not exact payment despite having enough value.
Now remove one small token from the practice sheet. Your child still has 32 units, more than the price. But 20, 10, 1 and 1 cannot make 23. Starting with 20 permits only 2 more from the small tokens; starting with 10 and both small tokens produces 12. Counting the total alone cannot solve this problem.
Check change before leaving
A practical snag is your child seeing 32 and assuming the purchase is ready. Ask whether an adult can exchange a larger denomination beforehand, or whether the seller actually offers change. Avoid promising that someone will always have it.
Exchanging 10 for ten pieces worth 1 leaves the value at 10. Your child has not gained income merely because there are more pieces. Count before and after the exchange as a check.
Use paper tokens to try alternative combinations. Label each with its value and place only selected pieces in the payment space. Keep the others in a space marked “retained”.
Ask your family: “Do we only have enough overall, or can we also make exactly the amount being requested?”
Clarify what the virtual balance represents
Kroni keeps track using a virtual balance and does not transfer money. Cash your child has received and amounts an adult still owes are different things. This exercise concerns money actually received. Agree how it fits your record so the same amount is not counted both as received and still unpaid. Read about allowance in Kroni.
