I found £6,000 of savings in 10 MINUTES with two dupe-hunting Google tricks that transform your home, garden & wardrobe
That's why I got a robot to do it for me.
To see if I could save some cash, I set Google 's AI systems to work, hunting for product alternatives, " dupes", and lookalikes.
It managed to track down thousands of pounds of savings in a matter of minutes using a clever combination of free online features.
I used two different tricks – one using Google Gemini and the other using Google Lens.
Gemini is Google's chatbot. You can find it here. It's free and works just like ChatGPT.
And Google Lens is a special version of Google Search that you'll find inside the official Google app on your phone.
You can take or upload a photo, and then Google will hunt for it (and lookalikes) online. Just tap the camera icon in the app.
Both of these tools are perfect for dupe-hunters looking to save a bit of cash.
They can identify your product and trawl the web to find items that look just like it – only at a much lower price.
First, I tried it on a few products in my house to see if I could find places where I would have saved money.
But I also had a go with ritzy items I'd seen online – all in a bid to find bargain versions of the same products.
Let's start with what I had at home first.
Google's Gemini AI app lets you chat out loud with shockingly humanlike virtual helper
HOME ITEM #1 – LIVING ROOM LAMP
I love my living room lamp. It's the Made Java Arc Overreach Floor Lamp, which normally retails for £179. That's a fair sum of money, but it looks great.
For this, I had better luck with Google Gemini.
I asked for lookalike lamps that didn't cost as much, and it served me up with three decent options.
27
27
Two looked reasonably similar and came in at £59.99 and £84.99. Honestly, I would've been happy with either.
But there was a near-identical one up for £109.99 that would easily double up as the real thing. Nice work, Gemini.
Potential Saving: £119.01
27
HOME ITEM #2 – BROWN JACKET
Next up, I snapped a pic of my Wrangler Buffalo Trace jacket. This one cost me about £120.
This time, I plugged it straight into Google Lens.
What I thought was interesting here was that I took a pretty rubbish photo of the jacket.
And not only did it find a very similar alternative on Asos, it also identified the actual jacket and listed that too. Spooky.
The Asos option was just £45. An absolute steal. It's not whiskey-themed, granted – but what a bargain.
Potential Saving: £75
27
27
HOME ITEM #3 – ORANGE POUFFE
We have an orange pouffe that works as a footstool or a spare seat if we've got a load of people round.
It's the Dunelm Eliza Pouffe Orange Umber, which goes for £40 online and in stores.
27
Google Lens managed to find one that looked almost identical (but a slightly different shade of orange) for £25.99.
But I actually prefer a slightly different design that showed up on Google Lens via Etsy, which was only £22.99.
So there's a small saving, but the original was already pretty cheap, in my opinion.
27
HOME ITEM #4 – DINING CHAIRS
Another Dunelm buy for us was our dining chairs.
We've got the Dunelm Shea Set of 2 Dining Chairs, which are £119. We have six chairs, so that's £357.
27
Google Lens managed to find a fairly similar-looking pair from Debenhams for £100 – so that would've been £300 for six seats.
If we'd gone for those, it would've saved us £57.
It's not a massive saving, and honestly, I prefer the ones I bought.
But if I were really sticking to a budget, every little helps.
Potential Saving: £57
27
ONLINE ITEM #1 – GREEN SOFA
We recently went sofa hunting, and it was hard not to be impressed by Swoon. They've got some lovely gear.
I was just looking online and found a very tempting three-seater Swoon sofa in green (or "fern") velvet, sold by John Lewis.
I love it, but it's hardly cheap at £2,139.
27
My first attempt was with Gemini, but it struggled to come up with much, no matter how I worded my prompt.
It showed a couple of sofas that didn't look similar enough.
27
27
But when I tried it with Google Lens, I spotted two very nice options.
There was a pricier sofa from Brand Alley at £1,599 that looked good.
But my favourite was the even cheaper Lutyens Moss Green three-piece sofa from Daals, which was a thriftier £1,399.99.
It's beautiful, and far closer to the original Swoon sofa.
Potential Saving: £739.01
27
27
27
ONLINE ITEM #2 – OUTDOOR DINING SET
Next, I went really posh.
We recently moved and we haven't got any garden furniture yet.
There's a very roomy outdoor set from Bridgman called the Richmond Modular Sofa Set, but it costs a frankly bank-breaking £5,299. Ouch.
27
27
Straight to Google Lens I go.
One option was a decent (but smaller) option for £1,399 from another retailer.
27
But I was more impressed by a similarly spacious £1,185 alternative that included a fire pit table.
Sadly, I couldn't find anything that matched the original bang on. So maybe I went too posh here.
However, I do think that the cheaper set looked very nice, and I could do a lot with the spare £4,000 if I were buying this.
Potential Saving: £4,114
27
27
ONLINE ITEM #3 – COFFEE TABLE
After the dining set drama, I thought I'd look for something quite fancy – but that might be dupe-friendly.
I found an extremely pretty Porta Marble Coffee Table, which retailed at a whopping £999.
Come on Google, sort me out - and of course, it did.
27
27
It instantly surfaced an Erie coffee table for £675, but that was still too high.
So I scrolled on and found a stellar bargain from Daals.
It's the Maru Round Oak Pedestal Coffee Table in Washed White for £189.99.
This obviously isn't marble, but it has a lacquer effect that gives it a white shine like the original.
27
This is a brilliant example of a lookalike with a massive saving. Importantly, it's unlikely I would've found this – as I wouldn't have searched for oak while looking for an alternative to a marble coffee table.
Potential Saving: £809.01
That brings the grand total savings to £5,930.04, courtesy of Google's online brain.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU USE GOOGLE GEMINI FOR?
Here's the official tip list from Google...
Go Live with Gemini to brainstorm ideas, simplify complex topics, and rehearse for important moments.
Connect with your favourite Google apps like Search, Youtube, Google Maps, Gmail, and more
Study smarter and explore any topic with interactive visuals and real-world examples
Unlock a world of expertise and get tailored information about any topic
Plan trips better and faster
Create AI-generated images in seconds
Get summaries, deep dives, and source links, all in one place
Brainstorm new ideas, or improve existing ones
Picture Credit: Google / The Sun
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Target staff praise new anti-theft cases
Target is changing how it tackles theft — and it should speed things up for shoppers. For years, the retailer has used locked plexiglass cases to protect high-theft items like toiletries, cleaning products, and even clothing. But the system — which often requires a staffer with a manager's key — has long frustrated customers who say it slows them down , especially when they're just trying to grab toothpaste, laundry detergent, or underwear. Now, the company is updating the system. So far, employees seem happy. Target employees on Reddit say the new design uses QR codes that can be unlocked with handheld devices carried by every floor associate, speeding up the process for everyone. 'This looks amazing, to be honest,' a Target employee said on Reddit. But the rollout isn't going perfectly. Some staff say the new system is confusing guests — especially since the QR codes are visible. They say leads shoppers to think that they can open it by scanning the code using their smartphone. Target didn't immediately respond to request for comment. For years, Target has been attempting to stop guests from using the five-finger discount in their stores. In 2023, CEO Brian Cornell said the company lost $500 million each year to shoplifters. To respond, the company has removed self-checkout registers from stores, closed high-theft locations , and added safety locks to hundreds of products — all in hopes of deterring sticky-fingered guests. But those changes have come at a cost. For years, Target has set itself apart from other big-box retailers through high-end marketing, thoughtful lighting, and exclusive clothing lines. Locks on simple products often cut against that branding image. 'The problem with Target is a lot of decisions are being taken centrally without proper thought about what they mean on the ground,' Neil Saunders, a retail expert at GlobalData, previously told Security tags and hard locks also pose logistical issues for store staff. They make it harder to fold garments, merchandise accessories on racks, and fit products onto crowded shelves — adding to disarray on the sales floor. The disconnect between colorful merchandising and anti-theft hardware has only worsened the look of some apparel sections , independent retail experts told Customers have taken to social media to complain about hangers on the floor, ripped-out security tags, and unfolded T-shirt displays. 'I hate to pile on (pun intended), but Target's apparel merchandising and maintenance is an ongoing issue,' Carol Spieckerman, a retail consultant, previously said. 'When shoppers are shopping off the floor, it undermines Target's core brand promise of accessible style.'
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Target staff praise new anti-theft cases… and laugh at silly customers' mistake: 'So funny'
Target is changing how it tackles theft — and it should speed things up for shoppers. For years, the retailer has used locked plexiglass cases to protect high-theft items like toiletries, cleaning products, and even clothing. But the system — which often requires a staffer with a manager's key — has long frustrated customers who say it slows them down, especially when they're just trying to grab toothpaste, laundry detergent, or underwear. Now, the company is updating the system. So far, employees seem happy. Target employees on Reddit say the new design uses QR codes that can be unlocked with handheld devices carried by every floor associate, speeding up the process for everyone. 'This looks amazing, to be honest,' a Target employee said on Reddit. But the rollout isn't going perfectly. Some staff say the new system is confusing guests — especially since the QR codes are visible. They say leads shoppers to think that they can open it by scanning the code using their smartphone. Each cabinet includes a large red sign that asks customers 'Need Help?', but not every shopper seems to be taking the hint. 'We have these in my store,' another employee wrote on Reddit. 'It's so funny to me when guests try to scan it with their own phone and then get mad that it's not working.' Target didn't immediately respond to request for comment. For years, Target has been attempting to stop guests from using the five-finger discount in their stores. In 2023, CEO Brian Cornell said the company lost $500 million each year to shoplifters. To respond, the company has removed self-checkout registers from stores, closed high-theft locations, and added safety locks to hundreds of products — all in hopes of deterring sticky-fingered guests. But those changes have come at a cost. All plexiglass locks require Target team members to open the door. Customers can alert staff by pressing buttons or waving their hands near sensors such as this one For years, Target has set itself apart from other big-box retailers through high-end marketing, thoughtful lighting, and exclusive clothing lines. Locks on simple products often cut against that branding image. 'The problem with Target is a lot of decisions are being taken centrally without proper thought about what they mean on the ground,' Neil Saunders, a retail expert at GlobalData, previously told Security tags and hard locks also pose logistical issues for store staff. They make it harder to fold garments, merchandise accessories on racks, and fit products onto crowded shelves — adding to disarray on the sales floor. The disconnect between colorful merchandising and anti-theft hardware has only worsened the look of some apparel sections, independent retail experts told Customers have taken to social media to complain about hangers on the floor, ripped-out security tags, and unfolded T-shirt displays. 'I hate to pile on (pun intended), but Target's apparel merchandising and maintenance is an ongoing issue,' Carol Spieckerman, a retail consultant, previously said. 'When shoppers are shopping off the floor, it undermines Target's core brand promise of accessible style.'
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Major broadband firm with 100,000 customers axing free service in days
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR broadband firm with hundreds of thousands of customers is axing a free service in days. All TalkTalk email customers are being moved to a new provider called Everymail from Open-Xchange. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 TalkTalk is axing a free service for hundreds of thousands of customers in days Credit: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett The company began to email customers in June to let them know that if they do not sign up to the new provider then their email account will be closed. TalkTalk broadband customers will be able to continue to use the email service for free. But those who received a TalkTalk email when they first signed up to the broadband company but later switched to another provider will need to pay a £60-a-year fee. TalkTalk will gradually close the inboxes of customers who do not pay the fee over the next few months. It will start to restrict customers' email access after July 31, which means they will not be able to send emails but will still be able to access ones they have already received. Those who do not sign up by September 9 will have their mailboxes frozen. After October 31 their email address, inbox, contacts and calendar will be erased. Once the accounts are deleted they cannot be recovered. Any emails that are sent to the account will automatically return to the sender. TalkTalk told The Sun that it will contact users several times before it shuts their account. It will either ask them to take action to keep their email address or download important information that they can transfer to another email provider. This includes emails they have sent or received, saved contacts, calendar appointments and tasks. TalkTalk said the changes will give customers 'the best user experience'. It added: 'We are actively communicating with all those affected. We are providing several options and users are free to download and transfer their data.' Free email providers WORRIED about your email being tied to your internet provider? There are plenty of excellent free email services you can use instead. Here are a few popular choices: Examples include: Gmail: Google's offering is feature-rich, with plenty of storage and excellent spam filtering. Integrates seamlessly with other Google services. Google's offering is feature-rich, with plenty of storage and excellent spam filtering. Integrates seamlessly with other Google services. Microsoft's webmail service offers a clean interface and integrates with Microsoft Office applications. Good storage options are available. Microsoft's webmail service offers a clean interface and integrates with Microsoft Office applications. Good storage options are available. Yahoo! Mail: A long-standing provider with a large storage capacity. It includes a built-in newsfeed. Proton Mail: For those prioritising privacy, Proton Mail offers end-to-end encryption. Based in Switzerland, it has strong data protection laws (free but limited storage). For those prioritising privacy, Proton Mail offers end-to-end encryption. Based in Switzerland, it has strong data protection laws (free but limited storage). GMX Mail: Offers a good balance of features and storage space. Includes a spam filter and virus protection. What do I need to do? If you are happy to pay the £5 a month fee then you should sign up before July 31 to avoid any issues with your email inbox. But if you are unwilling to pay then you can download your emails now to avoid losing access to them. You can then upload them to a new account with a different company. Exactly how to do this varies depending on your email provider but you should be able to find help on its website. It is a good idea to set up an email address that is separate from your broadband provider to avoid being locked into the account. Once you have created a new email you should make sure to update all of your bank, supermarket, energy and utility accounts. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
