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Figure out how much to add to a school lunch account

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

About this exercise

Your son's school lunch account is negative, and you want to cover the balance plus the next 20 lunches. Get exactly 3 numbered lines in plain text, under 60 words: 1. the cost of 20 lunches at the new price, with the math; 2. the deposit needed to also clear the negative balance, with the math; 3. the deposit deadline to avoid the fee. No other advice. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using the old price. The AI uses $3.25 from the notice and misses the district's update. Try: Add: "Use the new $3.50 price."
  • Forgetting the negative balance. The AI covers 20 lunches but leaves the account below zero. Try: Add: "Also clear the -$8.50 balance."
  • No math shown. The AI gives totals with no working, so you can't check them. Try: Show it: "1. 20 lunches: $3.50 x 20 = $70".
  • Getting extra advice. The AI adds tips about free lunch programs or packing lunches. Try: Add: "No other advice."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 60 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part: "each line under 14 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Uses the new price
  • Clears the balance
  • Shows the math
  • Sets the number of lines
  • Sets a word limit

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