{"id":"dat-free-retainer-vs-hourly","audience":"freelancers","category":"decisions","technique":"context","title":"Decide between a monthly retainer and hourly billing","free":false,"task":"A client offered a retainer. Estimate your monthly hours with the average of the last 3 months. Write exactly 2 numbered lines: 1) hourly = average hours x $90, 2) retainer = $3,000 ÷ average hours = effective hourly rate, each with the math, then one unnumbered last line: Take: retainer or hourly. Plain text, under 60 words.","materialLabel":"Your hours with this client and their offer (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"HOURS - Fernway Outdoor Co. (content + email design)\nAug: 22 hours\nSep: 30 hours\nOct: 32 hours\n\nTHEIR OFFER (email from Priya, marketing director)\n\"We'd love to move you to a retainer: $3,000/month for up to 40 hours. Anything over 40 billed at your hourly rate. 6-month term.\"\n\nMy current rate: $90/hour\n\nNotes:\n- July was 12 hours (onboarding month, not typical).\n- They pay on time, every time.\n- Retainer would make budgeting easier for me.\n- Priya hinted they \"might\" add a podcast project. Not confirmed.\n- Another client wants me 20 hours/month starting January.\n- Contract would start Dec 1.\n- Fernway has been a client for 5 months.\n- Shared with the team in the usual folder.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":2},{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":60}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Not saying which months","why":"The AI includes onboarding July or uses one month.","fix":"Add: \"Use the average of Aug, Sep and Oct.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Not asking to see the work","why":"You'll want to compare the effective rate yourself.","fix":"Add a line to copy: \"1. Hourly: 28 x $90 = $2,520\"","checks":["numberedItems","r1"]},{"title":"Counting maybes","why":"The AI adds the possible podcast hours.","fix":"Add: \"Ignore unconfirmed work.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it.","fix":"Cap each line: \"each line under 14 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Forgetting where it goes","why":"AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in your business notes.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, no bold, headings or tables.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Says which months","patterns":["last 3|three months","average","aug"]},{"label":"Asks for effective rate","patterns":["effective","per hour","\\$3,?000 ÷"]},{"label":"Asks to show the math","patterns":["show (the |your )?(math|work)","x \\$|\\bx\\b.{0,10}=","calculation","step"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)","under \\d+"]},{"label":"Asks for plain text","patterns":["plain","no bold","no markdown","no formatting","no (headings|tables)"]}],"hint":"Which months you average changes the answer. Tell the AI, and ask for both options' math.","rubricLabels":["Average hours are (22 + 30 + 32) ÷ 3 = 28 (July left out)","Hourly is 28 x $90 = $2,520 and the retainer is $3,000 ÷ 28 = about $107/hr","The last line picks the retainer, with nothing before the first numbered line"]}