{"id":"fpa-equipment-lease-vs-buy-three-year-table","audience":"fpa","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"format","level":"intermediate","title":"Compare buying and leasing a machine over three years","free":false,"task":"You're comparing two ways to get a machine for the operations manager. Write a prompt for a markdown table with columns Option, Cash out, Resale and Net 3-year cost for three rows: Buy (with resale), Buy (no resale), Lease. Show the math for Buy's cash out. After the table add one line starting \"Difference:\" comparing Lease with both Buy rows. Facts only: no recommendation. Under 120 words.","materialLabel":"Source material (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"EQUIPMENT: PACKAGING MACHINE - 3-year comparison\n\nBuy:\n- Purchase price: $30,000, paid up front\n- Maintenance: $1,200 per year, paid by us\n- Estimated resale value after 3 years: $6,000 (a supplier estimate, not guaranteed)\n\nLease:\n- $900 per month for 36 months\n- The lease price includes all maintenance\n- No ownership and nothing returned at the end\n\nNotes: No financing or interest costs are included for either option. Tax effects are outside this comparison and should be reviewed by the company's tax adviser. The operations manager asked which choice has the lower three-year cash cost. The lease is cancellable only by paying the remaining payments. Installation is the same for both options and is excluded.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":120}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the columns","patterns":["option","cash out","resale","net 3-year"]},{"label":"Lists the three rows","patterns":["buy","lease","no resale"]},{"label":"Asks for the math","patterns":["show the math","3 x","36 x"]},{"label":"Bans a recommendation","patterns":["no recommendation","facts only"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","under \\d+"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Dropping the no-resale case","why":"The AI relies on the estimated resale value.","fix":"Say: \"Show Buy both with and without resale.\"","checks":["r0","r2"]},{"title":"Forgetting maintenance","why":"The AI uses $30,000 for Buy.","fix":"Add: \"Buy cash out includes 3 years of maintenance.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Skipping the lease math","why":"The AI writes $32,400 with no multiplication.","fix":"Add: \"Show 36 x $900 for the lease.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Adding advice","why":"The AI recommends one option or comments on taxes.","fix":"Add: \"Facts only; no recommendation and no tax comments.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each part short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"An estimate shouldn't carry the comparison. Ask for the with-and-without view and a facts-only comparison line.","rubricLabels":["The table has columns Option, Cash out, Resale, Net 3-year cost with rows named Buy (with resale), Buy (no resale) and Lease; the Buy rows show cash out $30,000 + (3 x $1,200) = $33,600; Buy with resale shows resale $6,000 and net $27,600; Buy with no resale shows net $33,600","The Lease row shows 36 x $900 = $32,400 cash out, no resale and a net cost of $32,400","A final line starting \"Difference:\" says Lease costs $4,800 more than Buy with resale ($32,400 - $27,600) and $1,200 less than Buy with no resale ($33,600 - $32,400), with no recommendation or tax conclusion"]}