18 IKEA Shopping Tips That Will Save You Time And Money

What's big and blue and stressful all over?

Alice Mongkongllite / BuzzFeed / Via Flickr: nkeppol / Creative Commons

1. Sign up for IKEA's moving program and get $25 off your next purchase of $250 or more.

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2. Get an IKEA family card for discounts (especially if you have kids).

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Grab a plastic loyalty card at the front of the store and you’ll get free coffee or tea when you visit the restaurant (but not in a to-go cup, unfortunately).

Not only do you get discounts of seasonal items up to 25%, but you'll also get BOGO free frozen yogurt when you pick up your card for the first time.

3. You also get free breakfast on Mondays before 11am.

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With your IKEA family card, through 3/30/2015.

4. And kids eat free on Tuesdays.

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With your IKEA family card, through 3/30/2015.

5. Shop the As-Is section on Wednesdays and get an additional 10% off.

Peggy Wang

Every frugal shopper knows that's where the real deals are anyway.

You just need to flash your IKEA family card.

6. But if you want the best stuff, check out the As-Is section on a Monday.

Most people return stuff on the weekends, so the stock will be bigger and not as picked over.

7. Look for those yellow LAST CHANCE tags.

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That means the item has been marked down from already low prices.

8. If you get your stuff home and are missing parts, don't go back to IKEA.

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Figure out the missing part number (listed in the assembly instructions) and call your local store to ask for replacements. They'll mail you what you need.

9. If you've got DIY in your DNA, head to the Handyman Corner for drawer fronts and shelves that you could cobble into something great.

Peggy Wang

You might even score some solid wood cabinet doors for $2 apiece (they're normally anywhere from $40-$60).

10. Make your shopping list online and print out a copy.

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If you make a shopping list on the Ikea website, you can have your items sorted in the order in which they can be found in the warehouse.

11. Enter through the exit door.

Once you've made your shopping list, there's no need to get seduced by the showroom or the marketplace. Go through the exit door and you'll land yourself right at the warehouse, with all the right aisle and bin numbers for everything you need.

12. Take advantage of Småland if you have children.

The first hour is free, and you get an extra thirty minutes if you're an IKEA family member.

13. Buy IKEA on Amazon for little to no shipping on multitudes of items.

Via kottke.org

The items are from third party sellers and are sometimes marked up, so buy at your own risk. But it's another option if the item you want ends up costing upwards of $139 to ship.

14. Buy wedding or party decorations like candles and frames at IKEA.

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IKEA is the cheapest place to find things like pillar candles ($1.99 for a set of 4).

15. Check out the remnant bin for incredibly cheap fabric.

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Remnants are especially great for making children's clothing, like this blogger did here.

16. Make your furniture last longer with wood glue.

This especially helps if, say, a shelf feels wobbly once you've put it together. However, just be aware that using glue will make it that much harder to dismantle for a future move.

17. Look out for the (up to) 20% off kitchen sale if you're in the market for new cabinets or appliances.

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This sale happens about 3-4 times a year, but it's actually going on practically year round if you factor in the 90-day price protection you get with an IKEA Family membership. (You have to make your purchase as an IKEA Family transaction.)

So if you miss the sale, there should be another one within three months. You can simply take your receipt to customer service and get a credit for the discount.

18. Make returns first thing in the morning.

IKEA. It's kind of like the DMV.

Since it's a take-your-ticket-and-sit-your-ass-down system, you want to get there before the line gets way out of control. Especially since making returns/exchanges are such a pain to do in the first place.

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