{"id":"wri-fin-explain-per-diem","audience":"finance","category":"explaining","technique":"examples","title":"Explain a travel meal allowance with the traveler's own trip","free":false,"task":"A first-time traveler asked how much she can spend on meals for her 3-day trip. Explain under 70 words, plain text, with the math for her trip on its own line, using the current daily rate and the travel-day rule. End with what she does NOT need to do (keep meal receipts). No jargon ('per diem', 'M&IE', 'GSA', 'incidentals'). Write a prompt that gets that.","materialLabel":"Her question and the travel policy (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"SLACK from Hannah Lee: First work trip! Chicago, Tue-Thu next week. How much can I spend on food? Do I need to keep receipts?\n\nTRAVEL POLICY (Brightpath Insurance, 2026)\n- Meal allowance: a flat daily amount, paid with your expense report. No meal receipts needed.\n- Chicago rate: $80 per day. (The 2025 policy listed $74; updated Jan 1.)\n- First and last travel days: 75% of the daily rate.\n- Hannah's trip: Tue (travel day), Wed (full day), Thu (travel day).\n- If a client buys a meal, subtract it ($16 breakfast, $20 lunch, $44 dinner).\n- Hotel and flights are booked by the travel team separately.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":70},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"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: \"3 sentences under 16 words plus one math line.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Old rate, no travel-day rule","why":"The AI may use the old $74 rate or give $80 x 3.","fix":"Say it: \"$80 a day; travel days are 75%, so $60.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"No math for her trip","why":"The AI explains the policy but doesn't total her three days.","fix":"Add: \"Math line: $60 + $80 + $60 = $200.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Jargon and a missed answer","why":"AI uses \"per diem\" and \"M&IE\" and forgets she asked about receipts.","fix":"Add: \"End: you don't need meal receipts. No per diem, M&IE, GSA or incidentals. Plain text.\"","checks":["r2","plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]},{"label":"Uses the current rate","patterns":["\\$?80","current rate"]},{"label":"Shows the math","patterns":["math","\\$?200","own line"]},{"label":"Answers the receipt question","patterns":["receipt"]},{"label":"Bans jargon","patterns":["per diem","jargon","m&ie"]}],"hint":"A new traveler wants a number for her trip. Give the AI the current rate, the travel-day rule, the math and the receipt answer.","rubricLabels":["Uses the current Chicago rate of $80 a day (not $74) and the travel-day rule (75%, $60 on Tue and Thu)","Shows the math on its own line: $60 + $80 + $60 = $200","Ends by saying she doesn't need to keep meal receipts, and uses none of these: per diem, M&IE, GSA, incidentals"]}