Home Depot penny shopping — one of our favorite Home Depot shopping hacks — has gone viral on social media after a TikToker scored bathroom cabinets for $0.01 each and another found a Shark Vacuum for the same price.
Yes, penny items are real. No, Home Depot doesn’t endorse them with an official penny list. Technically, employees aren’t even supposed to sell items for a penny. But that doesn’t mean you can't find these deals hiding on the clearance shelves.
We'll show you the best tips for finding penny items at your local Home Depot, including how to decode clearance tags so you know exactly what to look for.
Before you start searching for penny items, use these links for more money-saving success:
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See the best Home Depot deals happening right now.
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Download The Krazy Coupon Lady app and “favorite” Home Depot to never miss a great deal.
What are Home Depot Penny Items?
Home Depot penny items are clearance items that should have been removed, but weren’t. When clearance items don’t sell at their highest discount, employees are supposed to remove them from the shelves and the system. But sometimes, they miss a few items — and when you find and scan these items at self-checkout, you’ll see a $0.01 price come up. (It's a great feeling!) By the way, this is pretty much how the Dollar General Penny List works too.
How to Find Home Depot Penny Items at Your Store
What to Look For: Look for clearance price tags ending in ".02", ".03", or ".04". Items with these price endings are most likely to be (or become) penny items. The closer the end price is to ".00," the better.
Where to Look: Focus on the clearance items at the endcaps of aisles around the middle of the store.
Best Times to Hunt :
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Early morning before restocking
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After major holidays
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During seasonal transitions
Scanning Strategy :
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The only real way to tell if an item costs a penny is to scan the barcode at self-checkout.
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Always scan the UPC barcode on the item itself — NEVER scan the yellow clearance tag. Scanning the clearance tag on a penny item freezes the system and alerts employees. If that happens, they might take it from you or ring it up for its last clearance price.
Important: Don't ask employees where penny items are since they're technically not supposed to be on the shelves.
What to Do When You Find a Home Depot Penny Item
Simply put, stay cool. Don’t get too excited or draw attention to yourself. Take your items to self-checkout calmly. If questioned, be polite and honest. Just say, “The system showed $0.01 when I scanned it.” Most employees will honor the price.
If they don't and take the item from you, you can choose to make a fuss to get your penny item back. But in our experience, kindness to employees is key when you’re a regular customer.
Home Depot Penny-Hunting Checklist
KCL TIP: You can also scan penny items at the in-store price scanners. But only a few states require stores to have price scanners, so most locations don’t.
Home Depot Price Tags: The Real Secret to Finding Penny Items
To up your chances of spotting penny items, it helps to know what Home Depot clearance tags mean. They follow a pattern that tells you when items might drop to a penny.
How to Decode Home Depot Clearance Tags
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Prices ending in “.06” = 25% off
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Prices ending in “.04” = 50% off
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Prices ending in “.03” = 75% off
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Prices ending in “.02” = 90% off
The 14-week pattern : Items with prices ending in ".02", ".03", or ".04" typically drop to penny status 14 weeks after their clearance date. But this varies by store, with some taking 6-8 months.
FAQs: Home Depot Penny Items
What kinds of items can you get for a penny?
All kinds of stuff can end up costing a penny. You can score wall sconces, step ladders, power tools, screwdrivers, light bulbs, and more for just $0.01 at Home Depot. (Not all penny items are truly worth your while. But who doesn’t need light bulbs at some point in their lives?)
Are Home Depot penny items the same at every location?
No, each Home Depot location has their own clearance schedule, so penny items vary, too. Also, some stores are more diligent about weeding through clearance shelves, which means penny items are less likely.
Do Home Depot employees have to sell you penny items?
No, Home Depot employees don’t have to sell you the item if it rings up for a penny. Technically, they should have already removed it from the shelves. The key to successfully buying penny items is to stay under the radar.
Can you return penny items?
This can vary by store, but don’t count on it.
Can’t find Home Depot penny items? Here are top deals worth buying now:
Even if your store doesn’t have any lucky penny items, there are plenty of Home Depot clearance finds that are still worth picking up. Here are some deals going on right now, hand-picked by KCL Deal Experts.
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