Split a retainer into earned and unearned and write the entry

About this exercise

You're recording October activity on a consulting retainer. Write a prompt for plain text with lines starting "Retainer received:", "Earned in October:", "Unearned balance:", "Entry:" and "Check:". Earned counts billable hours only at the contract rate. Out-of-pocket expenses are billed separately and are not drawn from the retainer. Show the math. Under 80 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Counting all logged hours. The AI bills 20 hours. Try: Say: "Earned counts billable hours only."
• Drawing expenses from the retainer. The AI subtracts the $320. Try: Add: "Expenses are billed separately; leave them out."
• Wrong accounts. The AI debits cash or receivables. Try: Add: "Debit Unearned Revenue 2400; credit Consulting Revenue 4100."
• Missing labels. The AI writes a paragraph. Try: Add: "Five lines with these exact labels."
• Markdown extras. The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits. Try: Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each part short.

What a strong prompt includes

• Names the five lines
• Counts billable hours only
• Excludes expenses
• Names the accounts
• Caps length

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