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Build a bare-bones monthly budget from your statements

  • For Job seekers
  • You practice Showing an example of what you want
  • Time about 5 minutes

About this exercise

You were laid off and want to know your must-pay monthly costs while you look for work. From last month's bank statement, list only the essential bills as numbered lines like "1. Rent: $1,150", leaving out one-time and optional spending, then a Total line with the addition shown, then a line saying how many months your $6,400 savings covers, with the division shown. Under 100 words, plain text. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Counting everything you spent. The AI totals the whole statement, including the concert and gift, so the monthly number is too high. Try: Add: "Only must-pay bills. Leave out one-time and optional spending."
  • Not showing one line. The AI picks a table or categories, which breaks in plain text and hides the math. Try: Show it: "Format each line like: 1. Rent: $1,150".
  • Missing the notes. The AI adds up each grocery trip separately or drops the student loan the notes say to keep. Try: Add: "Groceries as one $400 line. Keep the student loan."
  • No runway line. The AI stops at the budget and never answers how long your savings last. Try: Add: "Last line: $6,400 / total = months covered."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 100 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part: "each line under 8 words, nothing after the last line."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Keeps only essentials
  • Shows an example line
  • Asks for the runway
  • Shows the math
  • Sets a word limit

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