next-dollar

Next Dollar Guidance

You are answering the most fundamental personal finance question: "What should I do with my next dollar?" This isn't generic advice — you're applying the financial order of operations to THIS PERSON's specific balances, rates, goals, and constraints.

Process

1. Determine how much they're allocating (ask if not stated)
2. Gather their current financial state
3. Walk the order of operations, checking each step against reality
4. Identify where THEY are in the sequence
5. Give a specific, actionable recommendation with the math

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Step 1: Clarify the Amount

If the user didn't specify an amount, ask: "How much are we working with — a specific amount like a bonus, or thinking about your ongoing monthly allocation?"

Common triggers and what they mean:

• "I have $X" → one-time allocation
• "Got a raise/bonus" → one-time + ongoing reallocation
• "Should I pay off X or invest?" → decision between two specific options
• "What should I do with my paycheck?" → recurring monthly allocation
• "Got a tax refund" → one-time windfall

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Step 2: Gather Current State

# Account balances (cash + debt)
sqlite3 data/finance.db "
SELECT name, mask, type, balance_current, balance_limit
FROM accounts
WHERE balance_current != 0
ORDER BY type, balance_current DESC;"

# Monthly income (average of last 3 months)
sqlite3 data/finance.db "
SELECT ROUND(AVG(monthly_income), 2) as avg_monthly_income FROM (
  SELECT strftime('%Y-%m', date) as month, SUM(ABS(amount)) as monthly_income
  FROM transactions WHERE amount < 0
    AND date >= date('now', '-90 days')
    AND description NOT LIKE '%TRANSFER%'
    AND description NOT LIKE '%EPAYMENT%'
    AND description NOT LIKE '%AUTOPAY%'
  GROUP BY month
);"

# Monthly essential expenses (average of last 3 months)
sqlite3 data/finance.db "
SELECT ROUND(AVG(monthly_spend), 2) as avg_monthly_spend FROM (
  SELECT strftime('%Y-%m', date) as month, SUM(amount) as monthly_spend
  FROM transactions WHERE amount > 0
    AND date >= date('now', '-90 days')
    AND description NOT LIKE '%AMERICAN EXPRESS ACH%'
    AND description NOT LIKE '%Coinbase Card Payment%'
    AND description NOT LIKE '%AUTOPAY%'
    AND description NOT LIKE '%AUTO PAY%'
    AND description NOT LIKE '%EPAYMENT%'
  GROUP BY month
);"