I recommend walking by the Cull lumber whenever you go into a HD or lowes. I just got 2 half sheets of pegboard for .$51 each. Nothing wrong with them (except the green spraypaint ;) ). I also got 1/2 sheet of PT 3/4 ply for $.51 - the other half was damaged (it was probably still worth it).
Our lumber yard cleans out culls every once in a while. I got a couple units of lumber - for about 1/2 price or less. I used a lot of the twisty stuff on the deer fence - a lot was straight to fairly straight. Used some for concrete forms too.
Humm isn't all of Home Despots lumber cull :-/ ;D
You're such a realist, PEG. Let's play pretend. Then lets pretend that the lumber grade stamps mean something too.
I'm with PEG on this one. I'm very lucky to have two local lumber mills that price some stuff so cheap I feel guilty about them killing the tree. I had to get 3 18' 6x6 posts (rough cut hemlock) to put up a sign and they were $28 each.
It never hurts to ask if you see a damaged piece. A couple of years ago, I was building some oak cabinets for our kitchen. Our local Menard's (Northern Lowe's) had a 4 x 8 3/4" Oak plywood that some yahoo had used as a work bench while sawing. Had a kerf mark on the bad side.
I talked to the manager and got it for $5.00. Filled in the Kerf with wood putty, and laid it out so you would never see the fix.
Worked for me!