The prompt
Explain this month's budget variances: [paste account, budget, actual rows]. For each line: the variance and an explanation using only this context: [paste what you know]. If the context does not explain a line, mark it NEEDS SOURCE - do not invent a reason.What to bring
Explaining variances means hunting through the ledger for what moved, then writing the same overspend paragraph for the fifth month running.
What a good run returns
Account, budget, actual, variance, source and a written explanation per line, in a Google Sheet in a Finance Budget & Variance Workspace folder.
Where the free version ends
A prompt runs when you remember to run it, from whatever context you paste, and it forgets the rules between sessions. The Budget & Variance Agent ($19 one-time) installs this as a standing workflow: fixed evidence rules, a saved output in your own Drive every run, fictional-data testing before real work, and hard stops before anything sends, spends or publishes. More detail on the budget variance analysis guide.
Questions people ask
Is this prompt really free?
Yes. Copy it, paste it into any capable assistant, bring the inputs listed. No signup, no email gate.
Which assistants does the prompt work in?
Any capable chat assistant: Instinct, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Hermes, OpenClaw, Town, Muse and others.
What is the difference between the free prompt and the $19 agent?
The prompt is a one-off: you re-paste the rules every run. The $19 agent is the same job productized - tested setup, saved files, consistent output, standing cycle.
Last updated 13 September 2026 · Reviewed by the AI Agent Skills team.