Listen to the text of this lesson via human narration; click or tap the audio track below:
Step out and make purchases, track your change, and approach spending with greater confidence and independence. Learn to (1) fold each dollar bill in a unique way, so you immediately know if you have $1, $5, $10, or $20. (2) Keep everything organized in a wallet and with a money reader, (3) successfully identify and sort your change, and (4) sign bills, checks, and receipts with ease.
Photo of a stack of 10 and 100 dollar bills, not sorted or organized by denomination.
Video: Money Management – Folding & Tracking Bills
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Transcript
Organizing your money helps you when you are out at the store, or when you’re going to a restaurant, so that you are able to identify your bills. And it also makes you feel more confident when you are paying the cashier or the waiter.
First, before you begin this task, it’s always a great idea to have a lamp near you. I currently have a desktop, gooseneck lamp, and I’m going to turn it on to brighten everything up a little bit. This helps you identify your bills.
Currently on your screen, I have a $1, a $5, a $10, and a $20.
What I am going to be doing is fold my money in a way that helps me identify it when I am out and about. I’m going to have my wallet open and ready so I can slide my money, my bills right into there as I am organizing and as I’m folding.
So, my dollar bill — we do not fold. We just slide that right into our wallet. So, the $1 is not folded.
Now, next I am going to grab the $5. The $5 we do fold, and we fold it in half. So, I currently have my $5 bill folded in half, end to end. And, I am going to slide that right into my wallet.
Next, I am going to fold my $10 bill in half from end to end, and then I am going to fold it in half again. So, there’s one fold, and I am going to fold it in half one more time. And, that is how I fold my $10. I’m going to slide it into my wallet.
And lastly is the $20. We fold the $20 in half, lengthwise. So, we’re going to slide this into the wallet.
So, the whole purpose of this process is when you have multiple $20s or $1s, you will be able to identify them by reaching into your wallet and remembering how each bill was folded.
For example, if I am going to look for my $1, instead of trying to find it and look for it, I would remember how I folded it. For example, my $1 is not folded, I would know this. I would just feel it and pull it right out.
And that goes for my $5. My $5 is folded in half. When I reach in there, I remember that it was folded in half, and I can just pull it right out. This saves time from trying to look at each bill or to grab a magnifier, or when you feel that pressure when you’re in the store and trying to purchase something.
And then, same thing for my $10, remembering that it was folded in half like my $5, and then it was folded again. So, we folded the $10 twice.
And lastly, the $20. It was folded in half, but lengthwise.
This is a technique we like our students to learn and get used to when they’re getting ready to go somewhere, so you can remember and have that confidence when you’re out purchasing something, or when you’re out at a restaurant.
Review how to fold each bill:
(1) Place the $1 bill into your wallet (no folding needed).
(2) Fold the $5 bill once down the middle (vertical, short side).
(3) Fold the $10 bill once down the middle (vertical, short side). Fold in half again.
(4) Fold the $20 bill once down the middle, but horizontal — on the long side.