How to survive a couples trip to Ikea
After a recent trip to Ikea I’ve fallen back in love with the Swedish furniture company but have decided you need a game plan before you go with your other half.
My husband and I didn’t used to live near an Ikea so we’d never actually been in one together.
He suggested one Saturday afternoon that we go “for a look around” so off we popped in my car the thirty minute journey to our local store.
In a surprise to absolutely no one, Ikea which jokingly refers to certain products as “husband killers,” can be bad for relationships.
We’ve survived building flat-pack furniture together but a simple journey to Ikea was almost a disaster – we survived (just about).
I don’t know if it’s just our Ikea but blimey it’s difficult to actually get to the customer parking.
The sat nav unhelpfully takes you behind the big blue building of doom – to the delivery entrance.
So after driving aimlessly around the back of the building, I decided it was best to ring my superhero mam to ask her how the heck we get in.
I turned the car around in a desperate search for the bright lights of ASDA as she promised me the car park is just behind the supermarket.
After what felt like a lifetime we eventually found ourselves wandering around the massive store.
Ikea literally has everything.
Plastic bags for food prep – check.
Furniture for your entire house – check.
Plants and outside furniture for your garden – check.
Stationary and wrapping paper – check.
Gifts for all the family – check.
Amazing and cheap scented candles – check.
I mean seriously they do everything – even food at the deli on the way out! I left with a clear makeup organiser (reduced from £15 to less than a tenner) and a really handy triple USB plug and thankfully no divorce on the cards.
What I bought at Ikea
Needless to say he drove back and we’re trying to erase the painful memories!
Before we head off to Ikea again perhaps we should take the Buzzfeedquiz to check if our relationship can survive a trip to Ikea.
Here’s some tips to survive a couples trip to Ikea
- Don’t go when you’re hungry (unless you grab some food from the cafe straight away)
- Don’t go when you’re tired (unless you have a sneaky nap on the comfy display furniture)
- Don’t go when you’re stressed (unless you go and sniff all the amazing scented candles)
- Go with the knowledge that you just have to go all the way around Ikea because the only way out is through
- Accept that you will buy something (probably stuff you don’t need but will love)
- Find out how you actually get there and parked (believe me this is stressful)
- Don’t go during peak times (eg new catalogue launch day, Saturday day time, near Christmas)
- Go when it’s a bit quieter (later on a Saturday and just evenings in general really)
- Do get a big yellow bag to put your items in otherwise your arms will get tired from trying to hold everything and you’ll end up dropping stuff
- Remember a trip to Ikea can be stressful but just take some comfort knowing that almost all couples will argue because of Ikea and that’s ok.
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Anyone else have any wonderful memories of couple trips to Ikea they’d like to share? Share the love in the comments below.
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Ikea are building a new store in Exeter. My wife is excited by this prospect as Exeter is only one hour away rather than Bristol being next nearest at two and a fair bit hours away.
It leaves me nonplussed, simply because there is no such thing as ‘a couples trip to Ikea’ in this household.
Haha 😂 I love that. Ikea is amazing but my god I’ve actually never seen a couple not arguing or shooting daggers at each other inside. It’s a serious test to everyone’s sanity!
As the saying goes, if a marriage can survive a trip to Ikea, it can survive anything. I’ve just made that up of course, but it really should be a saying by now.
Haha it absolutely should be a saying you’re right. We argued before we’d even got in the store. Just finding the actual entrance stressed us to the max.
I can just imagine!
My first wife made me take her to Ikea. I’ll let that ‘first’ sink in which might explain the ‘first’ comment. 😉
Oh dear!!
Ha ha Bryntin! Stay away! My husband and I went once and neither of us have any desire to return! My daughters love it though!
I have never been to IKEA! Been perusing the website for a while for furniture. Nearest shops to me are a good 2-3 hours away!
Their stock is great it’s just a whole different experience going to an actual store!
Haha I’ve gone to the Ikea near me only a handful of times. I think there is a way to avoid going through all of the show rooms. Instead of entering right you take a left (at least for mine) plus you can stop by the warehouse section if you know the Aisle/Bin# of the item you want. I looked it up online before going in, most recently to get my 60 lb.+ Alexa 5 unit drawers for makeup storage that every beauty guru swears by. Now the parking lot looks like an Airport…
Excellent trick might have to try that for next time. To be honest I like going in the show rooms! But if you’re in a bit more of a rush a targeted approach like that is best!
Great tips–I have even had a few issues when going to IKEA with a friend! I always pack my patience when I go and set expectation before hand. Is this a look around? Or a hunt and retrieve sort of trip? Oh, IKEA, you are great and terrible at the same time!
Haha I know. I’ve spoken to loads of friends about it before I wrote the post and some even go solo now after so many arguments. Ikea is wonderful and frustrating all at the same time!!
Thanks for this useful notes. I did contemplate a visit but kept putting it off. maybe, just maybe I will now do it with this in mind.
Just go with a game plan. Once we were in we were ok!
Yup yup, just need to get my game plan ready 🙂
I wish we had an Ikea near us as everyone is always raving about how cheap it is. Such a great post
Thank you 😊
Thankfully, I’m yet to have an eventful couples trip to IKEA. My biggest problem at the moment is going and wanting to buy all the furniture and completely do-over my whole house. I think I need a guide on how to survive that! Great post though,
Zara xx
We all need that. We get the catalogue delivered now as we live nearer a store which makes me want to buy everything!! 😂
I love Ikea!!
We have a rather large IKEA open up near us early this year and people were stuck in a 4 he traffic jam to leave and enter, that completely put me off so needless to say I haven’t yet been. It’s funny, we were discussing today taking the trip on the weekend 😂
Shevy
http://moonsomnia.com
Make sure you have a plan when you go otherwise you’ll hate it. It’s great when you get in though. So much stuff and the staged rooms are amazing!!
My nearest IKEA is quite a trek so thankfully don’t go all that often but I can barely survive a trip alone never mind with anyone else, especially when you’re looking for a particular item.
‘Have you seen this?’
‘We’re looking for….whatever’
‘What about that?’
‘THIS SHOP IS HUGE LET ME FIND THAT THING FIRST’
Usually how it goes for me x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
My husband’s very lucky that he’s never had to visit an Ikea. I usually go on my own or with my mum (but I still manage to get lost!)
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It’s so easy to get lost! Thanks for stopping by 😊
Good tips. My husband and I have managed several trips to IKEA. We always start by having breakfast in the IKEA, then we do the wander through. We both handle the stress better with a full belly.
That’s a great plan. Never go in hungry!
Great post. I’ve not been to Ikea for a while – found it a total stress. But might venture back. The makeup organiser looks great! Thanks
Anyone who can survive Ikea geta my vote! I’ve only been in there once and couldn’t find my way out which was slightly anxiety-provoking!
Bless you. It’s very confusing once you’re inside!! X
ha ha! good one…”don’t go hungry”
We LOVE Ikea. The closest one is 3 hours away, so we go with a purpose and a plan, and we make a day of it!
That’s the best way!! X
The IKEA here in Romania is a welcome reprieve from clutter and disorganization (sounds like it might be a bit different from yours). Easy to navigate, uber- easy to find what we need, and what we don’t need, but still manage to buy.
But your point about having to go ALL THE WAY through the store to get out is so true.
It isn’t cluttered or disorganised here it’s just people move things around when shopping and it’s just so huge that I think it stresses shoppers out. 😊
We used to play a game that we invented called the IKEA challenge. It involved scoring each other based on criteria like how well we stuck to our shopping list, how often we lost our temper – and many of the things in your post. Perhaps you and I should get together and make a commercial version – to sell in IKEA of course;)
What a great idea for a game. Haha we should! 😊
Our first trip there as s couple was seven years ago with a hangover 🤤🤤 still not better of It!!
Oh dear I bet that was awful. Did you get any food from the cafe to help fight the hangover?
Great tips. I usually try to take the better half when at times when It’s not too busy. IKEA is only 15 minutes away, so if It’s bad we don’t go in.
A very clever plan!
Great tips or couple trips to the furniture giants…..though they are not present in very widely accessible ways here in India, but I loved your anecdotal writing on the issue….:)
Thank you for stopping by 😊
I dont know why but i love going to ikea ! Im definitely guilty of going there when I’m hungry though, I just love all the Swedish treats 😅
I do too haha 🤣
I used to think couples trips to Ikea were tough. Then I took my four year old and my two year old with me….
Oh gosh. Bedlam I bet!
Hi there Rachel, I like your thoughts on this and they help. But on the basis of the times I’ve had to go and that IKEA seem to recognise that husband’s hate the place. Simply don’t go! ☺️
We went back this week and actually Steve was more enthusiastic than me! I think it’s going with the right mindset and a purpose. We had a list!
Wow… That’s amazing. I don’t think I have ever actually wanted to go! Lol
HaHa #11 Do have a blast putting one piece of furniture together, pour a glass of wine or put out a plate of chocolate, and just have a go of it. Before and after photos are nice too.
Absolutely! We had fun yesterday with our purchases from Ikea yesterday. Chocolate definitely helped and we took pics lol.
I have never been to IKEA but I’ve heard it’s super cheap and all.
Someday, soon.
Love the post. 🙂
Ha! Your title caught my eye and I had to read because my wife and I are heading to IKEA today! Wish me luck!
I hope you guys are prepared haha good luck!
We just got an IKEA in our area. Before that it was at least a 15 hour drive. I have been there once and WOW followed the feet on the floor and yes they have it that you have to go through it to get out. Went with friend so no stress just WHAT!!
Haha it is a very odd experience lol
I’ve never been to Ikea, but I sure would like to go sometime. I’ve heard so much about it. Thanks for the tips. I’ve bookmarked them for when I drag hubby to the store. 😉
Ah excellent 😊
I have never been to IKEA. I say every year I really want the ikea experience, but there aren’t any really close to me so I never get around to it. Maybe next year I will!
It’s brilliant but can be a bit stressful!
Could have done with this earlier in the week when we went we son number 1 to buy shelving……came back with all sorts of weird things along with several bags of meatballs and a couple of Swedish puds!!
I’m in IKEA right now! We’re probably about to do the same lol
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