That estimate sitting on your counter is probably wrong. AI can tell you how wrong in about three minutes.

March 19, 2026

By Kim Komando

Here’s how the game works. A mechanic, contractor, landscaper, plumber or hospital billing department writes you an estimate. It looks official. It has line items and totals. You have no idea if any of it is fair. 

They know that. So they charge what they think they can get. 

♟️ Ruin their bold strategy

My landscaper quoted me $900 for eight cactuses. Something felt off. I couldn’t have told you exactly what or why. Just that feeling in your gut that says: nope.

🗣️ So I opened ChatGPT voice mode, turned on my camera and walked down the row. Three minutes later, I had a full breakdown by cactus. Turns out there were $20 plants in that mix. Not rare specimens. Not hard-to-source varieties. I never would have known that without the camera. I showed my landscaper what I found. He’s adding more plants at his own cost. 

Here’s precisely how I did it:

1. Open ChatGPT on your phone and tap the headphone icon in the bottom right corner to launch voice mode.
2. Once you’re in the voice conversation, tap the camera icon to turn on your live camera feed.
3. Point your camera at whatever you want identified. Hold your hand next to it, or set something familiar nearby, so the AI can judge the size accurately.
4. Ask out loud: “Can you identify what this is and give me a typical retail price range?” Work through each item one by one.
5. At the end, ask: “Based on everything I showed you, what would a fair total price be?”

That’s it. No typing. No googling. You, your phone and a very informed second opinion.

🎯 Use this prompt

The best negotiating tool isn’t confidence. It’s homework. For estimates without physical items to inspect, open ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok and paste this:

You are a consumer advocate with deep expertise in auto repair, home services and medical billing. I just received this estimate: [paste the full estimate here]. Please: (1) Flag any line items that seem overpriced compared to typical market rates in [my city], (2) Identify any charges that are unnecessary for the job described or that could reasonably be deferred, (3) Give me the exact words to say when I call back to negotiate, (4) Tell me the one question this provider is hoping I never think to ask.

That fourth question is the one. Every time.

And before you think this only applies to landscaping: Medical billing errors appear in an estimated 80% of hospital invoices, according to Medical Billing Advocates of America. The average overcharge runs $1,300 per patient. That is not a rounding error. That’s a car payment. Going straight to someone who didn’t earn it.

🔧 Your move this week

1. Find any estimate you have sitting around. Contractor quote, dentist bill, hospital invoice. Old ones count, too.
2. If it involves physical items, plants, parts or products, use ChatGPT voice mode with your camera. Hold something next to it for scale. Let it identify what you’re looking at.
3. Paste written estimates into the prompt above. Walk back in with the questions. You’re not being difficult. You’re being informed. Very different things.

The AI didn’t just save me money. It showed me exactly what I was buying. That’s the part nobody talks about. 

Done.