There are twelve steps to the hero's journey, and each step falls into one of three stages. Stage 1: Departure - This includes steps 1, 2, 3, and 4. During this stage, the hero is preparing for his quest.
Fifty cents is a plural noun since it is talking about more than one cent. In the example, you would say, "fifty cents <em>is </em>how much I owe you".
