Six weeks of running my own AI assistant on a small VPS
This isn’t a recommendation. It’s a report, including the parts that went badly — the free tier that couldn’t hold the context, the OAuth grind, and the backups I added too late.
Category: Tutorial
56 entries
The month-end close used to eat an afternoon. Now it’s a button.
For about three years, the last working day of every month looked the same. It took three to five hours and required no thought whatsoever. Here is how that stopped.
I tried to let an AI post to my own blog. It took four dead ends to get there.
I own the server. I own the domain. I have the admin password. And for most of a Thursday evening, I could not get an AI assistant to publish a single word to my own website.
5 Ways I Use AI to Automate Boring Office Work
I work in accounting, which means a large part of my month used to be spent on repetitive tasks: copying figures between spreadsheets, splitting PDFs, chasing payments, and drafting the same kinds of emails over and over. Over the past year, AI has quietly taken over most of that. Here are five real ways I […]
ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini in 2026: Which One Should You Use?
The three biggest names in AI chatbots today are ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), and Gemini (Google). All three are excellent, all three have free tiers, and all three claim to be the best. So which one should you actually use? Having used all three regularly, here is my honest, practical comparison for everyday users. ChatGPT: […]
How to Write Better AI Prompts: 7 Techniques That Actually Work
If you have ever asked ChatGPT or Claude a question and received a vague, generic answer, the problem is usually not the AI. It is the prompt. The way you ask determines the quality of what you get back. After using AI tools daily for everything from writing emails to building Excel macros, here are […]
What Is an AI Agent? A Plain-English Explanation
“AI agent” is the hottest phrase in technology right now, but most explanations are either too vague or too technical. Here is the plain-English version. Chatbot vs Agent: The Key Difference A chatbot answers questions. You ask, it replies, and that is the end of it. An AI agent takes actions. Instead of just telling […]
Free AI Tools for Students and Beginners in 2026
You do not need a paid subscription to start using AI seriously. The free tiers of today’s AI tools are genuinely capable, and for students or anyone just starting out, they cover almost everything. Here is a practical starter kit, organized by what you actually need to do. For Questions, Writing, and Study Help Start […]
15 Best AI Tools for Students in 2026: Study Smarter, Not Harder
Introduction Artificial intelligence is transforming education by helping students learn faster, stay organized, and improve their academic performance. Whether you’re in school, college, or university, AI tools can simplify research, explain difficult…
50 Best ChatGPT Prompts You Should Try in 2026
Introduction One of the biggest secrets to getting amazing results from ChatGPT is knowing how to ask the right questions. The better your prompt, the better the AI’s response. Whether you’re a…