Ooooops! Paint

My husband is working on closing in our patio, so that we can move our office to that area and finally move our daughter into her own bedroom.  We are on a ridiculously tight budget (which is why we’re still working on it after a year), but we’re proud that it’s getting done on our terms, with cash out of pocket.

One of the ways we save is by watching for “oops!” paint at the local home improvement stores. There are usually 5 – 15 gallons of paint near the paint mixing area that are marked down at least 50%.  This paint either wasn’t picked up by a customer after the color was mixed in, or the customer changed their mind before purchase.

It’s a gamble, but if you’re patient — you can usually find colors pretty close to what you’re looking for.  In the last few years, we’ve purchased paint to re-paint both boys’ bedrooms, our bedroom, our kitchen and even the outside of our house!  Two weeks ago, my husband noticed 2 gallons of a color that were similar to what we wanted for the back room so he picked them up.

He mixed them with a gallon of white to lighten up the color, and our back room is now half-painted — at half the cost!   Our patio no longer looks like a patio, but just another room in our home.

If you’re not too picky, and you have a little time before you begin painting, check out the oops! paint in your local home improvement store.  If you find a gallon that looks great, but you need more than a gallon – they can usually match the paint for you. You’ll pay full price for the 2nd gallon, but you’ll still have saved money.

Melanie Rogers is a wife and homeschooling mom of 3 children. She enjoys helping other busy moms find great products to delight their families and make their lives easier. She's always on the lookout for a great bargain, too! You can also find Melanie blogging frequently at My Little Patch of Sunshine.