8 Things You Must Buy at IKEA While on a Retirement Budget

Just because you are retired doesn’t mean you don’t want nice things for your home. In fact, you may have recently “right-sized” your house to avoid extra rooms to clean, high property taxes or a giant lawn to mow.

And you probably want to furnish that home in a way that’s comfortable and fits into your new budget.

Here are the must-haves you should grab from Ikea online. Or, if you are lucky to have a store near you, wander inside, drink cheap coffee, and grab these deals.

Bring your kids and/or grandkids; it’s a fun experience. Just keep an eye on the grandkids because they will disappear in the children’s section amongst the cheap plushies and tents in a blink.

Better yet, if your local IKEA offers a Smaland supervised play facility, drop the grandkids off and spend some time bonding with your grown child over Swedish meatballs. It’ll be fun.

If you often have leftovers, these food containers are amazing. With 17 containers in 7 sizes for $5, it’s hard to beat. At this price, if you forget to clean one out and decide it’s easier to toss it, you aren’t out a lot of money. But these containers stand up to the dishwasher and freezer so if you take care of them, you can have them for years.

If you got rid of all your fancy glassware after you retired and downsized, these 15 oz. clear glasses will fill all your needs for water, adult beverages, or soda. At just $11.99 for a 6-pack, you can buy enough glasses for company, too.

Likewise, coffee mugs seem to collect in a house over time. They are one of the most frequently seen items on garage sale tables. If you sold your entire collection and now want something nice to drink your coffee, consider the 365+ Clear Glass Mug for just $5. Made from tempered glass, it holds hot or cold beverages.

If tea is more your style, this Riklig glass teapot with infuser will match those 365+ mugs and brew the perfect cup of tea in minutes. Simply add water, put your favorite tea leaves in the infuser, and bring to a boil.

Frothed milk makes your tea or coffee feel extra special without a lot of added cost or hassle. The Ikea milk frother is just $2 and turns your plain coffee into a coffeehouse experience in seconds. Amazon often has deals on frothers but they regularly go for $12 to $14 and rarely drop below $4. Take note that you’ll need 2 AA batteries, which you can also pick up at IKEA.

Whether you need batteries for your coffee frother, a flashlight, or television remote, it’s always handy to have some rechargeable batteries ready to go. The IKEA Stenkol / Ladda charger is just $16.98 and comes with four rechargeable AA batteries.

The full/queen size Lasbraken comforter is cozy, stylish and easy to care for since you can toss it in the washing machine. It comes in your choice of blue, gray, or pink. It’s perfect for a guest room or even the master bedroom.  

You can change the entire look of a living room, bedroom or dining room by swapping out your window treatments for the season. These Majgull black-out window curtains are surprisingly affordable at $4 for0 a pair; each panel measures 57″ by 84″ to provide full, top-to-bottom coverage on a bay or bow window. Choose from dark turquoise, dark blue, or gray.