Skip to content
TriedPrompts

More in Deals, coupons & price drops. Also fits: Groceries & food delivery.

Find cheaper stores for a month of Target receipts with ChatGPT

WorkedEvidence: Described by posterPosted Last checked

Amanda Caswell uploaded a month of Target receipts to ChatGPT, which found cheaper prices at other stores, saving over $100 in a month.

How to use this

  1. Tap Copy prompt.
  2. Open ChatGPT.
  3. Paste it into the message box.
  4. Send it, then read the answer before acting on it.
New to this? What's a prompt?

A prompt is the message you send to the AI tool. Copy the one on this page, put your own details where it asks, and read the answer before you act on it.

Prompt

Recreated prompt

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote one from what it describes. The result shown is the source's, not ours.

What the prompt labels mean

The person didn't share their exact words, so we wrote this from what they described. We haven't tested it, and they didn't use this exact version.

Here are my Target receipts from the past month. Sort my purchases into categories like groceries, household essentials, personal care and kids' items. Then analyze my spending habits, point out where I might be overspending, and compare the prices of the items on my receipts with Walmart, Costco and Amazon so I can see where to buy each one for less.

Try this in:

ChatGPT Used in sourceGemini Grok Claude

Sends the Recreated prompt shown above. ChatGPT and Grok open with it filled in, and ChatGPT may send it straight away. Gemini and Claude open empty, so we copy the prompt for you to paste. Every button also copies it.

Opens in a new tab. We don't see what you send.

These links are only a shortcut. We're not affiliated with OpenAI, Google, Anthropic or xAI, and your results may not match the source.

Optional stronger version

Our rewrite with extra checks. The poster didn't test it.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Find where my regular purchases are cheaper and how much I could save each month.

Questions to ask me first:
- Which stores and how many weeks of receipts are you sharing?
- Which other stores can you realistically shop at?
- Do you have a warehouse club membership?

Inputs (fill in or confirm):
- Receipts: [PHOTOS OR FILES / DATE RANGE]
- Stores I can use: [STORES NEAR ME / ONLINE]
- Memberships: [COSTCO / SAM'S CLUB / NONE]
- Items I won't switch: [BRANDS I WANT TO KEEP]

Rules:
- Compare the same size or the price per unit, not just the shelf price.
- Say where each price came from and how current it is; tell me to check local prices.
- Count membership fees and delivery costs in any savings.
- Don't count a sale price as a regular saving.

Checkpoint: Show me my spending by category and wait for my OK before you compare prices.

If you get stuck: If you can't find a current price for an item, mark it unknown instead of guessing.

Verify before you finish: Recheck that the monthly savings total adds up from the item list.

Output: A table of item, current store and price, cheaper store and price, and the monthly saving.

Done when: I know which items to buy where and roughly how much I'll save.

AI tool

ChatGPT

Outcome

Amanda Caswell of Tom's Guide, a mom shopping for a family of five, uploaded a month of Target receipts from the Target app to ChatGPT. ChatGPT sorted the purchases into groceries, household essentials, personal care and kids' items, then pointed out patterns such as buying brand names over generics, impulse buys and stocking up early. Asked to compare prices at other retailers, it found a cleaning spray for $3.49 at Walmart instead of $4.99 at Target, the kids' granola bars nearly 20% cheaper in bulk at Costco, and a moisturizer $5 cheaper on sale at Amazon. Caswell switched to a biweekly Costco trip for bulk items and says the changes saved over $100 in the first month. Caswell now does the same with other local grocery stores.

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Source

Posted
by Amanda Caswell (Tom's Guide)
Last checked
Method:
How we verify

https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/chatgpt/i-used-chatgpt-to-optimize-my-shopping-habits-heres-how-im-saving-20-percent-per-trip

Context: The exact prompt isn't quoted, so the prompt here is recreated. The $100 savings are self-reported. Price comparisons depend on ChatGPT's web data, so check local prices. Tom's Guide earns affiliate commissions.

More in Deals, coupons & price drops

Similar cases