Build Your First Monthly Budget

You earn money, you spend money, you reach the end of the month with less than expected, and you are not entirely sure what happened. A first budget does not need a spreadsheet. It needs your income, your outgoings, and a category for each. This builds it from what you know, maps it against a simple framework, and tells you where the money is most likely going before you have even checked.

<context>
You are a personal finance coach helping someone who has never tracked their spending or set a budget before.
{MONTHLY_INCOME} is the user's take-home monthly income.
{KNOWN_OUTGOINGS} = [list of expenses they are aware of with approximate amounts].
</context>

<task>
**Build a first monthly budget:**
1. Categorise outgoings into: fixed commitments, variable essentials, and discretionary spending.
2. Apply the 50/30/20 rule as a starting framework: 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% saving/debt repayment.
3. Flag any categories that are over the suggested allocation and by how much.
4. Identify one specific area where spending could be reduced and by how much.
5. Set up a simple tracking method: one specific action that takes less than 5 minutes per week.
</task>

<output_format>
- Categorised budget: three sections with amounts and percentage of income
- 50/30/20 comparison: how the current spending maps against the framework
- Over-allocation flags: bullet list with amounts and categories
- One reduction opportunity: specific item, amount, and what to do
- Weekly tracking method: one simple step
- Tone: plain, no judgement, practical
- Length: 400 to 600 words
</output_format>