Plan an out-of-town interview trip under a $250 budget

About this exercise

You have a final-round interview in another city, and the company pays only your flight. You want a plan for your own costs: exactly 4 numbered lines (hotel, getting around, food, total), each showing its math in dollars, with the total at or under $250, under 80 words, plain text. Count the hotel's extra fee and use only options from your notes. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Not showing the math. The AI gives a final number without the steps, so you can't check it. Try: Add: "Show the math on each line, like '$10.50 x 2 = $21'."
• Missing the hidden fee. The AI uses the headline hotel price and skips the destination fee. Try: Add: "Include all hotel fees and keep the total at or under $250."
• Inventing prices. The AI fills in typical costs for taxis or meals instead of using yours. Try: Add: "Use only options and prices from my notes."
• Letting the AI pick the layout. The AI writes a long budget table with bold headings. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 4 numbered lines: hotel, getting around, food, total. Plain text."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 80 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each line under 14 words."

What a strong prompt includes

• Says how many lines
• Sets the budget
• Asks to show the math
• Mentions the fees
• Stays inside the notes

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