Set up simple record-keeping for my side income
An easy system for tracking side-gig income, expenses, and receipts so tax time and profit checks are painless.
The prompt
Help me set up a simple way to track the money from my side gig.
What I do: [e.g. "tutoring", "Etsy shop", "photography", "rideshare"]
How I get paid: [cash, payment apps, marketplace payouts, invoices]
Typical costs: [supplies, platform fees, mileage, software, equipment]
Number of transactions per month: [ROUGH NUMBER]
Tools I'm comfortable with: [paper notebook / spreadsheet / phone app]
Do I keep side money separate from personal money now? [yes / no]
Give me:
1. A setup checklist: a separate account or card for side income, a receipts folder, and a weekly 15-minute routine.
2. A spreadsheet layout I can copy: columns for Date | Description | Customer or vendor | Category | Income | Expense | Payment method | Receipt saved (Y/N) | Notes. Include 8-10 expense categories suited to my type of work.
3. A simple monthly summary: total income, total expenses, profit, and how much to move to a tax savings account.
4. What records to keep and for how long - marked [CONFIRM WITH TAX GUIDANCE] since rules vary.
5. How to track mileage or home-office use if they apply, as things to check rather than promises they're deductible.
6. Signs I've outgrown this system and should consider accounting software or a bookkeeper.
Keep it minimal - something I'll actually keep up with. This is general information, not tax advice.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Finance & Accounting prompts
What to fill in
- e.g. "tutoring", "Etsy shop", "photography", "rideshare"
- cash, payment apps, marketplace payouts, invoices
- supplies, platform fees, mileage, software, equipment
- ROUGH NUMBER
- paper notebook / spreadsheet / phone app
- yes / no
- CONFIRM WITH TAX GUIDANCE
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RTF structure (Role, Task, Format). RTF tells the model who to be, what to do and what shape the answer should take. It is the quickest structure that still gives noticeably better results than a bare request.
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