I bought a piece of 1.5 inch stiff foam to try to fix a sag in a bed. It didn’t work but having that thick piece of solid foam around has been a life saver.
Need something flat to put a laptop on? Throw it on the foam. Going to be doing something that requires you to be on your knees for a while? Get the foam!
It went from stupid purchase to something I’d gladly replace if it broke.
Compared to other particle board furniture I’ve had, I’d say IKEA produces affordable furniture rather than cheap. I don’t go for the bottom tier stuff (which tbf does look cheap), but the IKEA furniture I’ve used has lasted well so far, including through a move (some disassembled, some moved as is). It’s all still solid while I had an expectation that it would end up flimsier after a move.
Ikea has cheap-ass furniture and high-end furniture as well. The more expensive stuff tends to be quite durable.