A student who'd never stuck with budgeting apps had Claude build a full budget spreadsheet, then set up a Claude Project with the template and instructions. Now they type things like 'bought matcha, spent this on the commute' from their phone and Claude categorises each item, asks when unsure, and returns the updated sheet.
You're helping me track my spending in the attached spreadsheet. Each time I tell you what I've spent or earned, add a row to the Transactions sheet with the date, amount and the right category from [YOUR CATEGORIES]. If you're not sure of a category, ask me first. Today is [DATE]: [WHAT YOU SPENT].
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Ask Claude to create a simple budget spreadsheet with your categories and a summary sheet.
- Set up a Claude Project, upload the spreadsheet and add the instructions above.
- Message it each time you spend money, and check the totals against your bank statement now and then.
More money use cases
Get through an insurance claim portal with ChatGPT’s help
Faced with an insurance claim where the only contact route was an upload portal, one user had ChatGPT walk them through it, including getting an itemised receipt and writing a short covering note, rather than giving up and paying themselves.
I need to claim on my [TYPE OF] insurance for [WHAT HAPPENED/TREATMENT] costing [AMOUNT]. My insurer is [NAME]. Walk me through the claim step by step: what documents I need, how to find the right form or portal, what to write in each section, and what to do if it is rejected.
Use ChatGPT scripts to cut your broadband and energy bills
A finance writer asked ChatGPT for negotiation scripts. Reading one word for word saved her £156 a year on broadband, and a tariff review with her energy supplier led to a switch worth an estimated £626 a year.
Act as my bill-negotiation coach. I'm with [PROVIDER] for [BROADBAND/ENERGY], paying [AMOUNT], and I'm [HAPPY/UNHAPPY] with the service because [REASON]. Better deals I've found: [DEALS]. Write 1) a short phone script asking them to match or beat that deal, 2) an email asking for a review of my tariff based on my usage of [USAGE], and 3) what to say if they refuse.
Find out why your electricity bill jumped with Claude
Puzzled by unusually high electricity bills, a Hacker News user downloaded their 15-minute usage data from the supplier, told Claude what appliances the household had and when they're used, and had it build a simple dashboard. They say it helped pin down the problem and showed ways to cut the bills further.
I've attached my electricity usage data from [SUPPLIER] for [PERIOD]. At home we have [APPLIANCES, E.G. WASHER-DRYER, ELECTRIC CAR, HEAT PUMP], usually used [WHEN]. We're on [TARIFF]. Look for patterns: when usage spikes, what's on overnight, and what's changed recently. Tell me the most likely causes and the three changes that would save the most.
Reference: XDA Developers