About eighteen months ago I needed a new laptop for my master's in data science, and because I was paying for it myself, I spent nearly three weeks comparing prices before I bought anything.
I live in Shenzhen, which is famous for electronics, so I had a lot of options. First I made a short list of three models that had the memory and battery life I needed. Then I compared prices on two big shopping apps, and I also went to an electronics market in Huaqiangbei, where there are hundreds of small stalls. The prices there varied a lot. One seller quoted me nearly a fifth more than the online price, while another offered a lower price but without an official warranty. I kept everything in a spreadsheet, which my roommate Wei found hilarious. In the end I waited for a big online shopping festival in November, when the model I wanted dropped in price, and bought it from the manufacturer's official store with a two-year guarantee included.
Overall I think it was definitely worth the effort, though not only because of the money I saved. Comparing so many options made me understand the specifications much better, so I was confident I was buying the right thing rather than just the most fashionable one. It also stopped me from making an impulse purchase in the market, where sellers can be quite persuasive. The only downside was the time. Three weeks is a long time to keep checking prices, and I was a bit obsessive by the end. Next time I'd probably set myself a deadline of one week.