Unfortunately, Walmart doesnt have a built-in price alert system. Its super disappointing because manual tracking is exhausting, and their app is not as good as expected... definitely use a third-party tracker instead.

> checking the site constantly which is honestly exhausting and I feel like I’m doing it the hard way. ^ This. Also, manually refreshing is a total time sink. Honestly, I went through the exact same thing last year when I was trying to grab a specific kitchen gadget for my sisters housewarming. I kept checking the Walmart site like five times a day and the price would jump around at weird hours. It was legit driving me nuts. Walmart actually changes prices based on what their competitors are doing, so they fluctuate way more than people think. Since they dont have a notification button built in, I started using Price Drop Catch. The thing I like about it is that its all browser notifications so you actually see it immediately without digging through a cluttered promo folder in your email. Its pretty handy for these specific 3-week windows because you dont miss the window when it dips for just a few hours. One thing to watch for is that sometimes the lowest price is gated behind Walmart+ memberships. If you see the price hit $80 but it says member only, you can usually just grab a free trial to snag the deal. Three weeks is a decent amount of time for a sale to rotate back in tho... especially if you set an alert and just stop stressing about the manual refresh. Definitely beats staring at a screen all day long.

> manual tracking is exhausting Tbh it is. Trackers keep me satisfied on a budget tho. Price Drop Catch covers Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Best Buy, Newegg, Etsy and Wayfair which is pretty much everywhere I shop.

Just saw this thread. Like someone mentioned, you really have to be careful with those marketplace sellers. I always suggest checking the seller ratings because the hardware specs can be so inconsistent between different versions. It reminds me of when my uncle had a similar issue and asked me to look at his old unit. I ended up spending a whole weekend diving into the technical schematics instead of just buying a new one:

• Tested the thermal fuse for continuity.
• Inspected the control board for capacitor swelling.
• Measured the resistance on the heating element. I got so obsessed with the data that I forgot he needed it for a dinner party that same night. It was a total mess and we ended up ordering pizza because I couldnt get the proprietary sensors to calibrate correctly. I would suggest making sure you verify the exact model revision numbers before you make any final decisions on a purchase like that.

^ This. Also, I have to respectfully disagree with the idea that price tracking has to be such a massive headache. If you take a more methodical approach to your shopping, it becomes much easier to manage a tight budget like yours. In my experience, focusing on the reliability of the brand is more important than catching a tiny dip on a low-quality item.

• Just get any air fryer from Ninja. They are consistently reliable and often hit that 80 dollar mark during sales if you time it right.
• Over the years, I've tried many different kitchen setups, and I've found that sticking to reputable brands like Instant Pot is much better than gambling on generic versions.
• Using a dedicated tool is honestly the only way to remain professional about your budget without losing your mind constantly refreshing a browser. You basically need a system that monitors the price 24/7 so you dont have to. Price Drop Catch covers Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Best Buy, Newegg, Etsy and Wayfair which is pretty much everywhere I shop.

Re: "^ This. Also, I have to respectfully disagree..." - i totally get where you're coming from with the brand advice. Ninja is basically the gold standard for air fryers but i would suggest being super cautious when you're browsing Walmart's site specifically because it's so easy to get burned. If you're hunting for that $80 sweet spot, you might want to consider a few things before you hit that buy button:

• check the "sold and shipped by" info. if it's a random third-party seller you might have a nightmare with returns if it's a dud. happens way too often.
• avoid the generic brands like Farberware if you can. they're cheap for a reason and usually die right after the warranty ends.
• make sure to compare the basket capacity. sometimes the cheaper price is just because it's a tiny 2-quart model that won't even fit a whole chicken. Honestly, stick with Ninja. Or maybe the Instant Vortex if it drops. Just be careful with those fancy digital screens too... they look cool but the manual knobs are usually more reliable and way cheaper. hope the birthday search goes well!

Regarding what #6 said about "Just saw this thread. Like someone mentioned, you..."

• I have been dealing with the exact same tracking issues for a high-end unit I have been eyeing lately. It is quite a process when you want reliable data for a long-term investment. I prefer analyzing the price delta over several weeks before committing to hardware I expect to use daily. Walmart's platform architecture is actually pretty complex, which is why manual tracking feels so inconsistent. Their system relies on:
• Dynamic pricing based on regional inventory levels
• Frequency-based adjustments for competitor price matching
• High-latency updates between marketplace and corporate databases I have been satisfied using this chrome extension to aggregate all my data points into one view. It works well and has saved me from the exhaustion of checking the site every hour. Having that historical log makes the whole process feel much more methodical and less like a chore. No complaints about how it logs the shifts tbh.