All the Ways to Use the Free Crap You Can Snag at the Hardware Store

When it comes to doing projects around the house, cost is always an issue. But in recent months, inflation and continuing supply-chain challenges have made even modest home repair and renovation costs more than ever—and still rising. That means that any way you can shave a few bucks here and there is worth looking into, and that eventually might lead you to contemplate the free non-food stuff you can still get at various online and retail stores.

The days of painting a wall with free paint samples are kind of over, as most stores now charge at least a nominal fee for samples. But you can still augment your meager budget by re-purposing some of the stuff you still get for free. Here’s a rundown of clever ways to stretch that zero as far as possible when working on stuff around the house.

One of the last bastions of free stuff at most hardware stores like Home Depot or Ace Hardware is in the paint department. They probably aren’t giving out any free paint samples (although some stores still offer them periodically if you’re a member of their customer programs), but when you buy paint from a hardware store, you almost always get two things: apaint stirring stick (or two), and a little metal can opener.

Stirring sticks are one of the most useful free resources left in this world. Here are just a few things you can do with the growing collection of free sticks you get over the years as you paint rooms in your home:

That little can opener you get with your cans of paint is also incredibly useful. Sure, it’s useful as a paint can opener, but it can also be used as at least two other things:

You can also repurpose a lot of free samples and tools into home decor or repair materials. Scoring multiple free samples so you can lay a patchwork floor isn’t particularly ethical, but using the free stuff you got in the normal course of buying materials for a home project isn’t just cost-effective, it’s a lot better than just throwing the stuff away:

Finally, if you’re missing a cabinet knob or pull (or several), you can get free samples from a lot of online sources, though they’re not exactly free because you will wind up paying a few bucks in shipping costs. Still, if you don’t mind an eclectic look, ordering a few samples from different places can fix up your busted old kitchen cabinetry for a small amount of money.