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When cash totals are rounded, what happens to the bill?

A bill can change at the cash register without any individual price changing. Ireland’s rounding scheme, introduced in 2015, applies to the final cash total; it did not abolish one-cent and two-cent coins.

3–5 min

Questions you could explore

  • Why does rounding the total differ from rounding every item?

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Economics and money

Why can Ireland’s inflation rate differ from your shopping bill?

A national price index combines many purchases that no single household makes in exactly the same proportions. Ireland's Consumer Price Index uses spending weights, so changes in different prices contribute unequally to the overall figure.

4–5 min
Economics and money

What does a free afternoon still cost you?

An hour can be free of charges and still be scarce. Choosing one use means giving up the best available alternative, which is the opportunity cost even when no money changes hands.

3–5 min
Economics and money

How can insurance spread financial risk across a group?

An uncertain large loss for one person can become part of a wider pool of risks. Insurance connects that pooling with a contract and a premium, while the contract still determines which losses are covered.

3–7 min
When cash totals are rounded, what happens to the bill? | Speech Topic | speaking.app