The $5 IKEA Find That Saves Me 10 Minutes Each Morning
I am a big fan of the $9 rule, which is the idea that you can usually spend just a little bit of money to fix less-than-idea things around your home, rather than buying an expensive replacement or just living with the annoyance. I’m always looking for little ways to save money, time, and trouble in my everyday routines — not necessarily to boost my productivity, but just to enjoy my leisure time even more. Which is why I was thrilled that a recent IKEA purchase did just that.
The item in question: the RAMSTA stick-on puck lights. I have but one (yes, one) closet in my entire apartment, which has meant a) that I’ve had to get creative with other storage solutions around my home and b) that my single closet is stuffed to the gills. There’s a massive suitcase stuffed into one corner, knee-high boots in the other, more bags and boxes overhead, and a closet rod so full it would put T.J. Maxx’s to shame.
RAMSTA LED mini lamp
IKEA
$4.99
Buy Now
While I’m putting this small space to good use, its efficacy is limited by the fact that it’s so dim and overstuffed — I can barely see what I’m doing when I’m rooting around in there, which often makes getting dressed in the mornings or trying to locate any one item unnecessarily time-consuming. It’s made using my closet annoying and cleaning it up unwieldy. Without fail, when I do laundry and hang things up each week, I find three to 10 articles of clothing on the floor, lost to the abyss of my dark closet forest.
Enter: the RAMSTA puck lights. The LED lights are just $5 a pop, and given that they have the circumference of a mini pumpkin at most, they’re easy to overlook in the glimmering aisles of IKEA. But they are well worth seeking out. They take just three AAA batteries and have an adhesive on the back side, so all you have to do “install” the lights (a generous word for what it takes) is peel off the paper and stick it onto whatever surface needs some extra light. If you can’t make it to an IKEA, though, you can find similar products online, like these from Amazon.
STAR-SPANGLED Tap Light
Amazon
$9.99 (was $13.99)
The places you could put one are practically endless. Think: Underneath your cabinets, inside your closet, below your nightstand, or whichever other corners of your home are lacking light. The adhesive is strong enough that I’ve had no problems with them sticking to the underside of my closet shelf, but not so sticky that I won’t be able to get it off if I move out.
To turn them on, I just push the light, and a beam now illuminates one section of my closet. I’ve put two up to brighten the darkest ends of my closet rod, but I may add one more to really brighten things up. Now, when I go to find that one sweater I’m looking for, I just push on the light and find it in seconds. It’s made putting laundry away faster and less frustrating, too, as I can really see what I’m doing.
For such a small purchase and 60-second installation, I’m so pleased with how big of a difference it’s made in my morning routine. So much so, that it’s made me look around my apartment with a new lens: Are there other tasks I do regularly, where a small upgrade would save me a few minutes? If so, I’d love to reallocate that time to cuddle up with my cat or do something else I love.
Further Reading
I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
