How to Save Big $$ on Your Next Paint Job…with Mistints!
Every store that sells paint, whether it be a big box home improvement store or a high-end specialty paint store, has mistints on hand, which are paints that the store mixed to a specific color for a customer, and then the customer never picked them up or returned them. These paints are marked down significantly so that the store can sell them, sometimes by 50-75% or even more! Well, what are the chances of me getting a paint color that I want? you might ask. Well, if you are talking about a room such as a living room or bedroom, where you have a specific color scheme in mind, this may not be the route you want to go.
But what if you intend to paint your basement, a mudroom, a hallway, a guest bedroom that is rarely used, or any room where you just aren’t that invested in having a specific perfect color? Using mistints can literally save you hundreds of dollars. And sometimes you can even get a very high-end paint for a fraction of the retail cost, because it was tinted and then abandoned.
For example, we once picked up a 5-gallon bucket of a very high-quality seafoam-colored paint from a specialty paint store that normally would cost around $70 per gallon…for just $25 for the entire 5-gallon bucket! (Savings: $325!) And while we hadn’t been necessarily looking for that particular color, it not only looked fine, but it rolled on like a dream and the entire room only needed one coat!
So the next time you are shopping for paint, be sure to always check the mistint pile first to be sure there isn’t something you can use, and you can potentially save big bucks!
by See Jane Drill
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved
I bought two 5 gallon pails of high end outdoor latex for $20 each at Habitat for Humanity rRestore here in Calgary. My only criteria was I wanted a light grey. I found it lst October, after looking for the right colour all last summer, and now I’m painting myself. With a few bucks on brushes and rollers, I’ll have painted my whole house for under $100!!!
Fantastic! That is a great example of how much money you can save by using mistints. Good for you!
I had forgotten about this trick, even though reading this reminded me that a family I knew once used this trick to paint the entire interior of their house. Since I have two bathrooms to repaint, I’m going to have a look tomorrow and see what I can find!
That’s great! I hope you find some good mistints…:)
I am a 67 year old widow and acquired a house that needs a lot of work. I ‘ve been using mistints for years and it really is a money saver! Thanks for this great website. Leah you and your friends are empowering women of all ages! We can do it, thanks to your help, wonderful inspiration, and example
Thanks, Sharlene! It is great to hear from you and about your experience!!! 🙂
Hi Leah–
Just discovered your website–love it! You explain clearly and the photography is done well.
Thanks for doing this!
Regan
Thanks, Regan, glad you like it!
Great idea as long as you use a quality paint. In my handyman business, a customer once bought 5 gallons of Glidden paint which simply didn’t cover, even with 2 coats. To complete the job, I had to buy “real” and cover the labor for a 3rd coat … and I learned my lesson about which paints to use (or not).