Document A
The Spec Sheet
> for the machine · speed · precision
AI audits your spending pattern and designs the split ratios.
Required
- ChatGPT / Claude
- Your bank's monthly statement (redacted)
- 1
Baseline your reality
Redact and paste 2 months of statements. Prompt: "Categorize this spending, calculate averages, and tell me my top 3 leak categories. Be blunt."
- 2
Design your split
Follow up: "Propose a salary split (needs/wants/future) based on my actual spending, not textbook percentages. I want to save [goal amount] monthly."
- 3
Stress-test it
"What breaks this budget first if rent rises 10%? What's my emergency-fund gap?" Fix the fragile parts now, not in a crisis.
- 4
Automate the moves
Set standing instructions on salary day: auto-transfer to savings/RD, auto-pay bills. Your spending account gets what's left — that's the budget.
EFFICIENCY NOTE: Turns a weekend of spreadsheet guilt into one focused hour with a personalized plan.
Document B
The Worksheet
— for your hands · craft · patience
The envelope method, digitized: separate accounts do the enforcing.
Materials
- 2–3 bank accounts (or one account + one wallet app)
- Standing-instruction access
- One hour on salary day (once)
- 1
Split accounts by job
Account 1: bills & rent. Account 2: daily spending. Account 3: savings — no debit card attached, ideally a different bank so transfers take a day (friction is a feature).
- 2
Automate on salary day
Standing instructions move money the morning it arrives. Bills paid from 1, you spend from 2, you never see 3.
- 3
One number to rule them all
Your only daily job: keep account 2 positive till month-end. No category tracking, no app nagging — one number.
- 4
Monthly 10-minute review
Calendar reminder: check savings grew, check account 2 didn't need a bailout. Adjust next month's split by ₹500 increments, not revolutions.
OLD-HAND TIP: The account you can't see is the account you can't spend. Distance beats discipline every time.