Save Time and Money With These Home Depot Hacks

More than 20 million people have taken up gardening over the past couple of years, and Home Depot has a policy that could be a worthwhile one for newbies and pros alike. You can return most plants within 90 days of purchase if they die, though some only have a 30-day return window.

Perennials and landscaping plants, which generally have lifespans of at least two years, are eligible for return up to a full year. The only requirements are that you need a receipt and the plant, if possible. Have your ID ready, too.

Floor associates at Home Depot can issue a discount of up to $50 without checking with a supervisor or manager. The higher their title, the more they’re authorized to offer, with store managers having the ability to discount up to $1000 without calling a regional director. Whether they offer it or not is up to the employee, so be nice. They aren’t obligated to offer it just because a customer demands it. It’s a way to ensure the customer doesn’t spend their money with a competitor.

Most DIYers head to Home Depot when the weather is warmer, but winter is the best season to catch major savings. Like most stores, check the after-Christmas sales for 50% off Christmas decor and artificial trees. The store generally offers great deals during its Presidents Day Sale in February, with 40% off products like appliances, storage solutions, and bath items.

Look for online coupons for specific item discounts, free shipping offers, and free delivery, which are more likely to show up in the winter months. In Canada, take advantage of the store’s Boxing Week sale.

If you buy an item at Home Depot and it gets marked down within a two-week period following your purchase, contact the store. The price protection policy will refund the difference between what you paid and the sale price.

It’s a bit time-consuming, but if you’ve purchased pricey items, it’s worth keeping an eye on ads for a couple of weeks after you make the purchase.

The last thing Home Depot wants you to do is to go to one of its competitors to do your shopping. So, say you find the product you plan on purchasing at a lower price at Lowe’s. Take a print-out or photo of the sales flyer that proves it, and Home Depot will price-match the item.

This works for both in-store purchases and those you would buy on the competitor’s website that are eligible for shipping to your home. It pays to research sales ads before you purchase to get the best deal.

DIYers can probably relate to the pile of dusty tools they purchased but only used a couple of times. Save some bucks and space by renting the tools instead. Home Depot rents out power tools, as well as chainsaws, lawn mowers, and pressure washers. You’ll find indoor tools, like blowers, heaters, and carpet cleaners, too.

Some locations even offer truck, van, and trailer rentals, as well as earthmoving and landscaping equipment.

Green price tags at Home Depot are signals for bargain hunters. They designate a price reduction on the product. These green tags identify an item that the store could mark down further if you’re willing to take a chance and wait it out. Yellow tags mean that the product is on sale, but the store won’t restock it once it’s gone.

Home Depot’s big yellow sale-price stickers hold more clues than a product’s original and markdown price. The row of numbers just beneath the barcode hides an additional secret. If the last number is a “6,” that item will be marked down again in six weeks. A “3” means that it will disappear after three weeks, and it’s at its lowest price.

Before shopping for big, high-dollar purchases, check out the rebate page on Home Depot’s website. You’ll find savings on household appliances and more, which can save big bucks especially if you’re remodeling. In some states, Home Depots run an 11% rebate promotion for in-store purchases; they'll list the dates of the promotion on the site.

Observant shoppers may notice that Home Depot tends to raise the prices in its stores during heavy shopping periods, especially in more populated areas. Before making a purchase in the store, check out the product and its price on the company’s website. You can often save a few bucks and get free shipping, too.

Products you purchase from Home Depot come with warranties, but you can buy extended protection plans, as well. If you have an issue with your item after purchasing, a warranty usually covers the cost of repairs or a replacement. Most products come with a manufacturer’s limited warranty, but others cover a wider scope of issues.

Some Home Depot Protection Plans provide a 30% refund once the plan’s terms have expired, as long as you never made a claim. Always keep your receipt and register your product.

When you’re purchasing new appliances at Home Depot, it’s a good idea to look for Energy Star products. The Environmental Protection Agency has strict energy-efficiency requirements in place for appliances to earn the certification.

You can get tax credits from the federal government if you purchased certified products during designated dates.

If home improvements are part of your New Year’s resolutions, you can save some cash at Home Depot by purchasing other customers’ paint color mistakes. Unless you’re looking for a super-specific shade, you could find some lovely colors in high-quality brands and save up to 80%!

Many Home Depot stores, but not all, will honor discount coupons from rival companies like Lowe’s, though this can be tricky sometimes. Unfortunately, Home Depot doesn’t provide any information on its website as to whether or not they accept competitors' coupons, so it’s most likely a store-by-store policy.

It never hurts to try if you’re determined to get the best deal possible.

It may sound like an outdated concept that your grandfather brags about, but haggling is alive and well in some retail environments. Examine a product carefully before purchasing it at Home Depot. Look for any problems or determine if it has been opened. If there is damage to the product or the packaging, you can usually negotiate a lower price through one of the employees.

Home Depot sells damaged or returned items at a discount, which could provide you with a better deal on appliances and other big-ticket items. Information about any damage may be listed on the price tag, ranging from minor scratches to dents or a minor repair.

Home Depot is generally open to describing the exact reason why the item was returned, what sort of issue it has, and why it’s offering a discounted price for it. If you’re feeling lucky, you can go the haggling route and try to get a bit more off the price.

When there's a surplus of a product, Home Depot sells this overstock at a significant discount. These overstocks occur as a result of an employee making a mistake or a buyer anticipating massive demand that doesn't come.

Home Depot wants to get rid of them quickly, so check the store’s overstock listings online for big savings on a variety of items.

To get some excellent deals on wood for home projects, crafts, and simple repairs, head to Home Depot’s scrap wood display to save some money. Some of the wood may be damaged, have minor or major flaws, or an associate has cut it to the wrong size. You might be pleasantly surprised at some of the quality pieces that employees toss into the sales bin.

The store sometimes paints the ends of scrap wood with colored paint to identify that it’s from the scrap wood section. Store associates will also cut your wood for free if you need a specific size.

It doesn’t make sense to buy some things in bulk, but for big projects, it can save you a substantial amount of green. Items like insulation, roofing, fencing, drywall, concrete, and paint supplies all come at a discount when you purchase a minimum number of these products.

Check out the bulk pricing page on the company’s website to determine if the items you need are eligible.

When it comes to the biggest shopping days of the year, few come close to the day after Thanksgiving — Black Friday. But Home Depot seems to love the tradition so much, they also schedule a Black Friday sale in the spring, usually in mid to late March.

During past spring sales, the store has provided deep discounts of up to 40% off regular prices on patio furniture and lawn and garden products.