It’s no secret that IKEA is feeling the crunch from the global supply shortage and it’s gonna last for a while. So you may notice that your local IKEA is out of stock on some pieces of furniture or even home décor items. This begs the questions when does IKEA restock their inventory and can you shop on specific days of the week to get “first dibs” on items before they’re out of stock yet again. I went out and tried to find some answers…hope this information helps all of you IKEA shoppers out there.

When Exactly Does IKEA Restock?

The short answer is it depends.

The long answer is a little more complicated and depends on the size and popularity of the item.

Let’s break it all down and make some sense of IKEA’s supply issues.

How Often Does IKEA Restock Large Items?

Every 5 – 7 days.

When it comes to large furniture items like desks, bookshelves, couches, beds, etc., IKEA restocks these items about once a week.

But the problem recently is that they can’t replenish stock if they don’t physically have it.

And due to supply holdups and lack of truck drivers some popular IKEA items take weeks to restock.

This is especially true for home office desks, chairs, and furniture as the demand has soared in the past year as more people are working from home.

Also, while many aren’t currently working form home, they are setting up a home office just in case they need to in the future.

See Also: 6 IKEA Shopping Hacks That’ll Save You BIG Money

What About Small Stuff Like Lamps and Décor?

Every 1 – 2 days.

Smaller items like lamps, storage products, kitchen stuff, and home décor are restocked every day or two, or when bins are empty.

But obviously restocking can only happen if IKEA has stock available, which is often a problem on more popular items.

The same can be said for “smart home” electronics sold at IKEA.

New stock of electronics arrives at the IKEA warehouse every couple days and is stocked as inventory levels grow low.

It’s been my experience that electronics at IKEA are not seeing the same shortages as the more popular bookshelves, desks, and furniture.

How Often Do They Stock The As-Is Section?

Most IKEA stores stock the As-Is section as items are returned to the warehouse.

According to DealsPlus, always shop the As-Is section on Mondays as you’ll get first dibs on weekend returns which is when most people return items.

If you’re not familiar, the As-Is section is stuffed with clearance deals on things that people have returned.

Some items may be damaged, half-built, or have a scratch, but they are ALWAYS a great deal and a great way to save money.

See Also: IKEA Return Policy: We Answer All Your Questions

Can I Check If Something at IKEA in In-Stock?

YES.

IKEA has a cool little feature on their website called Product Stock Availability that lets you look on the product page to see if your local IKEA stocks a particular product.

You’ll quickly learn if the item is either available, out-of-stock, or low in-stock.

If the IKEA product is out of stock, you can create a SMS text alert or email alert and get notified immediately when it’s back in stock which is really handy.

See the screenshot above to see what this feature looks like.

See Also: Does IKEA Deliver? Here Are ALL of Your Delivery Options

3 Things To Do If Item is Out of Stock at IKEA:

1. Check Online – Often times the IKEA website will stock smaller items more frequently then your local warehouse. You stand a good chance of buying it online and having it sent directly to your house. 

2. Check a Different IKEA – If you live in a large metroplex, often times a nearby IKEA will have vastly different stock. They just might have the item in-stock that you’re looking for.

3. Get a Text Message or Email When Item is Back In-Stock – Easily sign up for this feature on the particular IKEA product page of the item that’s out-of-stock.

Ask the Reader: Have you noticed a lot stuff being out of stock at IKEA? What’s your best tactic to finding the IKEA products you’re looking to buy?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to: Karl Baron

It wasn’t until recently that I discovered the Target student discount and the great savings it provides on things like school and dorm supplies. But amazingly, the discount is NOT limited to school stuff as you can use it on pretty much everything in your local Target store or on the Target website. Let’s breakdown exactly how you qualify for the student discount, the exclusions, and who’s eligible. I hope this information helps you get signed up and saves you some money.

Does Target Really Have a Student Discount?

Yes.

Coming in at 20%, it’s actually a really good discount and a no-brainer way to save if you’re a student.

UPDATE 7/25/24: Through September 28, 2024, Target is giving out a one-time 20% off discount when you verify your student status via the Target app.

Within the app, tap on Settings, then Student Verification.

Below is a screenshot of the info they’ll ask for.

Can I Use the 20% Discount Multiple Times?

No.

The 20% student discount can only be used once per year.

So be sure to save it for when you have BUNCH of school, tech, and dorm stuff that you need to buy.

Do I Need to Re-Verify My Student Status Every Year?

Yes.

While a bit of a pain in the butt, you’ll need to re-verify your student status with Target every calendar year in order to get another 1-time 20% discount.

Is the Discount Available to High School and College Students?

No.

The student discount is currently ONLY available to College Students enrolled at a “degree-granting college or university of higher education”.

This DOES include community colleges and junior colleges.

See Also: 5 Target Hacks Guaranteed to Save You Money

How Do I Prove I’m a Student?

The first thing you have to do is login to your Target account and navigate to your Account Settings page.

Once there, tap on the Get Verified link under “I’m a Student”, see screenshot below.

Next, on the Student Verification page,  you’ll be asked for the following information:

• School name.
• First name.
• Last name.
• Birthdate.
• Year in School.
• Housing (optional)

See Also: 50+ Spots Where Students Get a Money-Saving Discount

Here is exactly what the Student Verification screen looks like…

Keep in mind that some students may be asked to upload more documentation to prove their eligibility.

Documents could include a class schedule, student ID card, or tuition receipt with the school letterhead on it.

Once approved, you’ll get an email stating, “Congrats, you’ve been verified”.

Note: The verification process is currently NOT available on the Target app.

How Do I Use the Discount In-Store?

Once you’ve been verified, you simply use the Target app to access your student discount coupon.

When you reach the checkout aisle at Target you just show the coupon to the cashier and they scan it and you collect the 20% discount.

Is the Target Student Discount Available Online?

Yes.

Once your student eligibility is verified, the discount is automatically tied to your online Target account.

So when you shop the Target website, you’ll automatically get the 20% discount on all eligible items.

Are There Any Items That Aren’t Eligible?

Yes, and they include the following…

– Clearance items

– Liquidation items

– Buy one, get one free (or 50% off) items

– Black Friday sales

– Cyber Monday sales

See Also: 7 Target Clearance Tips That Will Blow Your Mind

What About Junior High Students?

Unfortunately, similar to high school students, junior high and middle school students CANNOT get the Target student discount.

Can I Combine the Discount with Other Offers?

Yes.

In particular, it’s highly clever for students to also get a Target Debit or Credit RedCard and they can save an EXTRA 5%, bringing your discount up to an awesome 25%.

The fact that students can combine both discounts is pretty advantageous, especially when shopping for school supplies and stuff for your dorm room.

The 20% savings can add up very quickly.

See Also: Learn How To Save Money with the Target Price Match Policy

Can I Keep My Discount After I Graduate?

No…well maybe for a few months.

You’ll be asked to re-verify your information every year so eventually you won’t be eligible for the student discount.

Can Teachers get a Discount Too?

Yes.

Teachers can get the same annual 20% discount as students.

To make it happen, simply follow the instructions outlined above, except you’ll click on “I’m a teacher” instead of “I’m a student”.

Next, just follow the instructions and enter your information and get yourself verified as a teacher.

Eligible teachers include K-12, college professors, home school teachers, daycare workers, and even early childhood center teachers.

Ask the Reader: Do you take advantage of the student discount at Target? Was it an easy process getting your account verified?

By Kyle James

As I’ve discussed before, Amazon is having a hard time getting stuff to you in the 2-day Prime shipping window. And it kinda sucks as Amazon packages seem to be arriving late more frequently these days. It’s especially unfortunate since you’re paying for the Prime service, and in many cases actually need the stuff quickly, which is why you ordered from Amazon in the first place. Here’s how you can quickly score an instant refund from Amazon when your package is late.

How Do I Get My Refund?

The best way to score a refund is to start a Live Chat session with Amazon and let the rep know your item is late.

Here’s how my chat session went when I made this hack work…

Item Should Be At Least 24 Hours Late

I suggest waiting at least 24 hours late before you contact Amazon.

They’ll first tell you when your stuff is suppose to arrive, and ask that you contact them again if it still hasn’t arrived.

DON’T accept that as an answer.

Tell them, “Won’t need it then, please refund my account NOW, thank you.”

It’s been my experience that they’ll immediately offer to refund your account (in the form of a gift card) or original form of payment.

See Also: Amazon Actually Lets You Keep Some Items You Try to Return

Do I Have to Return Items After They Arrive?

Surprisingly, NO…or at least not always.

Once Amazon refunded my order, I was NEVER asked to mail back the stuff that came late.

It was mine to keep.

Sure enough my stuff arrived 3 days late.

I’ll either sell it stuff on eBay or find a different use for it.

Get A Refund From Amazon After Item Arrives

Sometimes Amazon will ask you to contact them again after the item arrives and they’ll issue you a refund then.

This typically happens when the “waiting period of the item” has not passed yet, which was the case in the screenshot above.

The item I had ordered kept getting it’s delivery date moved back, so after the 3rd time, I contacted them.

As you can tell be the chat session, they’ll still let me keep the item as “compensation for the delay”.

They do this in the hopes that you’ll forget to contact them, but you won’t do that, right?

Do I Have to be a Prime Member?

NO, but I think it might help.

It probably also helps if you order a lot from Amazon and have been a Prime member for at least a couple years.

I’m wondering if anybody reading this has had success with this hack that ISN’T a Prime member?

Let me know in the comments.

See Also: Here’s How to Make an Amazon Return After 30 Days

How Often Can I Do This?

I’m not sure.

Fortunately, you won’t need to do it very often, but I don’t see why you couldn’t try it every time an item doesn’t arrive on time.

After all, you’re paying for the 2-day shipping service so it’s smart to hold Amazon’s feet to the fire if they’re not holding up their end of the bargain.

With that said, DEFINITELY don’t lie and DON’T abuse Amazon’s generous policy or it will go away forever and they will raise their prices and the annual cost of Prime.

Will My Amazon Account Get Flagged?

Probably not.

I’m guessing if everybody did this, it would actually force Amazon to try and improve their delivery system.

See Also: The Amazon Bait & Switch Pricing Scam is 100% Real (Buyer Beware)

Ask the Reader: Have you tried this Amazon “refund trick” before? Was it as easy for you as it was for me?

By Kyle James