Copenhagen, Denmark — Reporters have identified a Danish woman who saved €17,000 by consistently refusing to buy candles during her regular IKEA visits.
According to local media, the woman, 43-year-old Anne Rasmussen from Odense, began tracking her spending habits in 2012. Since then, she has visited IKEA stores more than 300 times but never purchased a single candle.
Her story gained attention after financial bloggers shared her budgeting spreadsheet on social media. The case has since drawn commentary from consumer analysts across Scandinavia.
Experts from the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Economics said her example reflects “a growing culture of minimalism in Nordic households.” They noted that small, repeated purchases like candles often lead to unnoticed financial loss.
Rasmussen said she likes IKEA’s design but finds candles unnecessary. “They burn fast and add nothing to my home budget,” she told DR News (dr.dk).
IKEA Denmark confirmed the customer’s long purchasing history but declined to comment on individual spending behavior. A spokesperson said the company supports “any customer’s financial responsibility.”
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