When using a Gift Card to make a purchase at Home Depot, ask a cashier to charge at least a few dollars to the credit card you normally use.

When returning unused or faulty items (please don't use an item and return it if its not faulty) Home Depot will scan your credit card for purchases and find the item if you cannot find the receipt. You can then either have money returned to card OR get a gift card if the purchase was too long ago. When doing large projects this is a huge timesaver. DIYers know that you can have dozens of reciepts from even a simple job. Additionally, if your card is tied to an email in the system for an electronic reciept you will have the electronic record.

It's a great practice, other hardware places might do this also. However, if you make a purchase with a gift card they cannot locate it without the card. If the item was purchased there, but is no longer in stock (or has been "updated") the cashier may not be able to refund or credit your purchase. However, if you out just a small portion on your card, you will have the card record in the system and emailed automatically to you. If you only use the gift card to purchase, make sure you enter the email to make sure you get that record.

Little things add up in a build. My home depot is 35 minutes away. So I buy multiple electric boxes, pipe fittings, screws, nails, braces, supports, etc. These cheap purchases over time add up. I did a one hour return after a full studio remodel. Some purchases were over a year old, but still new in package. Because everything was on the same credit card I got money returned or store credit. That one return of multiple small items got me over $1000 in returns.