• If you want a closer estimate, you can round up or down to the nearest dollar. The estimate will be closer to the exact total, but it may be a little too low. If you have only $20 in your purse, the estimate might be $20, but the exact amount might be $20.17. Here’s how it works:

If, for example, you put something in the cart that costs $1.79, he will figure out that $1.79 is closer to $2.00 than to $1.00. He will show that as $2.00, and make 2 marks on his page.
Then you put something in the cart that costs $2.49. That is closer to $2.00 than to $3.00, so he will make 2 more marks.
Then you buy something that costs 99¢; that is very close to $1.00, so he’ll make another mark, but the fifth mark goes sideways. Every $5.00 you put in the cart will result in a mark like this.
The next dollar you spend starts another set of marks. As you go along, he can count the crossed lines by 5’s to give you a running total. When you get to the cashier, you both will see how close his estimate was.

• If you have 2 kids, one can use this system and the other can keep a running total on a calculator. It is easy to make a mistake on the calculator, forgetting a decimal point or hitting the wrong key. The kid with the pencil and tally sheet can help keep the calculator honest.

Older kids can pay and check the change.