Like millions of Americans, I struggle with budgeting. I know I should be better with money — and frankly, as a writer at a financial website, I should have no excuse. But still, I have plenty of them. I will say that between juggling multiple income streams and trying to keep track of expenses across different categories, my financial planning often feels chaotic (and that’s on a good day).
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So, when I found myself with a few extra minutes and a curiosity about AI’s capabilities, I decided to try something different: I fed my entire June budget breakdown to ChatGPT and asked for a comprehensive review. Here’s what it told me to keep doing — and, more importantly, what it told me to change.
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My Financial Reality Check
First, let me give you the numbers. In June, my family and I brought in $15,450 across various income sources and spent $11,594.31, leaving us with a surplus of $3,855.69. On paper, that sounds great, right? I’m living below my means and have money left over.
But ChatGPT immediately zeroed in on something I’d been ignoring: What was I actually doing with that surplus?
The answer was not a ton. And that, according to my AI financial advisor, was my biggest problem.
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The Big Wake-Up Call: Your Surplus Needs a Purpose
“Your net income surplus isn’t allocated toward savings,” ChatGPT pointed out, very bluntly, I might add. “Even small, regular deposits into emergency fund, retirement accounts (IRA/401k), or brokerage investments will build security and long-term wealth.”
The recommendation was to allocate at least $1,000-$2,000 per month from my surplus toward actual savings goals. This hit me hard because while I do have some investments, I was treating my leftover money as just that — leftover money for me to spend.
ChatGPT suggested specific places to put this money:
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Emergency fund
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Retirement accounts
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High-yield savings for future goals
This is basic stuff, but it’s never a bad idea to put better savings and investing plans in place.
Income Transparency Issues
Another area ChatGPT flagged was my mysterious income categories. I had listed “Husband’s miscellaneous income” at $2,800, and the AI called me out on this lack of clarity.
“For more accurate planning, break these into categories (e.g. freelance, royalties, reimbursements),” it suggested. “If these are unreliable, treat them as bonus income for savings, not for covering core expenses.”
This was actually brilliant advice. I’d been counting on these somewhat unpredictable income streams to cover my regular expenses, which could leave me in trouble during months when they don’t come through.
Category-by-Category Reality Checks
ChatGPT looked at my budget broken down by category to give me further insights.
Housing: Missing the Hidden Costs
My housing category was $3,738.61, which seemed reasonable for my situation. But ChatGPT noticed I had budgeted $350 for pool/yard maintenance and $250 for general maintenance — money I didn’t actually spend in June.
“If you plan to skip some maintenance tasks or delay yard work, be cautious — deferring upkeep can lead to bigger future costs,” the AI warned. This made me realize I might be creating bigger problems for myself by putting off necessary maintenance.
Daily Living: Some Wins, Some Misses
ChatGPT praised my grocery spending ($408 against a $600 budget) and dining out restraint ($416 against a $700 budget). But it also caught some inconsistencies.
I had budgeted $860 for pet supplies but only spent $208. The AI suggested adjusting future budgets lower unless I expected irregular vet bills. Similarly, I’d budgeted $350 for cleaning services but spent $0 — the AI questioned whether I should remove this category or better track my DIY cleaning time and costs.
Entertainment: Money Left on the Table
I budgeted $395 for entertainment but only spent $123. While this sounds good, ChatGPT pointed out that this unspent money needs to be “redirected, not just forgotten.” The AI suggested creating a separate “fun money” category to better control impulse purchases.
The Redesigned July Budget
Based on its analysis, ChatGPT created a revised July budget for me. The biggest changes:
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Added $2,000 monthly savings allocation broken down into emergency fund ($1,000), retirement ($500) and general savings ($500).
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Adjusted unrealistic categories like cutting pet supplies from $860 to $250 based on actual spending.
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Added maintenance buffers to prevent future costly surprises.
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Clarified income expectations by saying which streams were reliable vs. bonus.
The new budget still left me with about $3,000 in unassigned surplus, but now I had a framework for putting that money to work instead of letting it sit aimlessly in my checking account.
The Most Valuable Advice
Beyond the specific budget recommendations, ChatGPT offered some general principles that really resonated:
“Give Every Dollar a Job”: Before each month starts, assign every dollar to spend, save, invest or pay debt. No money should be unassigned.
“Treat Non-Monthly Expenses as Monthly”: Break annual costs like vet bills or car registration into monthly savings contributions so you’re not surprised by large expenses.
“Automate Everything You Can”: Set up automatic transfers to savings and investments so good financial habits happen without willpower.
What Surprised Me Most
The most surprising part wasn’t that ChatGPT found problems with my budget. I work in finance; I knew it wasn’t perfect. It was how the AI approached the analysis systematically and without judgment.
A human financial advisor might have made me feel bad about not having an emergency fund or might have pushed specific investment products. Of course, that’s generalizing but there was something less embarrassing about admitting it to a computer, as opposed to a person. ChatGPT just looked at the numbers, identified patterns and offered practical suggestions based on my actual spending behavior. No judgment.
Even better: The AI also caught details I’d missed, like the fact that I was consistently underestimating certain categories while overestimating others. I now have a clearer picture about how to budget in the future. The question just remains whether I’ll do it or not — and that’s on me, not ChatGPT.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Let ChatGPT Review My Monthly Budget: Here’s What It Told Me To Change
