Thinking about buying a hydroponic garden, one user asked Claude Cowork to go through his grocery order history across several platforms and add up what he spent on vegetables, to see whether it would pay for itself. He said it worked like a charm.
I'm thinking of buying [GADGET OR SETUP, E.G. AN INDOOR HERB GARDEN] for [PRICE], plus about [RUNNING COSTS] a month. Here's my grocery order history for the last [MONTHS] (attached). Add up what I spent on [ITEMS IT COULD REPLACE], estimate how much of that I could realistically grow myself, and tell me how many months it would take to pay for itself. Be honest if it won't.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Download or screenshot your online grocery orders from the last few months.
- Give them to Claude with the prompt and the price of the thing you’re considering.
- Check the totals against a couple of receipts before you decide.
More money use cases
Spot a wrong charge on a medical bill with ChatGPT
A friend of the poster uploaded her hospital bill to ChatGPT, which picked out an incorrect charge and drafted a dispute letter. The hospital removed the $4,200 charge and marked the account as paid in full.
Here is an itemised bill I've received: [PASTE THE LINE ITEMS, WITH PERSONAL DETAILS REMOVED]. Please 1) explain each line in plain English, 2) flag anything that looks duplicated, unusually priced or inconsistent with [WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY TREATED FOR], and 3) draft a polite letter asking the billing department to review the items you've flagged and send a corrected bill.
Appeal a wrongly issued parking fine with ChatGPT
A York student who had a valid permit gave ChatGPT the details of where and when she was fined and why it was wrong. It wrote a personalised appeal letter in minutes, and the council withdrew the £60 fine.
Please help me write an appeal against a parking fine. Details: reference [PCN NUMBER], issued by [COUNCIL/COMPANY] on [DATE] at [LOCATION]. Why it shouldn't have been issued: [E.G. I HOLD A VALID PERMIT FOR THIS STREET / SIGNS WERE MISSING]. Evidence I can attach: [LIST]. Write a short, polite, factual appeal that states the grounds clearly and asks for the fine to be cancelled.
Get money back for damaged items and poor service with ChatGPT
One parent connected ChatGPT to his Gmail to handle disputes for him. So far it has recovered €100 from an airline for a broken stroller and €108 from a car rental firm for a filthy child seat.
Help me make a claim. Company: [NAME]. What happened: [E.G. MY PUSHCHAIR WAS DAMAGED IN THE HOLD / THE CHILD SEAT WAS DIRTY]. Date and booking reference: [DETAILS]. Evidence: [PHOTOS, RECEIPTS, REPORT NUMBERS]. Draft a clear, polite claim that sets out the facts, says what I want (repair cost, refund or compensation of [AMOUNT]) and asks for a reply within 14 days.
Reference: X @adocomplete