Big thanks to today's guest blogger, Eric Braunitzer of Harden Furniture, a solid wood furniture manufacturer.

The FTHB (First Time Home Buyer's) tax-credit extension is slowly creeping to an end, and the doors will eventually slam shut.  As more and more people are amping up to close on their new home, they're also shopping for furnishings, appliances, outdoor living, supplies, and more--all of which can be located at stores like Home Depot and Lowes. As a recent FTHB and recipient of a brand-new refrigerator, I would strongly recommend NOT shopping around at these various locations as to not waste any time; believe me, I already did all the math. Buying a fridge at Lowes for 100 dollars cheaper than you'll find it at Home Depot (IF you can locate the exact fridge elsewhere) won't save you any money, because chances are you're going to need something like a stove, and this will be 100 dollars more.

In the end, everything balances out. Corporate typically does an accurate job at placing competitive pricing on these popular products; it's pretty clear their deep involvement in the market allows them to balance pricing across all plains, whether it be appliances, hardware, or outdoor furniture. So, it is with my strong recommendation that you take a minute to discover things like Energy Star discounts (typically 10%), and wait until specific holidays to shop for such items.  Just this past Memorial Day, one could find savings up to 20% storewide!  As an added tip, a 10% Lowes coupon can be found in a Change of Address Form, which you can pick up at any United States Post Office--free!

Stores like Lowes and Home Depot also provide bid-based pricing systems for bulk purchases (typically in excess of $2500). Once all the products have been selected, a sales rep will submit this information to corporate, who will typically come up with a discounted price. I've done this, and the end amount is close to 12%, which isn't bad!

My advice is:  don't waste your time comparing prices form one store to the other; you're better off visiting just one, and using any sort of storewide and/or energy star discount you can find. In the end, you'll be saving up to 20% on your total purchase.

COUPON TIME

Our Home Improvement Coupons page lists plenty of deals on appliances, paint, plumbing supplies and much more.