{"id":"life-job-severance-runway","audience":"job-seekers","category":"everyday-life","track":"life","technique":"examples","title":"Work out how many months your cash will last","free":false,"task":"You got a severance payment and want to know how long your money lasts while you job hunt. Get exactly 3 numbered lines in plain text, under 70 words: 1. total cash (savings plus the severance you actually received) with the math; 2. months it covers, with the division; 3. the last month it covers, counting from December. No other advice. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"Your severance stub and budget (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"SEVERANCE PAY STATEMENT - Kestrel Analytics (fictional)\nEmployee: Andre Mills | Paid: Nov 14, 2026\nSeverance (8 weeks) ................ $12,000.00\nFederal tax withheld ............... -$2,160.00\nState tax withheld ................. -$420.00\nSocial Security and Medicare ....... -$420.00\nNET DEPOSIT ........................ $9,000.00\n\nMY BUDGET\n- Savings account: $8,000\n- Must-pay costs: $3,400 per month (rent, car, insurance, food, phone, loans)\n- Starting December 1 (November is already paid)\n\nNOTES\n- Recruiter thinks I'll land something by February, but no offer yet.\n- Not counting unemployment benefits until they're approved.\n- Friend says to \"just use the $12,000 number, taxes come back at refund time.\"","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":3},{"type":"maxWords","max":70},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Using the gross amount","why":"The AI sees $12,000 first and adds money that was withheld for taxes.","fix":"Add: \"Use the $9,000 net deposit.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"No math shown","why":"The AI gives totals with no working, so you can't check them.","fix":"Show it: \"2. Months: $17,000 / $3,400 = 5\".","checks":["r1","numberedItems"]},{"title":"Not counting the months","why":"The AI says 5 months without naming when the money runs out.","fix":"Add: \"Line 3: the last month covered, starting from December.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Getting job-search tips","why":"The AI adds advice about cutting costs or applying for benefits.","fix":"Add: \"No other advice.\"","checks":["r2","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 70 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part: \"each line under 16 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Uses the net amount","patterns":["net","\\$?9,?000","take.home","not (the )?gross"]},{"label":"Shows the division","patterns":["divid","/","show.{0,15}(math|work)"]},{"label":"Asks for the last month","patterns":["last month","december","runs out","through"]},{"label":"Sets the number of lines","patterns":["\\b(3|three)\\b.{0,20}(lines?|numbered|items?|steps?)"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Tell the AI which severance number is real, show it the math shape, and ask for the month the money runs out.","rubricLabels":["Line 1 gives total cash as $17,000 using the $9,000 net deposit ($8,000 + $9,000), not the $12,000 gross","Line 2 shows $17,000 / $3,400 = 5 months","Line 3 says the money covers through April 2027 (December to April), and the answer gives no other advice or counts unemployment benefits"]}