My friend Marcy is an expert when it comes to finding deals. She told me about a site called www.plasticjungle.com where you can buy discount gift cards to dozens of stores. I was able to purchase discounted Home Depot gift cards to save money on supply purchases.
Also, you can get 10% off coupons to Lowes and Home Depot either at the post office, by asking for a change of address packet, or on ebay where you can search for “Home Depot coupon” and purchase them for approx $2.00-$2.50 apiece. Totally worth it when you’re blowing the bucks every time you walk into a home improvement store. Lowes coupons can be used at Home Depot. I have already saved a ton of money just by using the coupons combined with the gift cards.
One thing I have been very surprised about is that you can ask for a discount, and most of the time you’ll get one. I ordered my dining room rug from www.homedecorators.com and before I ordered I called the customer service department and told the lady I was a first time purchaser on their site. I asked if there were any discounts I would be eligible for and she gave me 10% right off the bat and saved me $50.
When I was getting the stove, I hunted for the best Memorial Day sales and found a good deal at HH Gregg. I called the online phone number and was told no discounts were available, however, when I called my local store and spoke to the appliances associate, I said I knew they were having a 25% off sale, but could he do any better on the price? He told me to swing by the store and when I got there, he’d come up with a number that was $60 below the sales price. Although their customer service is less than to be desired, I was really pleased with the price.
Rob had a similar story. He went to Home Depot and was checking out with a $500 total purchase price for a job he was working on. He asked the lady at the register if there was any way he might get a discount and she gave him 5% off, no questions asked.
The thing to be learned from this is to always ASK!!!! I know that many stores have non-negotiable prices, but sometimes you can make a deal. I’ve gotten 10-30% off at Marshalls and TJ Maxx for finding a scratch or flaw on a piece of furniture. When you buy a house or do a project and feel like you’re bleeding money, even saving a little bit can be quite helpful because it all adds up in the end.
ASK FOR DISCOUNTS!!!!