I need a new bed. Is frugal possible?

[DBZ]

I've been sleeping on a twin bed for years. When Abigail came along I sidecarred the crib, but she pretty much squishes up against me in the twin. I've got another baby coming and I just can't do this twin size bed thing anymore. Is it humanly possible to get a bed on the cheap? I'd love a poison free bed, but I am not sure that is realistic. That banner ad is dysplaying as I wrote this LOL.

thanks for any help/advice,
Kara

[Emmeline II]

Well, for the frame you can get just the metal frame part, no head or foot board, very inexpensively. As for the mattress, I'm wondering also. My dd needs a twin.

[wendizbaby]

There are very few things in life that I spend a lot of money on and a decent mattress is one of them. My back gets the most messed up from sleeping at night in odd positions and since we co-sleep, I'm REALLY in odd positions all night. I would think the only way to get a bit of a discount is to maybe find a fairly new mattress that someone is selling. Hope you find something!
Wendi

[Krystal323]

i agree w/the pp--you spend a lot of your life asleep, a healthy bed is a huge investment in your health and comfort

[gargirl]

But if you are in financial bad shape, you can try to get a bed through freecycle and save up for a better one.

[Jecca]

Your in Mass can you get to a Bobs discount?? WE got our daughters bed there for a great deal witha bookcase headboard and drawers underneth.

I wouldnt go too frugal on a bed because then they dont seem to last as long and it wasnt really the best bargin if you have to buy another.

I'd check out bobs if you arent too far. http://www.mybobs.com/default.asp

[Lilcrunchie]

DH and I switched to a natural latex mattress while I was pg (SavvyRest). Not cheap, but hopefully a good investment. We need a twin mattress now as we're getting a room ready for guests, and have DD's eventual bed set up in there (she's still cosleeping). Ikea now has a natural latex mattress (well, 85% natural latex, 15% synthetic, but the topper is wool I believe?). It isn't cheap, but it might be a consideration. Even the least expensive Ikea mattresses are PBDE-free I believe. Not all Ikea mattresses are created equal, but they do have some healthier low cost options compared with the prices some of the natural mattress stores charge. It might be a decent compromise?

I'd check reviews on mattresses first if you go that route because you want something that will hold up. I think some Ikea ones are much better quality than others.

I'd also pick a mattress first, and a bed 2nd. I know our natural latex mattress is supposed to have a special foundation or a slatted bed. We went w/ a slatted bed because it was cheaper than the special foundation. I found a very nice looking one for $400ish for a King, and it looks every bit as nice as the $1000+ queen bed that DS is now using in his room (it was our old bed).

[chel]

I got a really nice mattress/box springs ~$200/queen for dd from a small store that had local made mattresses that were "seconds". The tops/bottom/sides are all made from different prints.
I find it so much more comfortable than the $$ king one we sleep on.

[MissLotus]

I was just looking at beds last weekend; went to a Sleepy's store (I'm in NY, not sure how far Sleepy's ranges), a typical mattress store, and the lady there A.) showed me that they had a back room with odds and ends of mattresses/box springs on clearance, and B.) she told me they have outlet stores...so I drove further up the road to one. The difference there was there was no warranty available on any purchase, and you couldn't return or exchange. They seemed to have a lot of display models for sale there, etc (probably from the different stores). And they varied in quality, but I saw a very nice pillowy full-size mattress for $249, and the box spring was I think $149. Then you must factor in delivery costs. (I didn't actually get it yet.)

I'd definitely get the mattress first...and the box-spring if you choose. With a platform bed, you don't even need a box spring. But currently, in one of my low-eaved bedrooms, I just have a big queen-sized mattress on the floor (it's a carpeted room), and it's so comfy! I actually wish I'd had this set-up when my boy was a toddler...no sharp edges, nothing hard, nothing to fall off of. So headboards, etc, can come later, but a good mattress is really important.

[Heather423]

I got a natural latex mattress/boxspring with organic cotton years ago from a store that was closing for $1K. They are much more than that now. Like a PP said, you can opt for a platform bed, and skip the boxspring, or use a cheap metal frame/floor for now. I found a nice platform bed at a futon store for around $400. Crate & Barrel also carries platforms for about the same $$.

When testing mattresses spend a lot of time laying on them in the store, take your time when choosing. I agree with PP's that you spend over 1/3 of your life sleeping, a good healthy mattress isn't something you should skimp on.

[kissum]

When I was in college, I bought a mattress from a place that rents them. After they've been rented a couple of times (often barely used!) they sell them. I bought a mattress, box spring, and bed frame all for $50. I found a cheap headboard there as well if you are looking for one.
I think the place I bought mine from was Cort's Furniture.
Good luck!

ETA: It was a nice comfortable mattress, too.

[~Megan~]

What about an IKEA futon?

[RosemaryS-F]

My husband and I found the solution for us for the poison-free, comfortable, inexpensive mattress with a 10 year warranty. To me, it is very exciting, and I'm happy to share the following information.

We are planning on co-sleeping, and also needed a new mattress, so we didn't want one full of poison, but couldn't afford a latex mattress. We went to a mattress store in Cambridge, MA to talk to someone about alternatives, and the salesman turned us on to Gold Bond (Connecticut company) futon mattresses. I said, "Yeah, right, futon mattresses are very uncomfortable." His response was that the uncomfortable futon is becoming a thing of the past--that this company really makes a good one, and that futon mattresses don't have to be treated with flame-retardants (not all true: read on!!) We tried some and agreed they were comfortable, and decided to do more research.

Calling the Gold Bond company didn't help me, because the woman I spoke with didn't seem to know about flame retardants (duh!) so I decided to just go to a store (I went to Slumber Rest in Peabody on Rt. 1, which had AWESOME service.) They called the company for me and got the full scoop. Yes, futon mattresses have to be treated with flame retardants IF they include synthetic fibers like foam, but their cotton and wool models don't because they are NATURALLY FLAME RETARDANT--they'll just char, and not go up in flames. They sell them in Twin through King, and the one we got was Cotton with Coil springs in a Queen--with a 10 year warranty from the company. YAY!! When we got it home, it had a warning in it that said it was not flame retardant (also a warning to in general never sleep with an infant in bed with you--ha.) The cost of the Queen mattress was $250. That's what I call affordable.

I hope that you find the solution for you, but I'd certainly look into this option. We're really happy with our mattress.

[DBZ]

Rosemary, is that just a mattress? Do you have a box spring as well? Is Slumber Rest connected to the Gold Bond company?

[kkfum]

i also second the futon suggestion--however, i would suggest getting a futon cover and/or extended warranty...both of our past futons ripped after a couple of years. of course, if you're handy, you could stitch it up yourself...

[RosemaryS-F]

It's just a mattress--our bed has slats to support it. Slumberrest is not attached to Gold Bond, it's just where I got lucky enough to meet some salespeople with brains who wanted to help me! I also really like it had a 10 year warranty (you can't jump on the bed or anything, or they'll void your warranty