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💷 Money & Budgets

Work Out If You Can Actually Afford a Big Purchase

Tempted by a big purchase but not sure if the numbers add up? You'll get a clear, honest breakdown of whether you can realistically afford it — based on your actual income, outgoings, and savings — so you can decide with confidence instead of guesswork.

ChatGPT Claude Gemini
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How to use this prompt

1

Copy the prompt below

2

Replace the bits in [square brackets] with your own details

3

Paste into any AI tool and press send

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If something isn't right, just ask the AI to tweak it

✨ The Prompt — Copy This
I'm thinking about making a big purchase and I want to work out whether I can genuinely afford it. Here are my details:

What I want to buy: [what the purchase is, e.g. a second-hand car, a new sofa, a holiday, home improvements]
How much it costs: £[total cost or estimated range]
How I'd pay for it: [e.g. savings, credit card, finance/loan, a mix]

My monthly income (after tax): £[amount]
My essential monthly outgoings: £[rough total for rent/mortgage, bills, food, transport, etc.]
What I currently have in savings: £[amount]
Any existing debts or monthly repayments: £[amount and what they're for, or "none"]

Anything else relevant: [e.g. I'm expecting a bonus soon, I'd need to pause saving for a few months, I've got a big bill coming up]

Please help me by doing the following:

1. Work out how much spare money I realistically have each month after essentials, and whether this purchase fits comfortably within that.
2. If I'd need to use savings, let me know what percentage of my savings it would use and whether that leaves a sensible safety net.
3. If finance or credit is involved, estimate what the monthly repayments might look like and whether they're manageable alongside my current outgoings.
4. Give me an honest, plain-English verdict — can I afford this comfortably, is it a stretch, or should I wait and save up first?
5. If it's a stretch, suggest a realistic savings plan so I can work towards it without putting myself under pressure.

Keep everything in British English. Use pounds (£) for all figures. Be warm and supportive but honest — like a sensible friend who's good with money.
Top Tip Be as honest as you can with your numbers — even a rough estimate of your monthly outgoings will give you a much more useful answer than a guess.
By The Prompt Toolbox Team