Furnishing your home doesn’t have to break the bank. Use these little-known tips to do it at Ikea on a budget.
1 / 8SIMON BELCHER/IMAGEBROKER/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
Join Ikea’s Loyalty Program
Like many stores, a major way to save at Ikea is by joining their loyalty program, Ikea Family. You’ll get discounts on certain menu items at the Ikea restaurant, as well as an extra 30 minutes in Smaland, the store’s supervised children’s play area. Arguably the biggest perk is members-only prices on a different department (say, artwork or office accessories) each month. Make sure you sign up for email alerts to stay in the loop. By the way, this is the best time to go to Ikea.
2 / 8REBECCA VALE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
Shop the As-Is Section
Ikea’s as-is section is half clearance department, half-island of misfit toys. You’ll find returned, damaged and previously displayed items at steep discounts. Go on a Monday morning to get first dibs on items customers returned over the weekend. “Obviously, those items can’t be returned,” notes David Bakke, shopping expert at Money Crashers. So make sure you’re not making too many impulse buys. Don’t miss these other Ikea secrets employees won’t tell you.