in my opinion the most underrated expensive small thing in a hardware store (aleast in lowes and HD) are.....sawzall blades

if you go the section you will find blades that are$15-20 each...each!!! you can fit alot pf sawzall blades in your pocket and no tags

thanks i will pick up a few of these next time i do a home depot run...

you got to watch out with the self checkout...they have a camera watching your hands as they pass over the scanner...and it knows what you are scanning incase you try switching barcodes ...the camera is very details...like lets say you have 3 packs of fishing hooks in your hand and only scan one they can see it...how do i know? been caught twice...both times i just paid for alot of stuff so couldnt just walk away from the basket...

walmart prosecutes if the total of the items is over $60 they won't let you pay for it even if you play dumb

one thing to note is dont carry an ID if you do then they will have a picture of you...i dont know about all this facial recognition stuff people talk about but when i got caught the second time they couldnt even find the first time till i gave the cops my ID number..they didnt even have a picture of me

now if you leave it in the cart then put it in a bag of stuff you already scanned that seems to work but they got cameras on that too if they want...as long as you arent targeted while shopping you are good but if jot they watch you till you leave

btw in texas 3 theft charges/tickets is a felony even if they are under $100

just put one in a cart and walkout the garden section when the cashier is busy...home depot is even easier

No worries man...I have been caught by Walmart before and cops were called...I had to pay like a 200 dollar fine ...I even kinda just chatted with the cops as they did the paper work...I got the whole spill...you can never come back to the store...we have facial recognition software...if you ever come back....blah blah blah....I did stay away for about 3 months and now I go there regularly and still lift alittle...not like I use to but different tactic...no one has ever stopped me again....

I think all that is just talk to scare you

Nope I have found that the "entrance" doors and alot of lumber sections exits either don't have alarms...or arent turned on....because I have gotten to the house and opened multiple things and found tags in them....like two days ago...walked out with a basket full (again) 2 Ryobi brushless sawzalls...the special two battery pack...2 HP4ah batteries,...a 40v weedeater...some plant stuff...pack of multi too blades a rivet gun ...and others...I know some of that has tags and not a peep....

Lowes on the other hand I only use the big bay door if open or garden section...when the alarm sound at Lowes it locks that door ..happen to me once...turned around and walked out of garden section

Appreciate the tips ...I think you gave me the confidence push I needed....that pretty much how I got a 18v and a,40v mower...alot of it is about confidence....

I understand what you are saying about the sercuirty and I have had to leave a few carts behind cuz I had that feeling... But every time I go in there on my toes every time I leave I'm still amazed.... Probably jinxing myself but every time I go in there waiting for somebody to stop me at that door and nobody does... Yesterday I walked right past the Home Depot employee at the door I only had one thing in my hand but I still walk right past him he didn't say nothing....

I keep telling myself it's because I am not trying to get rich off of doing this but instead getting what I need and to help others ...a guy helped meove a playground and he mentioned needinga 40v weedeat so on the way home I stop and pick one up including numerous other thing ...

For the generator I will probably travel so I have a fresh place and fresh eyes watching....

Can I message you on here or somewhere else? Kinda want to pick your brain

Didn't find @sh0plifting

I too am amazed and I am the person that walked out (figuratively ...not the actual person )...I know alot of garden sections don't and neither do the "entrance" door which I use alot as an exit door....but I know Lowes alarm works....the alarm actually closes the door and they won't open...happen to me one time and I just turn d around and went to garden section and pushed my basket all the way to the car lol

Ok so not to toot my own horn but I have walked out of HD with so much it's not even funny anymore...well it's still funny...I just walk in grab a cart (be on your phone so you look distracted) go to an aisle with cheaper stuff on it to hopfully deter sercuirty from watching you( not that I am sure if they have any) grab your drill and batteries (currently Ryobi days...buy batteries get tool for free) walk around a bit...keep an eye on the entrance door and lumber section...circle back around to entrance door if noone is standing there and walk out to your car like you own the place...I have about 15 Ryobi tools and got them all plus extra batteries like this...heck last week a friend of mine needed a mower so I walked in put the 18v one in a cart and walked out...2 days later I didn't like how the 18v wAs preforming so I walk d in and graded the self propelled 40V put it on a flat cart and walked out

I can now say you are correct withe store credit issue which sucks...you can't order online with it either...

I love their "entrance" door...who designs a store like that...almost never anyone there towards the evening...that's how I got my family our Christmas decorations a couple times I walked in to get something for a job not even thinking about lifting...walk in...tell my self hey no one at the door...turn around and grab a cart...it amazing when multiple times no one see you or says anything I am surprised everytime

I saw the loading gate opportunity on the lumber side of a lowes once...(needed a expanding foam gun to insulate my house better) ...I didn't expect it but I got greeding hoping to take full advantage but didn't know they didn't leave it open by the time I circled back around it was closed...the loading gate seemed to me the only opening in the store to do that sort of thing but maybe I should should look at the garden centers better...

I have mostly been lifting out of necessity (I guess we all kinda are?) Trying to start my own handyman/ residential construction company...but guess I need to also focus on making some extra cash...didn't get a tiller I got other things, big box of screws and box of nails for my nail gun, foam gun and foam...the tiller box was just too big and did t have the guts

I have now went back to that store a few times..not lifted anything but no one said anything

Just started getting my feet wet but some of yalls post is my goal...I don't want to be rich i just want to be able to get what my family wants...

Damn I knew I should have just booked it ...I was thinking they would write my lience player number and call it in to the cops then I would get pulled over and then they would get me with theft...any chance I can fight the ban or ticket? What do you mean by shop light? And I did "try" and scan most of the stuff...its was only like 4 items...there was a bag of weed and feed under the cart that I "forgot" was under there

I have been using self checkout for a while now...usually will have two or three things in my hand...scan one...never had issue with the weight...will sometimes have my GF block line of sight of the baskets or bags...been caught one but just said I didn't realize I didn't scan it...was caught another time trying to conceal in a backpack but I was sloppy as soon as I walked in the door...

Like the switching barcodes idea and stuffing bedding...

But I am curious...

How do you deactivate the sensors on items (the little white things with strips of metal in them)...just a strong magnet scrambles them? (I was working on my circlar saw the other day and found one in the handle lol)

When you do a walk out with a cart do you bag everything with store bags that you bring in? Do you just walk through an empty checkout isle so you look like you are coming from checking out?

What the best way to deal with stuff in spider wire? Leave it and deal with it later?

My father in law has a friend that could walk out or somehow get like a full Makita cordless set...how? Just grab a box and walk out and hope no one stops to make sure you paid for it? Home Depot and Lowe's watch thier self checkout like a hawk.....Wouldn't even mind some Walmart power tools (mostly for myself) but not sure how to smoothly do it...one at a time or a few at a time...thinking about doing self checkout and forget to scan them

Thanks for any advice