Try it this weekend: 10 AI prompts for everyday life
From Paul Gravette · Free guide
I'm Paul Gravette. 25+ years entrepreneurial background, 16+ years private equity investor, family office. I do my homework before I move, and I've found AI is most useful on the small, annoying jobs that eat a Saturday. Here are ten I'd hand to any AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or similar). Paste a prompt, fill in the [brackets], and check the answer before you act on it.
Ground rules:
- Don't paste passwords, full account numbers or medical record numbers.
- AI can be wrong. Treat the answer as a smart first draft and verify anything that involves money, health or law.
1. Find the subscriptions you forgot about
Here is a list of charges from my last 3 months of bank and card statements: [paste merchant names and amounts, no account numbers]. Group the recurring charges, total them per month and per year, flag anything that looks like a duplicate or a free trial that turned paid, and tell me which ones are usually easy to cancel and how.
2. Get money back for a delayed or cancelled flight
My flight [airline, flight number, date, route] was [delayed X hours / cancelled]. I was told [reason given]. Explain in plain English what compensation or refund I may be entitled to under the rules that apply to this route, what I need to keep as evidence, and draft a short, polite claim email to the airline. Mark anything you're unsure about.
3. Make sense of a confusing bill or letter
Here is the text of a bill/letter I received: [paste, remove personal ID numbers]. Summarize it in 5 bullet points: what it is, what they want from me, by when, what happens if I do nothing, and 3 questions I should ask them. Then draft a short reply asking for clarification.
4. Plan a week of dinners from what's already in the kitchen
I have these ingredients: [list]. There are [number] of us, one person [any dietary need]. Plan 5 weeknight dinners that take under 30 minutes, reuse ingredients to cut waste, and give me a single shopping list for what's missing, grouped by store section.
5. Prepare for a doctor's appointment
I have an appointment about [symptom or condition, in general terms]. Help me prepare: list the questions I should ask, what information the doctor will likely want from me (timeline, medications, history), and a one-page note I can bring. Don't diagnose me; help me have a better conversation.
6. Decide between two big purchases
I'm choosing between [option A] and [option B] for [purpose]. My budget is [amount] and what matters most is [priorities]. Build a simple comparison table (cost over 5 years, key pros and cons, risks), then tell me which you'd pick for my priorities and what would change that answer.
7. Turn a messy goal into a 30-day plan
I want to [goal, e.g., get back into running / learn basic Spanish / save $2,000]. I have about [time] per week. Make a realistic 30-day plan with small weekly steps, one way to measure progress each week, and what to do if I fall behind.
8. Write the hard message
Help me write a [text/email] to [person and relationship] about [situation]. I want to be [honest / firm / kind] and keep the relationship. Give me 3 versions: short, medium, and one that is warmer. Point out anything in my draft that could land badly: [paste your draft if you have one].
9. Learn anything in an evening
Teach me the basics of [topic] in 30 minutes. Start with a plain-English summary, then the 5 ideas that matter most, then 3 common misconceptions, then a 5-question quiz with answers at the end. Assume I'm smart but new to this.
10. Your own "what's coming" briefing
I work as [job] in [industry] and live in [city/region]. Based on what is publicly known today, what are 3 ways AI is likely to change my work and daily life between now and 2030? For each, give one thing I could start doing this month to be ready. Separate what's already happening from what is a forecast.
One more thing. On X I share calm, evidence-first ideas about the road to 2030: what's changing, what I'm betting on, and how to grow with it. No hype, no stock calls. — Paul
paulgravette.com · x.com/Paul_Gravette
These prompts are general information, not financial, medical or legal advice.