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Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, you’ve likely found yourself wandering the aisles of Home Depot at some point, looking for supplies for your latest DIY project, hoping to fill your garden beds with colorful flowers for spring, or even just picking up some buckets for those pesky leaks your landlord hasn’t fixed yet. Whether you’re shopping for a big renovation or just a simple fix, however, you may find it difficult to keep to your intended budget.

It’s easy to walk out with a cart full of “necessities,” along with an empty wallet to go with it. If you’re working with a strict budget or simply don’t want to waste money when gas is $4 per gallon, and your cost-of-living increases aren’t keeping up, there are a few tricks that can help you save on almost any project. You may be familiar with the store’s yellow-tag clearance items, but what about the “oops” paint section or its price-match guarantee? Read on to learn more tips that will help you stay on budget at Home Depot for all projects, big or small.

One of the easiest ways to save money is to use Home Depot’s Price Match Guarantee program, though this does require a bit of thought and time. We recommend you check the company’s website before heading to the store, or be prepared to engage in a live chat or make a phone call if you plan to shop online.

Once you’ve selected your products, compare them with competitors to see if anyone sells them at a lower price. Home Depot considers several stores to be “competitors,” including Amazon, Lowe’s, Menards, Walmart, Best Buy, and even your local brick-and-mortar hardware store. Warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, and online auction site eBay, are not part of the program.

To have the product’s price matched to a competitor’s, make sure it’s the same item, including brand, model, and size, and that it’s actually in stock at the competing store. You’ll need to show a website link, ad, or printout as proof at checkout. For online price matching, gather your proof, have the SKU or internet number for the item from both Home Depot and the competitor, and do a Live Chat online or call Home Depot’s Customer Solutions at 1-800-430-3376. You can also request a price adjustment on a previously purchased item within 30 days by contacting customer support.

This is an in-store trick only and probably won’t work if you need a lot of paint. But if you have a small painting project or craft and you don’t want to spend a lot of money, your first stop should be the “oops” paint shelf at Home Depot. This section of the store doesn’t refer to the common mistakes we’ve all made when trying to add some color to our lives! It’s a dedicated, small section or shelf near the paint department for paint that was mistinted or returned and is being sold at a deep discount. Of course, color selection varies, and availability differs from store to store.

According to home improvement website Hunker, Home Depot sometimes gets the color mixing wrong or uses the wrong finish. You may be able to find flat, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss paint on the discount shelf. Various sizes are often offered at deep discounts — Hunker reported seeing gallons for as little as $5 and pints for only $1. If you don’t see a discount section near the paint department, some stores stage it near the registers as an impulse buy. You can also try asking a sales associate. The paint label should offer a small sample of the color within, and the finish will be marked on the can.

If you need more than is offered in the oops section, keep an eye out for special offers and sales. Home Depot’s primary paint brand is Behr, and the store sometimes offers bulk savings when you buy five or more cans. And remember, paint swatches and stirring sticks are a couple of the handy products that are free at Home Depot. 

Do you have an expensive tool or piece of equipment sitting in your garage or basement, gathering dust? Many Home Depot shoppers are professional tradespeople or experienced DIYers, but some simply have one or two home or gardening projects that they’d like to get done without calling a professional. It can be a waste to purchase expensive tools for one project that you may never use again. Luckily, Home Depot offers a rental program for tools and equipment.

Home Depot lets you rent instead of buy power tools, painting equipment, lawn and garden items, carpet cleaners, ladders, and even heaters and air conditioners, depending on location. It even has you covered if you need a large piece of equipment, such as a forklift and a mini excavator! Prices vary based on what item you rent, and you can borrow equipment for a day, a week, or even longer.

Renting tools not only has the potential to save you a bundle, it also gives you access to specialized equipment designed for your specific project. When you’re done, you don’t have to find a place to store the equipment or tool and take the time, effort, and cost to maintain it.

At first glance, this tip may feel a bit too futuristic for some, especially if you’re nervous about using artificial intelligence, or AI. You may be among the many people who don’t want AI on their phones, but you’re already using it every day, often without realizing it. Still, it can be useful. For example, Home Depot’s Magic Apron, a suite of generative AI tools, may help you save money on your next home improvement or gardening project. Magic Apron, so named in a nod to the orange-aproned associates that have historically provided expertise and customer service, is available on the Home Depot app and also on many product pages through homedepot.com. If you’re shopping from home or there’s no associate around to help you in-store, this AI is meant to help answer your questions and select just the right products for your project.

Magic Apron is powered by large language models and trained on the home improvement giant’s project expertise and catalog of products. It also uses information gathered from other sources to help improve search results and answer customers’ questions. It can help you visualize a project before you even purchase the necessary supplies so that you not only buy the correct materials for the job, but you also buy the right amount, reducing waste and unnecessary purchases.

Home Depot plans to expand the tech for pros, but it’s already available for your average DIYer. Of course, you can also seek the help of an associate when you visit a brick-and-mortar location to help you nail down your project needs.

Finally, the easiest trick may be to simply check out Home Depot’s online Daily Deals and other special savings. This may not be the answer if you have a project with a tight deadline or you need to quickly replace a broken appliance, but these deals can save you a bundle if you have the time to wait. The home improvement store offers different Daily Deals every day on everything from shelving to appliances and tools. You’ll need to scroll to the bottom of the landing page to see the available savings by department, and you can expect savings of up to 45%. These deals are available online, but you may be able to pick up some ordered items at your local store.

You can also check out Home Depot’s Special Buys, which are limited-time deals that often have quantity limits. Many of these deals are seasonal — at the time of writing, deals include riding mowers, tools, and appliances. Some items do offer in-store pickup if your local Home Depot has them in stock.

Other online deals are accessible by clicking “Shop All” at the top right of Home Depot’s website, and then clicking Savings to see all the potential deals and sales. These may include bulk savings, special savings for members of the military, and a Pro Special Buy of the Week.