How to wall mount cheap power strips and add electrical outlets where you want as much as you want

I want to add electrical outlets and usb charging ports in a lot of places around the house for portable computers, tablets, phones and such. I have been thinking for years but no cost effective solutions.

Adding inside wall mount outlets is the ultimate solution but they are actually not cheap, and a lot of hassle to open up the dry wall. With a cheap oscillator tool and a bundled wall cutter, it's trivial to open up the drywall, but you still have dust and you have to paint over patches that isn't covered by the new wall socket plates.

USB in wall sockets are way over priced, considering that adaptors comes "free" with your device. I don't think they can fast charge the iPad's while some high current charger for the iPad's may damage your Android phone (I've heard).

Power strips are attractive. In the same spot you may need an outlet for the computer, an USB for the phone and one for a tablet. With the extension cord, basically you can add them where you want them. But the problem is, the mounting holes are trash. I've been using them for years. It's only OK if you leave it on the ground or hang over some screws. If you need to plug and unplug occasionally, they just come off from the mounting screws.

In the past, you can open up the power strip, screw the bottom onto the wall securely, and then put the cover back on with screws. For reasons of safety or cost, they don't do it anymore, at least not on a few dollar power strips.

All of a sudden, it dawned on me that I can sacrifice two earth pins as the mounting holes. If you mount the strip on a vertical stud, it will never come off. As they are mostly for electronics, the earth pins are never used.

If you have doubts, unscrew the strip and take a look inside if it is possible and safe to wall mount like that. But for the cheap strips from hardware store, you can do it easily and safely.

The earth pin socket are usually connected by two horizontal rails on the sides of the socket, with nothing blocking the bottom housing. A screw will pass through the plastic bottom and straight into the wall.

By construction, the earth pin will be well isolated from the other pins so after mounting, the screws will still only be connected to earth. You don't worry about exposed earth because some appliances with metal cases are just earthed outside. Earth is a safety pin and normally nothing happens over it. You can also cover the screw with a piece of insulating electrical tape of the same color.

No, cheap outlets don't have USB's but USB adaptors/chargers are cheap and plentiful. Pick some with national lab certified. If you want, you can glue it on the power strip too.