I'm generally *not* a fan of the "home grown points" cards, but...

...there are some out there that count home improvement stores in their "bonus" category.

You may be able to use one of these cards to rack a 2 to 4 percent discount in the form of credit card points - even if you're doing that spending through some sort of online rebate or mileage portal. (I might be a bit hesitant on gift cards unless they're actually posted as a purchase from Home Depot.)

The catch on all of the home grown points programs is that I'm pretty sure every one I've ever belonged to has either changed its rules over time to make it less rewarding or ceased operation entirely. So I'd only participate if you have quick but high-value uses on the redemption side.

For example, these programs that basically turn your points into credit towards airline tickets: make sure you're periodically using the credit to get airline tickets. I'm still a member of Thankyou Points for another year or so (talk about a program that massively devalued)...the instant I hit about $100 worth of TYP, I get it out in the form of my next needed MCI-ORD or MCI-DEN one-way flight. That way if Citi ever refuses to waive the annual fee for participating in this lame-duck program, I can just walk away with nothing left on the table.