Shop for Your Home Like a Stylist

Shop midweek. That's when sales events often start, so you'll get first dibs on discounted items.

You can save a ton of time online. Have a specific product in mind? Check out homedepot.com first to find out if your store (or another nearby) has it in stock before you drive over.

Changed your mind? Don't worry. Most purchases made with a credit card or check within the past 90 days can be credited back in full. If you paid with cash or bought your item more than 90 days ago, you'll get a store credit.

If you don't see the paint color you want, you can have it made. Bring in a photograph from a magazine or a fabric swatch at least the size of a quarter and The Home Depot's color-matching machine will whip up a custom shade while you wait.

Plant repotting is free. A garden department staffer will transfer your new plant to a pot you've brought in from home or bought on-site. (Check with your local store to confirm they do repotting.)

You can rent power tools and pickup trucks. Big-ticket items can be rented directly from the store for up to one month. (A carpet cleaner is about $25 per day; a demolition hammer drill is $60.) That pressure washer won't fit in your car? Pay by the hour (from $20) for a truck that's made for hauling.