These are the 7 best ways to use ChatGPT before you buy anything on Black Friday, from choosing what’s actually worth buying to auditing your final purchases

It seems like in recent years, Black Friday sales happen a whole lot sooner than the actual day we all expect them to hit our timelines.Instead of rushing out of the house as soon as it hits midnight while my Thanksgiving dinner is still digesting, I just have to keep an eye out for all the early online deals in the weeks leading up to that cost-effective holiday. The likes of Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart and Target are already posting up their biggest discounts, which have compelled me to set up an alert with Meta Muse whenever any ones geared toward video games go live.But before I decide to go all-in on any Black Friday purchase, I’ve promised myself to tag in ChatGPT as my online shopping assistant to do a few things first. And with the following methods, fitting prompts and a bit of outside research, you’ll have a much easier time navigating the bargain-filled waters of Black Friday.From choosing what’s actually worth purchasing to doing a final audit of everything you’re planning to buy, these are the best ways to use ChatGPT before you spend a single dime on Black Friday.1. Decide what’s actually worth buying(Image credit: Shutterstock)For the past couple of years, my Black Friday wishlist has been dominated by OLED TVs, gaming headsets, kitchen appliances (I’ve been in the market for a soda maker for far too long…) and anything else that requires it to be plugged in. But once I actually look over that list and consider what’s worth adding to my already crowded bedroom that’s ruled by every piece of consumer tech you can think of, I start to wonder if I really need all of the items I’m hoping get a major Black Friday sale. ChatGPT can come in to help during this sort of conundrum by helping you decide what items on your wishlist are worth a purchase and which ones should be skipped entirely. This prompt should make your final Black Friday purchasing decisions a lot easier to deal with:Here’s my Black Friday wishlist: [list of items]. My total budget is [dollar amount], and I already own [list of items]. Ask me [number] questions about what I actually need, then rank my list into buy, consider, and skip. Explain your reasoning.2. Check whether a discount is a real deal(Image credit: Shutterstock)Coming across a major price drop for something you’ve been eyeing for a good while hits all the right happiness sensors in my brain. But it’s always good to snap out of that optimistic mode and be more of a realist to see if that price is really that good of a deal. ChatGPT can step in to check whether the advertised Black Friday sale price you’ve come across is really a steal or if that newly discounted price isn’t as great as it’s being marketed. Doing some price-drop digging with this prompt could propel you to look for a better deal on your most wanted Black Friday item:This exact model [number or product link] is advertised at [dollar amount], supposedly down from [dollar amount]. Search for documented price history and previous sale prices. Is this unusually cheap or a routine discount? Cite dated sources and say what you couldn’t verify.3. Find the cheapest model that meets your needs(Image credit: Shutterstock)I’m prone to balling out on Black Friday, which is a bad habit I’m trying to leave in the past this year. To the point where I’m going to try to stay under $200 while I pick up the discounted items I really need. So, for the types of items that have the best practical uses in my kitchen and mancave, I’ll look up specific products I’ve been keeping a close eye on while also considering cheaper options that may fulfill the same uses as my wish-listed goods. The following prompt is worth using if you’re approaching your future Black Friday sales from the same viewpoint:I’m buying a [product name] for [list of specific uses], with a maximum budget of [dollar amount]. Identify my must-have specifications, then compare three suitable options. Include a cheaper or previous-generation alternative and explain what I would actually sacrifice.4. Calculate the cost beyond the sale price(Image credit: Shutterstock)For those items that require spending a whole lot more than just the initial entry price, it’s good to know what else you might be putting money toward when that item comes into your possession. Printers, coffee makers, video game consoles and mobile phones immediately come to mind as the products that reach into your pocket for additional charges. Subscriptions, required accessories, replacement parts, delivery and possible installation of said devices spring up as the type of charges I’m alluding to. Putting the following ChatGPT prompt to good use during Black Friday should give you a clearer picture of everything you’ll possibly be paying for beyond the entry fee for whatever you’re considering buying:Compare the first-year and three-year costs of these products: [links]. Include required accessories, subscriptions, replacement supplies, shipping, and installation where relevant. Separate optional extras from necessities and label estimates.5. Look for recurring problems in reviews(Image credit: Shutterstock)I love to go digging for product reviews on Reddit since I feel like the takes on there are usually pretty reliable. Anyone who takes the time out of their day to pen a 2000+-word review of their new SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro gaming headset for free in a dedicated headphone subreddit has to be reliable, right? The same goes for folks who list out all the pros, cons and accompanying pics of whatever product they chose to say a few words about in the Amazon reviews section. The following prompt should do you a lot of good when it’s time to see if the Black Friday item you’re planning to buy is highly rated or a total bust that comes with a serious cause of buyer’s remorse:Research independent reviews and owner feedback for [exact model name or product link]. Identify recurring complaints, long-term reliability concerns, and the strongest positives. Distinguish measured test results from anecdotes, cite sources, and explain who should avoid this product.6. Decode the product’s seller, warranty and return conditions(Image credit: Shutterstock)There are those instances where you come across a price that may be a bit too good to be true once Black Friday sales start taking over your timeline. That highly discounted price may carry some factors that you may have never considered before, such as its actual seller (even if it’s being sold through a major online retailer), its condition (new or refurbished) and everything that comes with its return policy. Putting the next prompt into ChatGPT should help you get a better understanding of what you’re planning to pick up and what catches (if any) may be attached to it:Review this listing and its policies: [links or text]. Identify who sells and ships it, its condition, warranty coverage, return deadline, return shipping costs, restocking fees, and exclusions. Flag anything unclear that I should confirm before paying.7. Give your final cart a ‘talk me out of it’ audit(Image credit: Shutterstock)Before hitting that checkout button, it might be worth taking one last look at your digital cart full of Black Friday goodies and seeing if you need everything or could do without a few of them. Presenting your cart to ChatGPT and asking it to consider the biggest arguments against actually getting anything inside it is worth a shot. Sometimes you just need a second opinion to talk you out of buying yet another set of kitchen utensils or a blender just because it’s heavily discounted (and because you probably have one already and just want a new one). Take this final prompt to ChatGPT and let it help you take a closer look at your Black Friday cart to reconsider what you’re buying:Audit this cart: [items and prices]. My budget is [dollar amount], and my priorities are [priorities]. Make the strongest practical case against each purchase. Flag duplicate functions, compatibility issues, and unnecessary extras. Recommend a final cart within budget, allowing me to buy nothing.Final thoughtsWe’re nowhere near Black Friday, but a whole slew of sales have begun littering everyone’s inboxes and timelines in the weeks ahead of that consumer-friendly holiday. With ChatGPT in your corner as a digital shopping assistant, you can use any of the aforementioned prompts to let it help you shop smarter. Gather the evidence the chatbot has presented to you, do a bit of research of your own to check if its claims are factual and make your Black Friday purchasing decisions from there. Going the extra mile to use AI to help you comprehend what you’re considering buying on Black Friday is certainly worth doing this year and beyond, once you recognize how helpful it can be.More from Tom’s GuideThese are the 7 most vital AI terms beginners (and even power users) should know, from large language models to tokensAre you bored? 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