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Sort a month of bank charges into family budget categories
Practice: Catching mistakes and made-up facts. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You and your partner review spending every month. From the bank export, write exactly 4 numbered lines (Groceries, Dining out, Kids activities, Subscriptions), each showing the charges added up, then one unnumbered last line: Total spending: $X. Refunds reduce their category, a savings transfer isn't spending, plain text, under 90 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not saying how to treat refunds. The AI counts the canceled camp deposit as real spending. Try: Add: "Refunds subtract from their category."
- Counting the savings transfer. The AI sees -$300 and calls it spending. Try: Add: "The transfer to savings is not spending. Leave it out."
- Not asking to see the work. Bare totals are hard to check against the statement. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. Groceries: 142 + 118 + 96 + 131 = $487"
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 16 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in a shared notes app. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Names the categories
- Handles refunds
- Leaves out the transfer
- Asks to show the math
- Asks for plain text
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