How to use AI to track your spending (without sharing account numbers)

You get paid, and then, a few weeks later, the money is gone. No single thing seems to have taken it. It’s more like it left in small groups, mostly at the grocery store and something called “SQ *COFFEE.”

AI is good at the sorting part: putting a month of transactions into categories and adding them up. In about 30 minutes you’ll know where last month’s money went, without handing over a single account number. You’ll still check the math and decide what, if anything, to change.

A quick note from us: this page is general information to help you organize your own numbers, not financial, investment, or tax advice. If you’re behind on bills or debt feels unmanageable, talk to a nonprofit credit counselor (the National Foundation for Credit Counseling lists member agencies at nfcc.org) or a financial professional. Our editorial policy explains what we do and don’t cover.

What you’ll end up with

A table of last month’s spending by category, with totals you’ve checked yourself, plus a list of recurring charges you might have forgotten about.

Before you start

• One month of transactions. Many banks and card companies let you view or download a list in their app or website; check yours.
• A plain text or spreadsheet copy with only three things per line: the date, the merchant or description, and the amount
• A calculator, or a spreadsheet that can add a column

Step 1: Clean up your list

Before anything goes into a chat, strip it down. If you downloaded a spreadsheet, delete every column except date, description, and amount. If you’re copying from an app, type or paste only those three things. If a description includes part of a card or account number, delete that part too. Don’t connect an AI app or chatbot to your bank account for this, and never give one your bank login. A copied list with three columns is all it needs.

It’s tedious. It’s also the step that keeps your bank details where they belong, which is anywhere but a chat window.

Copy-ready prompts for tracking your spending

The prompts start here: copy each one and swap the [BRACKETS] for your own details.

Step 2: Sort it into categories

What you might get back (example; results vary)

I categorized all 25 transactions using only the descriptions and amounts you provided. Transactions that couldn’t be identified confidently are listed under Unsure.

…

• Groceries: $84.37 + $97.05 + $76.12 + $88.49 = $346.03

…

• Unsure: $22.00 + $60.00 = $82.00

…

Reconciliation: 25 transactions categorized, with every transaction counted exactly once.

ChatGPT, logged out, October 17, 2026

Now add up the grand total yourself, from your original list. If your number and the AI’s don’t match, yours wins. Ask it to “list every transaction in each category” and find the one it dropped or counted twice.

Step 3: Sort out the “Unsure” pile

Bank descriptions are written in a language only banks speak. “PP7731 ONLN” could be anything. Look at the Unsure items yourself, plus any cryptic ones it sorted anyway, and tell the AI where they go: “PP7731 is my kid’s school lunch account. Put it under Other.”

Can’t place one? Search your email for the amount, or look for the receipt. If it’s still a mystery, leave it in Unsure and make a note to watch for it next month.

Step 4: Find the recurring charges

One month only shows you so much. A yearly charge won’t appear, and a monthly one might look like a one-off. Check the list against what you know you pay for.

Step 5: Compare month to month

Next month, do the same thing, then paste both category tables into a new chat.

Think of this guide as step 1: it shows what already happened. Step 2 is planning next month, and our guide to making a monthly budget with AI picks up from here.

When it goes sideways

Most of these take one sentence. The AI is a fast sorter and a shaky accountant, which is why the calculator stays out.

• The totals don’t match yours? Say “Show every transaction in each category with a running total,” and find the gap.
• It put something in the wrong category? Tell it where it goes, and ask for the updated table.
• It started giving financial advice? Say “Only sort and add up my numbers. No advice.”
• The numbers are scary? That’s a reason to talk to a nonprofit credit counselor, not to keep asking the AI.
• It asked for your account details? Don’t give them. Say “I’ll only share dates, descriptions, and amounts.”

Where to go next

• How to use AI to make a monthly budget
• How to use AI to save money on monthly bills
• How to use AI to organize your important documents
• More money guides

Filed under Money and budgeting.