That cashier at the hardware store gave me a tip about mixing paint that saved me $30.

She told me to ask for the mistint section instead of custom mixing, and I ended up with a gallon of almost-perfect sage green for $5 - has anyone else found hidden deals like that from random employees?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_anderson6d ago

casey_barnes said "returned because the color was slightly off" but actually most of those mistints are from custom orders that people didn't pick up, not returns. I used to work at a paint counter and we'd have gallons sitting there for months because someone changed their mind or gave us the wrong color code. The hardware store near me has a clearance shelf where they put old mistints for even less, like $3 a gallon if you're buying a flat finish. Definitely worth checking the back corner before you ever order custom.

casey_barnes6d ago

Honestly, that's such a solid tip. Home Depot near me has a whole shelf of mistints that people returned because the color was slightly off - got a whole gallon of a really nice warm gray for like 4 bucks once. Tbh, the paint shop employees know all the little tricks if you just ask them nicely. Ngl, I always chat up the older workers at hardware stores, they've been doing this stuff for decades and have saved me more money than any internet article ever did.