Bargain-hunting can be really fun. You can spend hours clipping coupons, searching online, and pawing through clearance racks to find the best deals. If you don’t enjoy that or don’t have time, though, there’s another way. You can decide what you want and what you’re willing to pay, and use automated tools that notify you when the item reaches that magic price.

There are a few types of savings tools: price alerts, e-mail filters, mobile phone/tablet apps, and browser extensions. Here’s how each one works: for detailed instructions on how to use them, we’re going to send you over to our estranged siblings over at Lifehacker, since they did the work to explain it all in detail.

Price alerts. Some merchants (Newegg, for example) let you set up your own price alerts right on their sites. Others require an outside tool: CamelCamelCamel can watch Amazon and Best Buy for you as well.

E-mail filters. Set up a special e-mail account or filter and folders for newsletters for your favorite retailers, and then set a filter to forward them on to your main address or otherwise alert you when the item you want hits your desired price.

Browser extensions. Lifehacker recommends Invisible Hand for the ultimate in automated and lazy deal-hunting.

Store apps. Hide them in a folder and pull them up when you walk in the door to see whether there are any good mobile-only coupons.

How to Automate Your Discounts and Always Get the Best Price [Lifehacker] (Thanks, Max!)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.