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25 Home Depot Shopping Tips & Tricks to Save Money



Since purchasing my first fixer-upper home a few years back, I’ve set foot inside the Home Depot at least 100 times, and I couldn’t begin to tell you how many visits I’ve made to the home improvement giant’s website.

I’ve spent more money than I’d like to admit. Thankfully, I’ve saved many thousands of dollars too.

If you’re planning a home improvement project to reduce homeownership costs, improve your home’s energy efficiency, or increase your home’s value — or if you’re just taking care of a few DIY projects — check out these tips and tricks.

How to Save Money Shopping at Home Depot

These are the most reliable tips to save money at Home Depot. They range from little-known discounts to well-worn advice on shopping trip timing.

1. Find Home Depot Coupons

Home Depot’s coupon page is a goldmine for discounts and deals in-store and online. If you’re planning a store visit, scroll to the bottom to search for your local ad, which contains time-limited sales not advertised elsewhere on Home Depot’s website.

2. Sign Up for Text Alerts

Sign up for Home Depot’s text alerts if your mobile provider doesn’t charge for inbound SMS messages. You’ll receive at least several messages per week.

Home Depot’s text alerts aren’t particularly well targeted. I’ve received countless offers from departments I’ve never purchased anything in.

But enough alerts are relevant to justify signing up, especially if you’re in the early stages of a big project that will require multiple trips to Home Depot. You can always unsubscribe when you complete the project.

3. Join the Email List for a One-Time Discount

Sign up for Home Depot’s free email list to earn $5 off your next purchase online or in-store. The discount comes as an emailed coupon.

After signing up, you receive Home Depot’s occasional promotion emails, which offer:

  • In-store and online discounts and savings opportunities
  • How-to guides for DIYers
  • Home improvement project ideas and tips

If you’re worried about the extra emails, popular email suites like Gmail divert promotional emails into a separate inbox (labeled “Promotions”) to keep users’ primary inboxes clear. Or you can set up a filter of your own. You’ll barely notice the additional message volume.

4. Search HomeDepot.com for Product-Specific Rebates

Home Depot’s rebate center advertises thousands of rebates on specific products. Part of the reason it has so many is because Home Depot rebates apply at the SKU (unique stock number) level.

That means products that come in different configurations or sizes are likely to have multiple rebates associated with them — different rebate amounts for different sizes, for example.

Many individual SKUs are also eligible for more than one rebate. For instance, an energy-efficient appliance might qualify for a green energy tax credit, a utility company rebate, and a manufacturer rebate.

You must apply for each rebate separately online or by mail, but it’s worth the trouble when you stand to save hundreds on a major purchase.

5. Check for Overstock Deals

Home Depot’s special values include hundreds of overstock products in your local store, either in stock or eligible for ship-to-store. Many are deeply discounted — over 50% in some cases.

It can be hard to find the exact color or specifications you’d like. But if you’re not picky, it’s a fantastic place to find deals on the home goods you need.

If you’re already in your Home Depot store or planning to venture in anyway, check the back for heavily discounted overstock and damaged merchandise. In the rear of the lumber department, old boards sell for up to 70% off, and store staff will cut up to two lengths for free.

Nearby, there’s often a cart or two of miscellaneous discounted products with cosmetic dings or dents that don’t impact function.

6. Look for Daily Deals

Home Depot runs enticing daily deals every day. The category-specific Special Buy of the Day rotates through fairly broad product categories, such as residential water treatment systems and whole-home cooling systems.

7. Use a Cash-Back Credit Card With Rotating Categories

Using a cash-back rewards card with rotating cash-back categories is a must every time you patronize a home improvement retailer.

Your best bet is the Chase Freedom Flex credit card (read our Chase Freedom Flex review) and its quarterly rotating 5% categories. Home improvement stores enter the rotation every year or two. However, Chase makes no guarantees about what’s in store for the future (and typically doesn’t reveal 5% categories until a few weeks before the start of a new quarter).

8. Take Advantage of Temporary Credit Card Offers

Chase Freedom isn’t the only credit card that promises above-average rewards on Home Depot purchases.

Other Chase credit cards have been known to extend time-limited bonus opportunities to cardholders. Examples include the Chase Freedom® Unlimited credit card (read our Chase Freedom Unlimited review) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card (read our Sapphire Preferred review).

Amex Offers, a members-only discount database for American Express cardholders, usually includes home improvement stores as well.

9. Wait for Promotions to Make Major Purchases

Whether you’re planning a major DIY or contracted home improvement project, it always pays to wait for the right time to purchase your supplies. Once you’ve finished your shopping list, visit or call to ask about upcoming promotions.

You probably won’t have to wait long.

For example, before a major kitchen renovation, my wife and I purchased cabinets and countertops in two separate orders. We bagged the countertops as soon as we decided on the material and pattern to avoid missing a 20%-off sale. But we waited two weeks after settling on cabinets to make the purchase. That was just long enough to snag 30% off that part of the order.

Our design tech told us we probably wouldn’t have to wait longer than two more months for the next cabinets promotion.

10. Be the Squeaky Wheel

Don’t hesitate to escalate. This trick is near-universal in the retail world, but I’ve had excellent luck with it at Home Depot. Department and store managers have tremendous leeway on pricing.

Even rank-and-file department employees are authorized to knock up to $50 off merchandise if the customer isn’t satisfied.

I thought I’d gotten a good deal on new interior French doors during a 15% off sale, but when it took longer than promised to receive them, I politely complained and got another $50 off on the spot.

11. Take Advantage of Special Financing on Major Purchases

Home Depot offers interest-free financing on large purchases for credit-qualified customers.

Chain-wide, the standard deal is a 0% annual percentage rate (APR) for six months on purchases of $299 or more. Individual stores may offer longer interest-free deals on larger purchases.

I’ve taken advantage of a 24-month 0%-APR financing period on a four-figure purchase (the threshold was $1,999 in that instance). That’s the longest interest-free financing period I’ve seen at Home Depot.

But applying for Home Depot’s 0%-APR financing offers means submitting to a hard credit pull that temporarily lowers your credit score by a few points. If approved, you receive a credit card with a credit limit determined by things like your credit score and income.

The larger the purchase amount, the higher your initial credit utilization ratio. And on substantial purchases, your credit limit could be just a little higher than the purchase price. That also negatively affects your credit score, with the effects lingering until you mostly pay off your balance.

Make up for the hit by keeping your credit card account open and unused after paying off the initial balance. I keep my Home Depot credit card in the bottom of a secure filing cabinet, where it’s remained untouched since it arrived.

There’s another perk to using a Home Depot credit card or credit line: an extended return window.

You can return most merchandise (except those listed as uncovered by Home Depot’s return policy) purchased with qualifying Home Depot credit products for up to one year (365 days) from the purchase date.

12. Capitalize on Home Depot’s Expansive Price-Match Policy

Home Depot’s low-price guarantee includes a generous price-match policy that covers in-store and online purchases.

If you find a lower advertised price on an identical product to one you purchased from Home Depot, Home Depot will match that price and the competitor’s shipping rate (if any) and reimburse the difference.

13. Rent a Truck at Your Local Home Depot

Are you moving across town? Or planning to haul the results of your DIY demolition project to the dump?

Before overpaying for a U-Haul or calling in a favor from that one friend with a pickup truck, check your local Home Depot. Though selection varies by store, many have flatbeds (essentially heavy-duty pickups) and box trucks (large moving vans) available for rent by the hour or day.

Home Depot’s truck and tool rental page has more details. For flatbeds, the ideal rental window is two hours or less, after which hourly pricing rises steeply.

14. Rent Tools Before You Buy

Home Depot rents a slew of tools that are too expensive, bulky, or specialized for most people to invest in, especially if you’re only using them occasionally or for one project.

After confirming the tool you need isn’t in stock at your neighborhood tool lending library or hardware store, both of which will probably be cheaper to rent on an hourly basis, stop by your local Home Depot warehouse.

Not all locations offer tools for rent, so check online beforehand.

15. Look for Prices Ending in 6 and 3

It’s easy to spot in-store discounts at Home Depot. Just find the yellow price tags and look at the last numeral. If it’s a 6, it’s a good deal. If it’s a 3, it’s a great deal. It’s the lowest the department is willing to go on that particular merchandise.

Discounted prices ending in 6 typically last for six weeks. Then, the price drops to one ending in 3, where it remains until the product sells out or Home Depot removes unsold inventory to make room for higher-margin stock.

16. Return Dead or Unproductive Plants Within One Year for a Full Refund

The Home Depot garden center’s return policy is better than any other department’s. Perennials, trees, and shrubs all carry a one-year (365-day) guarantee.

If they die or fail to bear flowers or fruit (when applicable) during that period, you can return them for a full refund.

17. Take Advantage of Recurring Annual or Seasonal Sales

Home Depot excels at seasonal sales. At any given time, at least one department is holding a blockbuster clearance event. Examples include:

  • Plants. The garden center typically offers the most enticing deals in April, or whenever spring comes to your neck of the woods. In colder climates, fall sales on perennials, including trees and shrubs, typically feature massive markdowns. Members of the Home Depot Garden Club may qualify for additional discounts and sales not available to the general public as part of their free membership.
  • Holiday Decor and Accessories. Holiday decorations like wreaths, natural and artificial Christmas trees, and serving ware first go on sale during Black Friday week. The home improvement giant marks them down even further in January.
  • Grills. The week of July Fourth is the best time to buy grills at Home Depot.
  • Paint. Paint discounts peak on Memorial and Labor Day weekends, with savings up to 40%.
  • Kitchen and Bath. The first quarter of the year is the best time to make significant kitchen and bath purchases at Home Depot.
  • Patio Furniture. Take advantage of clearance items in Home Depot’s patio furniture department during the waning days of patio season, which can vary by geography.

18. Set Up Subscriptions for Recurring Purchases

Home Depot Subscriptions is a recurring home delivery program that promises 5% savings across the board on household staples like coffee, cleaning supplies, air filters, and pet food.

The program also touts contractor staples, such as job site safety equipment, painting supplies, and power tool accessories.

But Home Depot Subscriptions isn’t the only subscription service. So confirm it’s cost-competitive with alternatives like Amazon Subscribe & Save before enrolling.

19. Leverage Your Military Status

Home Depot treats service members well. Active-duty and retired career personnel get 10% military discounts on every order.

But Home Depot doesn’t leave out veterans entirely. It also offers the same 10% discount to veterans, including honorably discharged enlistees and reservists, during select holiday periods, such as the days leading up to Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

20. Buy Floor Models

If you’re in the market for a major appliance and don’t mind one other people have touched and ogled, buy the floor model. It isn’t always apparent whether floor models are for sale, so ask the department manager if you’re unsure.

And while haggling isn’t common elsewhere at Home Depot, managers are authorized to move older display inventory to make room for newer stock. Discounts of up to 30% off aren’t out of the question.

21. Buy Oops Paint

When you’re doing a project that doesn’t involved finding the perfect hue, such as painting the inside of your garage, turn to the Home Depot paint department’s “oops paint,” the term it uses for paints that are the result of mixing mistakes.

For color-flexible customers, the standard oops discount is about 70% per gallon.

22. Buy From the Pro Desk for Deeper Discounts

The Home Depot Pro Desk primarily deals with professional contractors, but it’s willing to make an exception for high-rolling DIYers too.

If your purchase list adds up to more than $1,500, you qualify for Home Depot’s Volume Pricing Program, which promises up to 30% off materials and supplies.

Technically, you need to join the free Pro Xtras club to get the discount, but it’s often possible to work out a one-time deal with whomever’s on staff at the Pro Desk.

If you’re not planning to spend $1,500 or more on your DIY project, you can still take advantage of bulk pricing on raw materials like tile, lumber, and plumbing.

When available, the bulk price appears on the same price tag as the regular price along with the minimum qualifying quantity.

23. Ask for Recent or Forthcoming Sale Pricing

Home Depot department heads have leeway to extend sale pricing upon request. Asking for a deal that ended last week (or isn’t scheduled to begin until next week) won’t pan out every time.

If you can, waiting for the next sale is a better bet. Still, asking for sale pricing outside sale periods is worth a shot.

24. Get Warrantied Tools Repaired In-Store

If the tool or appliance you bought at Home Depot malfunctions before its manufacturer’s warranty period expires, bring it into your local store for repair. As long as the warranty is valid and the problem arose from regular use, Home Depot doesn’t charge for repairs.

Better yet, it files the warranty claim on your behalf, saving you time and eliminating the suspense of waiting for approval.

25. Use Third-Party Resources to Save Even More

These resources aren’t directly affiliated with Home Depot, but that doesn’t mean they can’t significantly reduce your net spending with the home improvement giant:

  • Capital One Shopping. Sometimes, we don’t realize we’ve overspent until days or weeks after the fact. Capital One Shopping browser extension crawls the Internet for price declines, automatically notifies the user when it finds a lower price on a purchased product, and helps them recover the difference.
  • Gift Card Resellers. Buy discounted Home Depot gift cards through resellers like Raise.
  • Cash-Back Apps. Find unique coupon codes or cash-back opportunities from popular cash-back apps like Ibotta, Honey, and Rakuten. For best results, install the apps’ browser plug-in and shop online to get a reminder to activate them while shopping.

Final Word

Finding what you’re after in a mammoth Home Depot store isn’t always easy.

Paying less after locating it than you would at another home improvement superstore? Comparatively, that’s a snap.

With so many reliable ways to save money at America’s largest home improvement superstore, it’s a wonder DIYers shop anywhere else. As you plan your next home remodel project or seasonal appliance purchase, don’t forget to look for the savings opportunities.

Brian Martucci writes about credit cards, banking, insurance, travel, and more. When he's not investigating time- and money-saving strategies for Money Crashers readers, you can find him exploring his favorite trails or sampling a new cuisine. Reach him on Twitter @Brian_Martucci.