Any DIYer knows it’s hard to leave The Home Depot without dropping a significant amount of money. That’s because, well, it’s expensive to buy the materials, tools, decor, and more to make your home and business look and function how you want it to. But some savvy shoppers have a solution — learn the Home Depot tips and tricks to score the best deal at the Big Orange store, to make your dollar go a bit further, maybe even into the next project.
“Fall is the time of the year when customers start to get their homes ready for the busy holiday hosting season, and we know they will be looking to The Home Depot for project inspiration,” says Corinne Bentzen, General Manager for Home Decor Online at The Home Depot. She explains that this year in early October, they featured their first Decor Days event, which is something to watch for next year around this time as well as you start to pull out your Halloween decorations. “[We want] to help our customers tackle their DIY and decor projects and find the perfect finishing touches at the right price.”
But fall isn’t the only time you can save money. We spoke with DIY experts to learn about Home Depot tips and tricks for saving money.
Three, or more accurately, .03, is a magic number when it comes to markdowns at Home Depot. Check the price tags in the clearance section to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Kat Christie, licensed contractor, DIY Expert, and founder of She Fixed That LLC, says that the cents on the price tag tell you a lot about how much an item is marked down. “Markdowns are on a schedule,” she says. “Prices ending in .03 typically means it is nearly 75% off, and that is the last reduction the store will do before taking it off the shelf, so buy it then.”
Others confirm this strategy works. “Insiders know that if a price ends in a .06 it has six more weeks at that price before it is reduced further,” says John Schmoll, founder of Frugal Rules. “If it ends in a .03 that is the lowest price they will offer before removing it from the shelves for good.”
When customers have store workers cut a board to their desired length, there are often some leftovers, called off-cuts. Since these can be odd lengths, they can be hard to sell, so they go into a heavily discounted rack called “cull lumber.” Customers can take advantage of up to 70% off this section, and it doesn’t end there.
Dan Stout at Family Handyman, says that you can also save big on paint that was mixed in the store but didn’t quite match the color a customer was looking for. Those mistakes go into the “mis-tint paint” section. You can look for large discounts on paint hues that customers didn’t love, but maybe you will.
Christie recommends opening a “pro account” even if you aren’t a contractor. You can save up to 30% off your project for purchases over $1,500 by heading to the Pro Desk with your project details, and they’ll compile a quote.
“You can link any card you want to the profile, and you will earn points towards rewards and discounts,” Christie says. “They'll even toss you a free soda from time to time. This also makes returns super easy. You'll never need your receipt or the card you made the purchase on again – just be sure it's linked to your Pro Account.”
When you need a specific tool mid-job, it seems to make sense to run to the store to grab it right then. But planning ahead, and focusing on certain brands, types, and times of year to buy tools will save money, Christie says.
“Buy tools around Labor Day, Memorial Day, Black Friday, and Father's Day. The deals on the bundles are phenomenal. Also, buy hand tools around the holidays when they have their bundle packs,” she says.
Christie also says that shoppers should consider the “Husky” tool brand, which is Home Depot’s house brand, because it comes with a lifetime warranty. “If it breaks, you can bring it back to the store for a replacement.”
Home Depot offers some incredible “special buy of the day” on certain items like lawnmowers and garage storage systems. “By waiting for the item you're searching for to go on sale, you can save sometimes as much as 40%,” says Siobhan Alvarez, lifestyle and DIY Expert and founder of She Shines Media.
“Another great tip is to take advantage of their price matching. They have a low price guarantee both for items found online and items found in-store at similar retailers and will match the lower price as long as it meets their requirements,” she says.
Youtuber, Matt Outlaw, says that you can save significant amounts of money off a product in a damaged box, but you have to ask the store manager for the discount. That’s not always a sure thing since the percent off is up the store manager’s discretion.
Still, you could save some money. So the next time you go to grab the first item at the front of the shelf, dig towards the back a bit to see if there are any bumps and bruised items that might ring up cheaper, with some negotiation.
Veterans receive 10% off at The Home Depot, after registering online to receive the discount. Their spouses do as well, though the savings are capped at up to $400 in purchases annually. This is one of multiple initiatives, from employment opportunities to skills certifications, the retailer offers to support the military.
You may have heard of a potential too-good-to-be-true offer from The Home Depot, but it turns out it’s completely legit — you can get 11% back on some of your purchases through their rebate center. Keep your receipt, which you will need, and check their rebate site for windows of time when this offer is available. At the time of publishing, the offer dates for purchases during Aug. 28 to Sept. 24, and Sept. 25 to Oct. 15. Check their participating store list to see if your town is lucky enough to save $11 per every $100 spent on select items.
Alexandra Frost is a freelance journalist and content marketing writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She writes about shopping, products, e-commerce, finances, home improvement, and related topics. She has worked with other publications such as Forbes, USA Today, Insider, Consumer Reports, Apartment Therapy, Angi, Ownerly, and more. Raised by a single mom who taught her how to find a great deal, she now uses the same advice in raising her five kids under age 8. To connect or read more of her work please visit alexandra-frost.com.
