The 12 Hilarious Emotional Stages of Shopping at Ikea

Updated on Oct 16, 2016 at 8:10 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Maggie Winterfeldt

Ikea. Where to begin, where to begin? Anyone who loves great (actually, amazing) home decor deals is bound to be more than familiar with all that is Ikea and the emotional roller coaster it can sometimes take you on. Shopping at this massive retailer is definitely not for the faint of heart, but for those who are brave enough to take it on, they rarely ever wind up disappointed. And while the Ikea shopping experience may be full of its own unique sets of ups and downs, the truest fans out there know it is absolutely worth it. Read on as we explore the 12 emotional phases any Ikea-obsessed shopper is bound to experience each and every time they visit the store.

Deciding it's time to finally brave Ikea for your seasonal furniture and decor stock-up.

Let's do this.

Mapping our your entire Ikea game plan first to make the most of your visit.

Just wandering around aimlessly from aisle to aisle? No, no, no. I ain't no rookie.

Rolling into Ikea, full of confidence, ready to do the damn thing.

Nothing can break my laser focus, not even those supercute bar stools.

Upon entering the store, completely losing your ish anyway at the sight of all of the fabulous merchandise.

Plan? HA. Everywhere I look, there is something I must have.

Having a momentary freakout when you realize you forgot your tape measure.

It's cool. Ikea has plenty of tape measures for me to borrow. And BONUS! It's got plenty of pencils, too. Let's carry on . . .

Finding yourself utterly lost and confused halfway through your visit. I don't know what I'm doing. I need it all.

Mad love to your partner/friend/mom for talking you back down to Earth. Was this set of mason jars part of your plan? No, no, it wasn't.

Successfully getting through the store and promising yourself you WILL NOT stop for meatballs on your way out.

I honestly can hardly even handle this right now. It's been a long and hard shopping experience. I basically deserve the meatballs. Right? Maybe not. I DON'T KNOW.

Coming home and staring at all of your Ikea loot.

I literally do not recall when I put that table runner in my cart. Must have been during that brief blackout period.

Conducting a small pep talk with yourself before you start to assemble your gear.

I will NOT lose my cool, I will NOT lose my cool.

Losing your cool anyway.

I don't care what these instructions say because these screws WILL NOT fit.

Getting past your moment of weakness and successfully assembling some beautiful decor finds.

Kinda a furniture genius right now.

Doing a happy dance after everything is finally put away and perfect.

Thanks Ikea! I will go through this emotional roller coaster any day of the week because you help to make my home beautiful!

Ikea