Take Advantage of the IKEA Effect to Enjoy Your Products More
Most of the furniture you get from IKEA needs to be assembled by hand. This can mean that you will not only buy new furniture, but also feel satisfaction with what you have achieved. Try to focus on buying or making something yourself to get more satisfaction out of your life.
As the Life blog Riskology explains, the “IKEA effect” occurs whenever we value something more because we did it ourselves. It can be double-edged – like the blog gives an example of someone trying to sell their house for much more than it is worth because they built it themselves – but it can also be used in a positive way. Buying things to build yourself, or just building things from scratch, you can feel more satisfied and successful:
When it’s in the box, it’s just a bunch of parts. But once you put it together, it will be your bunch of parts! This furniture is now more than just a chair, drawer or organizer of 17 drawers with special hinges. It represents your time, your focus, and your creative skill.
This concept extends beyond furniture. We can develop an emotional attachment to anything we work on, including assembling computers, working with cars, or assembling store-bought furniture. Even if you can’t buy something that requires assembly, customizing it can help make it feel like it’s yours, leading to less frustration. And the less dissatisfied you are with your things, the less likely you are to buy them more.
The Ikea Effect: The Science of Labor, Love, and Crappy Furniture | Riskology via Rockstar Finance