Everything IKEA Australia sells for under $1

I became momentarily excited when I saw an article on IKEA Hacker entitled ’20 IKEA Products Under $1 That Work Suspiciously Well’. But then I clocked that the pricing referred to was American, not Australian, and most of them would actually cost more than a buck at my local IKEA.

Digging deeper into the Australian pricing, of the 20 items highlighted by the guide:

Just 2 are actually under $1.
6 cost exactly $1. That’s very cheap, but not under $1.
11 cost more than $1. The most expensive, the PRICKIG microwave lid, goes for $3.
One wasn’t technically available. The POKAL drinking glass is only sold in a 6-for-$6 pack in Australia, not individually.

So that list’s not much of a start, but now I need to know. Which IKEA goods really are less than $1 down under?

The answer: not terribly many. IKEA’s in-store signage makes it clear that it thinks anything under $5 is a cheap deal, so why go lower?

But here are the 19 I found, through a combination of catalogue hunting, store lurking and far too much time spent at IKEA over the years.

Note: I’m considering regular IKEA prices here – clearance specials, As-Is and food don’t count. Nor does unit pricing. This is strictly stuff where you can scan a single bar code and always pay less than a buck. Let’s investigate those bargain buys a little more.

Kitchenware galore

No surprise that the entrance to the Market Hall rules supreme, with 12 of our sub-$1 products coming from the Cooking & Eating department. That includes four different variants on the OFTAST plate/bowl, each priced at 90 cents. The plain white design would work with pretty much anything.

While the OFTAST display is front and centre in my local IKEA, hunting down a lot of the other cheaper items requires you to hunt through a display of similar (but higher-priced) items.

For instance, the SJÖRUDA spatula ($0.75) was initially buried under a bunch of other random discarded items (I removed them for the photo).

Similarly, the 50 cent ANTAGEN dish-washing brush basket had been filled with mixing bowls too, making it hard to spot.

And there are plenty of GULDFISK spice jars in boxes, but none on display.

The ÄNKEBLOMSTER wine glass actually made the IKEA Hackers list, and at $0.90 for a proper wine glass with a stem I can see why. Annoyingly, the name doesn’t appear anywhere on the stickers on the glass, so pick carefully if you’re buying one.

While there’s no cheap POKAL drinking glass, there is the $0.80 POKAL espresso glass – fine if you like espresso. (Not for me, thanks.)

I’m more tempted by the MÅNÖGA scissors, which may well end up permanently stored in one of my “for checking” pieces of luggage. Messy display though.

Less pleasingly, the HILDEGUNG tea towel gives a “will never look clean after the first wash” vibe – I wouldn’t be wildly keen on this one.

Completist note: the HILDEGUN dish cloth was sold out, so I didn’t get a chance to check that out.

Storage and decor

The Home Organisation department sub-$1 options are dominated by simple storage boxes, with two versions of the NOJIG organizer on offer. The $0.75 version is good for drawers.

The $0.50 square option is perhaps a little less flexible, but could be handy for filling out smaller corners in your storage areas.

For general flexibility, the pick of the containers is the $0.75 PLOGSVÄNG “storage basket”. The higher sides would make it better for storing folded underwear or kitchen packages.

The very first sub-$1 item I thought of when I saw that original headline was the FINSMAK tealight holder, which costs $0.50. I guess technically this isn’t much use if you don’t have the tealights, but it takes years to work through a bag of those in my experience.

Not gonna lie, I think the BUSKVERK plant pot is ugly, and I’d avoid it purely on the grounds of having no drainage. (The IKEA site points out you can drill a hole in it because it’s plastic, but that seems like a lot of effort.) But I can see the potential appeal if you’re trying to kick off a bunch of cuttings.

Begrudging inclusions

I only noted the SAMLA clips and the UPPSNOFSAD lid because I’m a completist. Neither are any use without a purchase that will cost you more than $1.

Which IKEA item under $1 is the best value?

My pick of the bunch? The ÄNKEBLOMSTER wine glass. As an everyday quaffing vessel that won’t stress you out if/when you drop it at a barbie, it’s hard to beat.

There’s also something oddly compelling about the SJÖRUDA spatula, which I might purchase for my travel kitchen at some point.

And if you’re going through a Marie-Kondo-inspired tidying phase, the storage containers will definitely be handy for sorting smaller items.

For more IKEA shopping research, get your eyeballs into how ALDI and IKEA compare for glass cabinets and how to actually check an IKEA gift card balance. Spotted a sub-$1 bargain I missed? Let me know in the comments and I’ll add it.

Angus Kidman – anguskidman.show