5 Free Perks Anyone Can Get At Harbor Freight

Harbor Freight is already known for its lower prices compared to big box tool stores. But what you might not know is that alongside its daily deals, the store also offers free perks to all of its customers (no membership required). Between the physical store and its digital presence, you can scoop up free items and services that can make your life easier (and your wallet happier).

Retail stores like Harbor Freight go to great lengths to get customers through the door. They want you to shop and spend. To get you to do both, they offer a mix of services that can help you with everything from choosing products to saving money. Getting a great deal means you're more likely to come back. Even better, you're more likely to tell all your friends about it, which means more business for it. Next time you're in Harbor Freight, keep an eye out for these free perks that will help you save money and enjoy a better shopping experience.

Harbor Freight's coupons are not to be missed. They typically include deep discounts on items that are already reasonably priced, making them no-brainers if you need to stock up. Among them are usually a few impossibly low-priced offerings, sometimes costing under a dollar for basic tools or items you might use every day. In fact, its coupon sheets often include a whole section of "Dollar Days" deals, consisting of things like bungee cords, box cutters, batteries, gloves, and similar essentials.

The company sends coupons directly to homes via the mail, so it's worthwhile to sort through your junk mail and see its latest offerings. If you're not receiving paper coupons, you can access the same coupons on the Harbor Freight website under the Deals menu. The company limits the number of coupons you can use to just one coupon per customer per day, so you might need to make a few trips to the store to scoop up all the best deals. If there is no Harbor Freight near you, you can use the coupons online.

The most productive DIYers aren't always the ones with a plan. Sometimes, you need a little push in the right direction. If you want to create something but don't know where to start, Harbor Freight's website can help. It offers a wealth of DIY project ideas, complete with step-by-step guides and materials lists to get you started (and finished).

For instance, its website currently includes guides for building bottle caddies, wooden snowmen, watch boxes, bottle openers, and larger-than-life "Yardzee" dice. Each project idea tells you the materials you'll need and any size requirements, along with the steps to take and the tools to use. The steps use plain language and are pretty easy to follow, even if you've never done projects like these before. Naturally, you'll be able to find all the tools and materials for each project at your local Harbor Freight. As a bonus, these projects are a good way to learn more about the brands and items Harbor Freight carries, like the Bauer line of power tools or everyday basics like wood glue and pipe caps.

When you're on the hunt for a new drill, generator, or paint sprayer, companies like Harbor Freight give you multiple options. Your first priority is to see what's out there; the second priority is to narrow down your options. This can be easier said than done, but Harbor Freight adds a shortcut with its Product Selector feature.

On the Harbor Freight website, you can filter your options on a wide range of product categories to avoid the overwhelm that comes with making a big buying decision. Click on a main category of your choice (like generators, welders, or polishers), then answer a series of questions for that category. For example, using the Generator selector, you'll answer questions like what you plan to use the generator for, items you'll plug into the generator, and preferences for power type and noise level. Each question works off the previous question and will only show you product options that fit your needs. This can take a lot of pressure off making the right choice, plus it gives you a real apples-to-apples comparison of viable solutions rather than every product in the category.

When the tools and gear you need aren't in the budget, Harbor Freight makes it easy to come back to them. You can create a free account on the website and add items to your shopping list as you find them. It's a more organized method than paper and pen, plus you have the benefit of checking items off your list as you purchase them.

Your online list can also serve as a way to organize your future purchases. At a glance, you can see things like pricing and whether there are any coupons available. If you have family members on the hunt for a gift idea, share your list with them so they'll be sure to get you something you'll actually use. Shopping lists are free to create, and you can add to them or delete items at any time. Just tap the heart icon on each product listing to add it to a list, or tap the heart again to deactivate it. Plus, you never have to worry about accidentally throwing it away or spilling something on it.

Like most stores these days, Harbor Freight has its own app that improves the way you shop online or in the store. The app is free to download and gives you everything from pricing to coupons to wish lists, all on your phone.

Just like on the website, you can use the app to search and shop by department. You'll see things like real-time pricing and store availability, along with where items are located in the store. If you want to use coupons, you can access and save coupons to the app and scan them at the register (no more cutting physical coupons and then forgetting them at home). And if you have a Harbor Freight account, you can retrieve your wish lists on your phone and add to or edit them as you shop. The app also has a ton of other helpful content, like demo videos for Harbor Freight tools and a barcode scanner that shares product information on your phone.