Budget Builder Skill

Most budgets fail because they're aspirational fiction. This skill builds a realistic monthly budget from someone's actual income and spending — categorized, with a clear surplus-or-shortfall number and a couple of specific moves to fix the gap. It's an educational planning aid, not personalized financial advice.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:

• Monthly take-home income (after tax), and whether it's steady or variable.
• Fixed costs — rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, loan/debt minimums, subscriptions.
• Variable spending — groceries, transport, eating out, fun, shopping (estimates are fine).
• Goals & obligations — emergency fund, debt payoff, saving for something, dependents.

If numbers are rough, work with ranges and say so.

Output Format