Summarize payables for an owner: overdue, due within 7 days, later

About this exercise

You're writing a Friday payables snapshot for the owner, Joan, as of Nov 6, 2026. Write a prompt for plain text with lines starting "Overdue:", "Due within 7 days:" and "Later:". Overdue lists each bill with days overdue and a total. Due within 7 days means on or before Nov 13 and also gets a total. Show the addition. Under 80 words. No bullets or numbering.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Moving Tallis to later. The AI uses Beth's verbal note and treats Tallis as due Nov 10. Try: Add: "Judge by the due dates shown, not by verbal promises."
• Missing days overdue. The AI lists overdue bills without days. Try: Say: "Each overdue bill with its days overdue as of Nov 6."
• No totals. The AI lists bills without adding them. Try: Add: "Then the total with the addition."
• 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 line short.

What a strong prompt includes

• Names the three lines
• Asks for days overdue
• Gives the window
• Asks for totals
• Uses due dates only

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