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Fill in a petty cash count sheet and report the shortage

  • For Small business owners
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

You're counting the petty cash box at a small shop. Write a prompt for a plain-text count sheet with these labels, one per line: "Fund:", "Cash on hand:", "Receipts total:", "Total accounted for:", "Over/short:". Each of the last three shows the math. Count each receipt number once, and report a shortage as is without adjusting or explaining it away. Under 70 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Counting the photocopy. The AI adds the second #4471 receipt and shows $171.30. Try: Say: "Count each receipt number once; a photocopy isn't a second receipt."
  • Wrong shortage. The AI doesn't subtract total accounted for from the fund, or reports it as over. Try: Ask for "fund minus total accounted for, and say short or over".
  • Explaining away the gap. The AI counts Beth's possible loan or books the gap to expense. Try: Add: "Don't adjust the difference or count the unproven loan."
  • 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

  • Lists the five labels
  • Asks for the math
  • Counts receipts once
  • Blocks explaining away
  • Caps length

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