Holy cow! Mattresses are expensive as hell...

[armyowalgreens]

I cannot justify spending so much money on something that I lay on 5-8 hours at a time. But then again, I cannot take many more nights sleeping on my current mattress. The springs are bulging out and driving me crazy.


God damn you Mattress monopolies!!!

[Petrushka]

1. Last year, I spent nearly a thousand dollars for something that, less than a month later, was

put on a "clearance sale" for $300!

If I'm not mistaken, August is one of the mattress "clearance sale" months.
Watch the newspaper ads.

[Odin2005]

2. My mattress cost $900, Insanity!

:crazy:

[newcriminal]

3. You can get a cheap set at Sam's Club.

Not sure if it would be good enough for you. I like mine very firm, and bought mine there. We have had it for about 3 or 4 years now and it's still firm. My husband bought that memory foam one when we were first married, paid betweemn 1500 and 2000 dollars and I hated it. I like the cheap ones much better.

[Deja Q]

4. The cost of your health might be worse...

if you don't get a half-decent mattress...

those 5~8 hours, contrary to what corporateamerica wants people to think, are damn important.

BTW: There's no incentive for small companies to make mattresses... same goes for optical drives. A dozen name brands, but when only one or two companies actually make the laser heads for the drives...

[armyowalgreens]

7. I need an extra long twin. I want a pillow top...

I have a lot of neck and back issues for someone my age. And with some other health issues, a good nights sleep is a necessity.

All the ones I have looked at cost around 500-600 dollars. But I will have to keep my eye open for deals.

[Deja Q]

9. How old are ye? I'm 37 and thanks to a chiro already had a fiscectomy/fusion...

I do hope you'll be able to find a good deal on something proper...

[armyowalgreens]

10. I'm 19. I have a lot of problems with muscle tension...

and I have a neurological disorder called hypersomnia. Basically it means that I have episodes of extreme tiredness/drowsiness during the day. One way to alleviate symptoms is to make sure I get a really good nights sleep.


I think I'm just going to spend the money and get a good mattress. But I'll wait a while and see if I can find a deal.

[Deja Q]

11. Man, that's nasty...

:hug:

Do wait, as long as you can, if things aren't terribly bad with your condition. But if things do get uncomfortable, then especially for your sake stop waiting.

I'll keep my fingers crossed a good deal will come up soon.

[graywarrior]

5. The prices are over inflated

You can talk them down if you tell them you went to another store that had a better price. Their strategy is to not let you walk out the door without buying.

[Roon]

6. Always have a comfy mattress

and a comfy pair of shoes..that way you are always comfy! :-)Sleep is so important to me,I always have a comfy mattress..no matter what!!

[snailly]

12. I totally agree

Scrimp on everything else but a good mattress and good shoes are vital.

[Chan790]

13. I disagree about the shoes...

better pair of shoes?

Payless Shoes non-slip soles durable uppers designed for restaurant trade-work - $30

or

Kenneth Cole dress shoes - $120

____________________________________________________

In terms of durability, comfort, quality, reduction of calf and foot pain and simply which pair of shoes I want to spend 13 hours on my feet in, the restaurant shoes are kicking ass.

[snailly]

14. Totally agree

Cost does not equal comfort. I worked as a waitress for 7 years and remember that pain so well! White tennies were the uniform foot attire then and I found Reeboks to be my best ally. They were only 20 bucks then and I still wear them when I run or have to be on my feet all day.

[crispini]

24. Ah, but Kenneth Cole "Gentle Souls" are really good.

and when you have to wear dress shoes, there's not a lot of good choices out there. I regularly spend upwards of $200 on shoes, on brands like Born, Dansko, Cole Haan's Nike Air etc. and I do NOT regret it. Sadly, I can't wear shoes designed for restaurant trade work -- I have to wear shoes that look dressy, and for those to also be comfy, you have to spend a little bit more.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

27. There's another class of comfort altogether above what you mention.

I'm talking Italian shoes that are SOFT. Made in Florence or Bologna.

I think they start at $350 now but you can get them on sale.

Ferragamos, Bruno Maglis, Amalfis.

It's the only way I can get dress shoes that have soles that BEND.

Needless Markup has 'em.

There is also a chain that has vertical integration called Marmi.

[Shell Beau]

8. You get what you pay for for the most part.

Mattresses are not the place to save money IMO. They are well worth the bucks. And if you splurge on a really good mattress, it will last years.

They are pricey, but I just couldn't buy a cheapo. Sleeping is my favorite thing to do these days.

[Mojambo]

15. When my mattress goes I'm either hanging a hammock or sleeping on the floor. n/t

[davsand]

16. I was told by a guy who makes mattresses to NEVER buy any mattress you can't flip.

Seriously. I know a man who grew up in a local family that owns a mattress company. One day I sat down with him and started asking questions. I started out by asking what kind of mattress he has at home. He says he sleeps on a latex mattress with a removable (and washable!) pillow top.

He says that pillow top is not the problem, it is the lack of ability to flip the mattress that creates sags and valleys. He also says that if you do not flip your mattress regularly you are cutting its life in half.

I told him I was asking because I needed to buy a new mattress.

He suggested that if allergies are a problem that I buy a removable mattress topper that can be washed to reduce dust mites.

He says never buy one of the "air beds" because the pumps just do not hold up over time the way a well built mattress will. Similarly, he is not a fan of water beds.

He also says Tempurpedic (memory foam) is a great surface but is impractical for a mattress over the long haul because they do hold body heat and they do (over time) get compacted and less comfortable. He suggests a firm mattress with a mattress pad of a maximum of three inches of memory foam--that seems to be about the best support that he has found if you have a back that tends to be sore.

Dunno if any of this will help you, but I have started shopping for the "right" mattress.


Laura

[Tangerine LaBamba]

17. If you go to a place like

Mattress Discounters or something like that, make sure you know what you want before you go, and be sure of what you're willing to spend.

Then, go there about ten minutes before closing time on a Saturday. Make them an offer, and be ready to walk if they don't give you your price.

I've bought every bed in my life that way, because they close the books on Saturday, and one more sale always helps.

I've always gotten my price, AND make sure you tell them you want free delivery.

Good luck...................

[armyowalgreens]

18. That's a good idea. Thanks.

I'll have to do some research and try that next weekend.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

20. Just make it very clear that

you'll be just as happy to walk if you don't get exactly what you want.

That's the most important part of the negotiation - that you will happily walk away if they don't give you what you want..................................

[quakerboy]

19. 5-8 hours at a time

is more than most of us spend in our cars, which are all too spendy. Its roughly what we devote to work and for some to a TV. It is, indeed, 1.3 of the day. What else do we spend 8 hours at a stretch in/on/with?

[JVS]

21. What are you talking about? I've always found them for less than $400 and been happy

[armyowalgreens]

22. 400 bucks is still a lot of money...

Especially when I have to buy 700 dollars worth of books and a new laptop for school.

[Lars39]

23. My husband built us a platform bed, since we both like a firm mattress.

So from now on we'll just be out the cost of the mattress only...not having to buy the springs lets us get a top of the line mattress.

[Kali]

26. I am jealous

:wtf: is the point of box springs? Take up like 15 cubic feet of space and generate dust bunnies from the fabric/stuffing. I hate them. I hate modern mattresses for that matter, although your set-up sounds OK. I have an OLD bed I "inherited" - I hated it but I'm NOT spending that kind of money to replace it with the same stupid contraption. I want to try something different, just hate to spend the $$ on experiments too!:P

[mnhtnbb]

25. Check Craigslist for your local area to find discount mattress stores.

And then do what Tangerine LaBamba suggested in # 17.

Good luck.

[grace0418]

28. We found that out AFTER we got a really great price on a king bed frame.

The cheapest mattress was 5x more expensive that the bed frame. And we didn't even like sitting on that mattress for 30 seconds, nevermind sleeping on it.

[NJmaverick]

29. Never skimp on shoes and beds

If you are not in one, then you are in the other.

[snooper2]

30. unless you sleep naked on your couch with a sheet :)