Build a simple monthly budget

beginner⏱ Rough guide only: 1–2 hours

Last reviewed by Amara Lewis

How can AI help me make a budget?

Tell ChatGPT or Claude your take-home pay, regular costs and one goal, and ask for a simple monthly budget table plus three realistic ways to cut back. It's quick and judgement-free; remove account numbers and treat it as a guide, not financial advice.

Copy-and-paste prompt

Swap the bits in [square brackets] for your own details.

Help me build a simple monthly budget. My take-home pay is [amount and currency]. My regular costs are: [rent/mortgage, bills, transport, subscriptions etc. with amounts]. My goal is [e.g. save £200 a month / pay off a card]. Use a 50/30/20-style approach adapted to my numbers, show it as a table, and suggest 3 realistic places to cut back.

How to do it

  1. Open ChatGPT or Claude and start a new chat.
  2. Copy the prompt below and replace everything in [square brackets] with your details.
  3. Read the answer and ask follow-up questions to adjust it.
  4. Save or print the result you're happy with.

What a good answer looks like

Illustrative example written by the AI My Day team to show the kind of answer you can expect. Real results vary.

Take-home: £2,400 | Category | Amount | % | | Needs (rent, bills, travel, food) | £1,380 | 58% | | Wants (eating out, subscriptions) | £540 | 22% | | Savings & debt | £480 | 20% | Goal: £200/month savings → covered, with £280 extra towards the credit card. 3 cuts: 1) switch the gym to off-peak (–£12), 2) pause one streaming service (–£11), 3) batch-cook two lunches a week (–£40).

Recommended tools

Turns messy numbers into a clear plan you can actually follow.

ChatGPT

A general-purpose AI assistant you can chat to by typing, talking or sharing photos.

Free planbeginner

Claude

An AI assistant known for clear, natural writing and handling long documents.

Free planbeginner

Top tips

  • Don't share bank login details or account numbers with any AI tool.

Frequently asked questions

Should I share my bank details?

No. Use rounded amounts and never paste account numbers or passwords.

Is this financial advice?

No. For debt or big decisions, speak to a free, regulated advice service in your country.

Useful sources

Related ideas

💷 Money

Understand a confusing money term or letter

Rough guide only: 30 minutes

💷 Money

Find and cut subscriptions you don't use

Rough guide only: 1 hour

💷 Money

Make a plan to pay off debt

Rough guide only: 30 minutes to set up

💷 Money

Write a complaint to get a refund

Rough guide only: 20–30 minutes

← More on budgeting · All money ideas