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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to go to Ikea, even though it's dangerous...

101 replies

JackBauer · 22/01/2009 14:17

All I want is a few metres of their fabrics.
That's all.
No funky kitchen gadgets
No cool toys.
No 'little things I never knew I wanted'

The style of fabric I want can only be from Ikea, I very rarely go past on my own (DH less that is) and DD's and I are going to be coming home past Cardiff on Monday. We could stop for lunch which would mean I wouldn't have to rush home to cook.

But how do I stop myself buying everything I see browsing.

it's a problem.

OP posts:
stealthsquiggle · 26/01/2009 10:15

JackB - while you're there - may I commend to you the ikea saucepan sets - most played-with toy bar none in this household, and still going strong after 4 years...
[evil cackle]

giantkatestacks · 26/01/2009 10:31

and you can never have too many multicoloured beakers

5inthebed · 26/01/2009 10:31

JB - Isnt the toy bit in the (gulp) middle of Ikea, which willmean you have to go through half the shop first?

Good luck!

hifi · 26/01/2009 10:36

im going in an hour for a lamp thats it.

ninedragons · 26/01/2009 10:38

The Ikea in Shanghai looks exactly the same as every other one in the world, except it's full of old people perched on all the sofas and beds enjoying the free air conditioning.

I am going to get an Ikea kitchen because they're cheap and apparently very good quality, but I don't buy the bits and pieces. They're so distracting. When we were looking at houses to buy I just kept thinking hey! we have that dish rack!

NuttyTaff · 26/01/2009 10:44

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duchesse · 26/01/2009 10:47

Oh come on! Who can resist the lure of a 6 foot stuffed mummy crocodile with a baby velcroed to her mouth?

giantkatestacks · 26/01/2009 10:52

how can you impulse buy a sofa? I mean its not like a Wispa by the checkouts is it?

NuttyTaff · 26/01/2009 10:56

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pookamoo · 26/01/2009 10:56

And do you all know that 2 kids meals at ikea are cheaper than 1 regular adult meal but you get more food plus fruit with those?

DH and I are often to be seen with 4 brightly coloured plates of meatballs between us in ikea despite the fact dd is only 8 weeks old!

ShrinkingViolet · 26/01/2009 10:56

my dad had only ever been to the Croydon IKEA (which has huge big towers - old electricity generating pace or somehting i think). He got really confused driving round Edinburgh trying to find the IEKA there, but couldn't see the towers, so was convinced he was in the wrong place. Poor mum couldn't presuade him that the towers were not a desing feature of all IKEAs.

MrsMills · 26/01/2009 10:58

The ds's school bear (you know the one that comes home with a child every weekend), is actually one of those stuffed rats from Ikea, called Fergie.

No, I don't know either.

Almeida · 26/01/2009 10:58

Went to ikea last week & was in & out in 30mins. Just looked at the things on my list, they weren't right for us so I left empty handed!

MrsMills · 26/01/2009 11:01
Wonderstuff · 26/01/2009 11:10

I went to Wembley last week, it was bigger than I remember! I was very good and only looked at what I was supposed to, wanted little chair for dd, I had limited time, was feeling all smug but of course I got to the end and said chair was out of stock! Luckily I was with my dad who hadn't forgotten glasses has better eyesight than me and spotted an alternative stacked in the wrong place! It was then I remembered you buy all that crap at the marketplace so at least you don't leave empty handed when you find they have sold out of whatever it is you went in for. There food puts McD's to shame though

snorris · 26/01/2009 11:14

I've started browsing the website in preparation for the Southampton one opening . Maybe we should have a MN meet-up there .

tinseltot · 26/01/2009 11:20

Ooooh the hour is nearing now. Dd#1 in preschool now and we are setting off to ikea after lunch.

Am loving pookamoo's tip re the kids meals working out better value. I may well try that out as we will be having tea there.

I know well the stuffed rat mentioned above (ours is called Rattie). The girls love it. Think it cost £1.99 so was hard to say no to it! We also have the long green dragon that they used to make (think it has been replaced by stuffed snakes now?). It's called chips and hangs on the girls' bedroom ceiling. Tis a faithful friend. All the toys are so reasonably priced compared to elsewhere.

Jack you will defo struggle in the toy department. Prob best to go in wearing blinkers, should make it a little less tempting.

Will report back this evening or tomorrow re how the visit goes. Found myself thinking about kids bunk beds last night as i tried to go to sleep.......

xx

Peabody · 26/01/2009 11:22

I have never been to Ikea. DH and I have made a pact to never never go. We drive past it every week and give thanks that we don't have to enter the blue gates of hell. Abandon all your money, all ye who enter here...

Wonderstuff · 26/01/2009 11:24

I am very excited about Southampton. Though DH and I have had some of our worst arguments in ikea, on particularly awful one was with my dad there too, not knowing where to put himself, the phrase 'I don't care which bloody set of drawers we get just pick one' was used at volume.
I think we have sussed it now the rules are:
Wonderstuff must not be hungry on entering
Mr Wonder must have a fag before we go in
Wonderstuff must get food before the self service nightmare
Mr Wonder is allowed to go and get a fag while Wonderstuff queues up.

We did that last time and did actually find it quite romantic. We are in a 1bed atm I can't wait until we move and I can kit out a nursery for dd, can't tell you how excited I am about the prospect. (she is 14mo so long overdue a bedroom)

gingerwench · 26/01/2009 13:43

I can't imagine IKEA as a site of romance. Quite the opposite in fact. IKEA is quite close to where we live now and even without a long drive to get there we always check that we are both feeling up for it and the possibility of a "domestic". DH and I hardly ever row but have come close on previous IKEA trips.

Ozziegirly · 27/01/2009 01:17

I am a very calm person but DH and I pretty much always argue in Ikea. If we have to go in now, we always have to say "I love you" before we go in. It's like the maze in Harry Potter "It changes you"......

Dh is now resigned to the money we will spend and just carries the yellow bag and goes round flinging in hangers, candles, kitchen rubbish and storage boxes.

Our bed is from Ikea though and I love it. Really comfy.

tinseltot · 27/01/2009 10:40

Well the ikea trip was fab!

Managed to spend only about £25 in the main shop and £6 in the food shop.

We got 2 little lamps for above our bed (reading lights), some mini dime bars, and a fab organiser shelf to go inside a wardrobe (it was on offer at half price). Also got some dime bar chocolate and a lovely dime bar almondy cake. Tis my 32nd birthday tomorrow and will use it for my b'day cake .

We also decided that we are getting a lovely huge new mirrored wardrobe for our bedroom and a bunk bed for the spare room. The girls can use it when they are older. Will order these online tho this week. Cannot believe what good value ikea is. The bunk beds in habitat were £600. The ikea the one we want is £96! Granted the habitat one was nicer, but not 6 times as nice, certainly not worth £500 pounds more!

Had a lovely time in cafe too. Only marred by DP licking the kids leftover jam (from their kids boxes) out of the containers - yuk.
Other than that twas very romantic! Lots of kissing and cuddling. I even got to lie down in the matress section for 15 mins for a rest. Ikea must be the only shop around where no-one bats at eyelid at a chubby heavily pregnant woman laid out! Also love the family toilet where all the family can go at once. DP announced that the family room always puts him in a good mood! A lot easier than battling away on your own with 2 kids in a tiny toilet.

All in all was a lovely day, DP even gave me a lovely back and foot rub when we got home. And am so looking forward to my clothes finally having somewhere lovely to live once the wardbrobe turns up. At the moment a lot of my stuff is crumpled and shoved into drawers.....

xx

Wonderstuff · 27/01/2009 17:52

Glad you had a good trip, it sounds like a lovely day

kerala · 27/01/2009 18:56

It is dangerous! I went there late on a weeknight as it was closing and because something I bought didnt have a tab on the girl at the till said I couldnt have it. When I suggested putting it through as I knew the price she told me to "f* off" .

I reported her to the manager who was hopeless then had to walk through the deserted car park walking past the abusive girl and her gang member type friends. Terrifying.

Original poster
JackBauer · 27/01/2009 20:45

Well, we got out! HAd a lovely lunch, spent £20 on DD1's birthday easel plus all accesories, paid for by my mum, £30 on fabric, which was planned, and only £25 on random crap! not bad! INlcuding a load of christmas decs for 20p each.

Although the one thing I weeded at the checkout was the one thing DD1 wanted and she whined the whole way home

OP posts: