{"id":"ind-par-monthly-budget-check","audience":"parents","category":"data","technique":"verification","title":"Check this month's family spending against the budget","free":false,"task":"You're checking October's family spending against your budget. Write exactly 4 numbered lines, one per category, sorted from most over budget to most under, each in the form \"Category: a + b + ... = $spent of $budget (over/under $X)\" so the addition is visible. Count the refund as money back, plain text, under 110 words, with nothing before or after the lines. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"The October transactions and budget (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"FAMILY BUDGET - October - the Osei family (fictional)\nMonthly budget: Groceries $700 | Eating out $200 | Kids' activities $250 | Gas $180\n\nTransactions:\n- Oct 2 FreshMart groceries $164\n- Oct 4 Soccer registration (Kofi) $120\n- Oct 6 Shell gas $52\n- Oct 9 FreshMart groceries $188\n- Oct 11 Pizza night $46\n- Oct 14 Shell gas $49\n- Oct 16 FreshMart groceries $201\n- Oct 18 Art class (Ama) $95\n- Oct 20 Taco place $38\n- Oct 23 FreshMart groceries $176\n- Oct 25 Shell gas $55\n- Oct 27 Birthday dinner out $112\n- Oct 29 Refund: soccer cleats returned, kids' activities -$45\n\nNotes:\n- The refund goes against kids' activities.\n- November budget meeting Sunday.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":4},{"type":"maxWords","max":110},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"No fixed shape","why":"The AI lists every transaction in a table plus advice.","fix":"Be exact: \"Exactly 4 numbered lines: Category: $spent of $budget (over/under $X).\"","checks":["numberedItems","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 110 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"each line under 22 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Mishandling the refund","why":"The AI ignores the refund or adds it as spending.","fix":"Add: \"Subtract the $45 refund from kids' activities.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Not checking the math","why":"Totals of 4-5 transactions are easy to get slightly wrong.","fix":"Add: \"Add each category twice to check.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Wrong order","why":"The AI lists categories in budget order.","fix":"Add: \"Sort from most over budget to most under.\"","checks":["r2"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Handles the refund","patterns":["refund","subtract","money back"]},{"label":"Sorts by over/under","patterns":["sort","most over","order"]},{"label":"Shows the line shape","patterns":["of \\$budget","over/under","spent of"]},{"label":"Checks the math","patterns":["check","double-check","add (each|up)"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Budget checks need exact sums and a clear order. Tell the AI how to treat the refund, how to sort, and the exact line shape.","rubricLabels":["The totals are Groceries $729, Eating out $196, Kids' activities $170 (after the $45 refund), Gas $156","The over/under amounts are right: Groceries over $29, Eating out under $4, Gas under $24, Kids' activities under $80","Lines are sorted from most over to most under (Groceries, Eating out, Gas, Kids' activities), each shows its addition before the total, and there's no text before or after the 4 lines"]}