The Best Kept Secret To Get Cheaper Paint At Home Depot

Buying paint isn't cheap, and you can expect to spend a few hundred dollars painting a home's interior, even if you aren't hiring a professional. That's why, when you can find a discount or deal, you should jump right on it. Your local Home Depot may be able to help with the cost, if you don't mind being flexible. Many stores offer something called "oops paint", which can be significantly discounted.

These paint mixtures at Home Depot are ones they cannot sell at full price. Most commonly, this is because they custom-mixed a paint for a customer who never picked it up, or the color was tinted incorrectly. If someone asked Home Depot to make a color-matched dupe of an expensive paint (an affordable option instead of wasting money on pricey paint), it might not turn out exactly the same. These kinds of colors end up going into the oops section. They may also be called "mistints" for this reason.

While these colors are too unique to be sold at full price, there isn't anything wrong with them. And, they can be marked down quite a lot. Some people have mentioned they got a 5-gallon bucket for just $20, and 70 to 80%off compared to full-priced paint is pretty common. The products available and the prices are up to each individual store, so while you may not get as amazing a discount, you can still save quite a bit when using them to paint parts of your home.

These mistake paints are usually found near the normal paint section. If your store doesn't often have a large selection, check around holidays and long weekends. This is when many people hope to get home projects done. 

Since these are mistakes or paints not picked up, finding several identical cans isn't always possible. Oftentimes, you'll find yourself staring down a few options of vastly different colors. Thankfully, many people say that they've found some stunning shades in these cans, though they may not be exactly what they're looking for. However, if you can't find enough color even with mixing to decorate a whole room, you can use smaller amounts to try easy paint DIYs that give your home a unique pop of color, like painting banisters, shelves, and even door frames.

While you could go a little crazy and decorate a whole room with fun stripes or patterns to take advantage of two or more distinct colors, there is another option for those who want one simple color on their walls. People mention that they've mixed colors before to create some amazing results. This is definitely a good option, especially if there are several cans with the same brand and gloss. However, you need a lot of luck, or at least basic knowledge of the color wheel, to make sure you end up with something that looks nice, and not an unattractive shade. 

Of course, this method isn't for everyone. If you're particular about the paint colors you get or you need a lot to cover a large room, going for these marked-down paints may not be a feasible option for you. Sometimes, you can get lucky and find a big batch of the same paint in a color you like, but this is definitely a rarity. If possible, you also want to open the paints before you buy them. The labels on the side can be a little misleading. Sometimes mistakes happen with the sample paint spot at the top of the can, and Reddit users report finding swatches on tops of cans that don't actually match what's in the can. 

While you can probably find a very similar color, it's unlikely you will ever run into the same exact shade again. This means, if something happens later on, it's unlikely you will have any paint to cover up replacement areas, patches, or small scrapes on the wall. This also means you need to make sure you have enough paint to cover the room or rooms you want. Double-check the side of the can for the cost before trying this hack, just in case it's not as cheap as you might expect.