Kelly Robertson
You can’t but love Ikea. Not all of their stuff is great, but things they sell are rock-solid and, perhaps more importantly – affordable. And they keep innovating, all while delivering an amazing shopping experience.
Whether you’re buying stuff for yourself or for someone else, these tips could help you shave a few (dozen) dollars off your next Ikea purchase. Here are…
10 Ways to Save Money at Ikea
These are easy-to-grasp tips every Ikea fan should try…
1. Search for yellow and red tags
While browsing an Ikea store, look for yellow and red tags. The former mark “last chance” products, which will no longer be carried in the store in order to make room for new inventory. So if you like some product with this tag, grab it ASAP. On the other hand, red tags could mark either Family offers or “Weekly Specials”. Either way, this is how Ikea communicates special prices of certain products, so do check ’em out.
2. Enjoy complimentary child care
Ikea is about gathering families for shopping, hence they want to make sure you are comfortable while browsing around their shelves. To that end, the company is offering a complimentary hour and a half of free daycare in their “Småland,” which is a supervised play area near the entrance. In order to get this, your child must be potty trained and 37 to 54 inches tall.
3. Sign-up for the Ikea Family rewards program
Speaking of families, there is a program dedicated to them. Called Ikea Family, it includes a number of perks like discounts and special offers, as well as free coffee or tea in the Ikea Restaurant, an extra 30 minutes in Småland, and a one-time buy-one-get-one coupon for a frozen yogurt cone in the Ikea Bistro. Also, as an Ikea Family member, you are eligible to enter a monthly drawing for a $100 gift card.
4. Take advantage of Ikea’s price adjustment policy
Available to the Ikea Family members, this is one of best price adjustment policies around. If a product which you’ve purchased using your Ikea Family card goes on sale at a lower price any time within 90 days after the purchase, simply bring in your receipt, and the store will refund you the difference.
5. Kids eat free on Tuesdays
Arguably the best day to visit an Ikea store with children is Tuesday — that’s when you can score a free kids meal in the Ikea Restaurant. The company is actually offering two free kids meals for children 12 and under for each single adult entree. You get to choose between several kids meals — including grilled chicken, chicken meatballs, Swedish meatballs, chicken tenders, and organic pasta.
6. Shop the “as-is” section
Here’s the place where bargain hunters gather. Items in this section have been returned, used as display products, or are slightly damaged; and Ikea must sell them for less. The best day to browse the “as-is” section is Monday, since most people have used the weekend to return items.
7. Sign up for Ikea’s moving program
And get a $25 credit, plus $25 off your next purchase of $250 or more. The program is designed to help you streamline your moving to another home, and includes a series of alerts that will keep you on track prior to your move. Also provided are checklists so you don’t forget anything.
8. Buy pre-owned gift cards
This is one of those general pieces of advice you could use for just about any store. Pre-owned gift cards are those that were given to someone and for one reason or another that person decided to sell it off. So he/she turned to the site like Gift Card Granny and Raise, where you can grab such cards for less. Right now, Ikea’s gift cards are available with a discount of around 6 percent, though that number changes on an almost daily basis. (Related: 7 Gift Card Hacks to Help You Save Money)
9. Download Ikea’s mobile apps
Ikea has two mobile apps, IKEA Store and IKEA Catalog, both of which could make your Ikea shopping that much easier. The former (iTunes link, Google Play link) is the one that could help you save, as well as better organize your shopping at Ikea, featuring everything from planning your visit to finding and remembering everything when you get there. Also, it will keep you up to date with events, offers and new products.
10. Follow Ikea on Social Media
This is where you can scoop additional deals and other special offers. Ikea is present on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube. Make sure to follow, like and subscribe to their stuff to be among the first ones to know when the deal is on.
Final word
As noted in the introduction, Ikea is getting better with the day. And with the tips outlined in this article, you can save on your next visit to a local Ikea store. Or online at its website.
If you have anything else to add, feel free to do so in the comments section below. Being an Ikea fan myself, I can’t wait to learn a new trick or two. Thanks. 😉
