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Every couple of hours, I log in to my bank account apps to see how much money I’m making and how much of it is being spent.
I consider myself a frugal spender who only “balls out” on special occasions (once my birthday comes around, I’m breaking the bank at my favorite rooftop lounge and soul food restaurant!). Even still, I’m always looking for new ways to save for the future through money-saving methods.
With a slew of new prompts detailed in this latest article from Google’s The Keyword, I conducted this experiment and wasn’t all that shocked at the winner of this AI battle of wits.
1. Coming up with a weekly grocery spending budget
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a full fridge. I also like walking into my kitchen and seeing everything I need in my snack bin and cupboards. But with grocery prices what they are these days, I wanted to see which AI could help me budget better on my weekly shopping trip.
I used this prompt with both chatbots:
“My biweekly grocery budget is $175. I like to buy chicken breast, frozen shrimp, vegetables, steak, rice, mashed potatoes, and assorted snacks. Provide a categorized grocery list in a table and estimate the price for each item.”
Gemini immediately reassured me that stretching $175 over two weeks was realistic, as long as I balanced “splurge” items like steak and shrimp with cheaper staples like rice and potatoes. It then delivered a detailed table breaking everything down by category, item, quantity, and estimated cost — and gave me a clear total at the end.
I also liked that Gemini offered practical, tailored tips, including this one about my beloved steak: “To keep this under budget, look for ‘Family Packs’ and freeze what you don’t use. Top Sirloin is usually the best bang for your buck.” It even offered to turn my ingredients into a 14-day meal plan.
ChatGPT gave me a similar chart with the same categories, but it added items I don’t usually buy, like eggs and shredded cheese. Helpful, but not necessary. That said, I appreciated that ChatGPT provided a final total, suggested extra items if I had money left over, and offered to tailor the list to my preferred stores.
Winner: Gemini.
It edged out ChatGPT because I could export the list directly to Google Sheets, the tips felt more customized to my habits, and it explicitly accounted for inflation and current price hikes when building my list.
2. Saving for an expensive getaway
Theme parks give me life. Every couple of years, I need a week in Orlando hopping on roller coasters and pretending I’m a kid again. I did exactly that in 2025 at Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Epic Universe — and I’m already planning to go back this October.
Last time, I spent about $2,500 on the trip, but I know that number will likely creep higher. So I gave both AI chatbots this prompt:
“I want to save $3,000 for a seven-day getaway to Orlando by October. I plan to buy a 3-Park Multi-Day Express Pass for Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Epic Universe. My monthly take-home pay is $3,500, and my monthly expenses are $1,500. Create a 12-month savings roadmap and highlight the biggest risks for overspending.”
Gemini responded with a clear 12-month savings roadmap, estimated costs for the Express Pass (it correctly assumed I’m not waiting in endless lines), and a breakdown of the biggest risks that could derail my plan.
ChatGPT delivered a similar chart, walked me through how things would feel financially month to month, and offered a list of tips to avoid overspending — even suggesting I name my savings account “October Orlando – Do Not Touch,” which I loved.
Winner: Gemini.
Once again, Gemini edged out ChatGPT. I liked that I could export its plan straight into Google Sheets, and that it factored in my biweekly grocery budget when offering saving tips. It also acknowledged that hotel prices tend to spike in October and referenced attractions I actually recognize, which made its advice feel more grounded in reality.
3. Choosing between two financial scenarios
This next prompt came straight from that article in The Keyword — I wanted to see if Gemini would keep its streak going, or if ChatGPT might unexpectedly pull ahead in this final round:
“Compare two scenarios for my 2026 budget. Scenario A: I keep my current car with its $500/month payment. Scenario B: I sell it, buy a used car for cash and invest the $500/month. Show me the difference in my projected earnings.”
Gemini responded with a highly detailed 10-year financial comparison chart that mapped out both scenarios across multiple milestones. It included my car payment over time, projected investment totals if I chose Scenario B, and a breakdown of the opportunity cost of paying versus investing. It also analyzed the risks of switching to a used car and summarized everything in three clear takeaways.
ChatGPT took a slightly different approach. It laid out realistic goals if I chose Scenario B, predicted outcomes for both scenarios in easy-to-read charts, and compared my net financial position side by side. It also layered in a range of additional insights I hadn’t explicitly asked for.
Winner: ChatGPT.
ChatGPT finally got one — and it earned it. Gemini gave me solid numbers and even offered to calculate a break-even point where used-car maintenance might make keeping my current car the better option. But ChatGPT went further by addressing psychological trade-offs, presenting more comprehensive visuals, and offering flexible “what-if” options (like investing only $250 instead of the full $500). That extra context made me feel more confident weighing my decision.
Overall winner: Google Gemini
Google Gemini’s cross-integration with Google Sheets is a godsend when I ever want to export the AI-made charts into a spreadsheet. Plus Google’s AI tool remembered a previous financial point about me and considered it when I wanted advice on how to save up for another dream vacation.
Both Gemini and ChatGPT did their part to present useful breakdowns of my spending/saving plans, practical advice and different options to consider before making a final decision on my current money problems.
In the end, Gemini ultimately proved to be the better digital financial adviser.
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