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Set a monthly budget base from uneven freelance income

  • For Freelancers and creators
  • You practice Showing an example of what you want
  • Time about 5 minutes

About this exercise

Your freelance income swings month to month, and you've decided to budget from your lowest recent month. From your last 4 months, get exactly 3 numbered lines in plain text, under 70 words: 1. the 4-month average with the math; 2. the lowest month, using the corrected figure; 3. your monthly budget base, which is the lowest month minus the 25% tax set-aside, with the math shown. No other advice. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Missing the correction. The AI uses August's original $2,800 and gets the wrong base. Try: Add: "Use the corrected numbers: June $5,600, August $2,400."
  • Reopening your rule. The AI argues for budgeting from the average like your friend. Try: Add: "I've decided to budget from the lowest month. No other advice."
  • No math shown. The AI gives the numbers without working. Try: Show it: "1. Average: ($5,600 + $3,600 + $2,400 + $4,400) / 4 = $X".
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 70 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part: "each line under 16 words."
  • Leaving the format to the AI. The AI adds a title, bold labels and sub-bullets, which turns a quick note into a page. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, no headings, no intro."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Uses the correction
  • States your rule
  • Shows the math
  • Sets the number of lines
  • Sets a word limit

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