How do you put aside money for miscellaneous? (Insurance question)

[Adam Strange]

I came to my current job with almost nothing in the bank. I used a loan from my dad and some money my company gave me to relocate to get myself down here and established. I’ve been working here for about ten weeks at a salary I consider good for a person of my generation in my profession. I don’t buy much besides gas, groceries and clothes. Aside from bills (phone, utilities, rent, car, insurance), none of my checks or debit card swipes have amounted to more than $175.

Question: When can I have a bed? Since I moved down here, I’ve been sleeping on the floor. I’m not a person who makes meticulous plans about money (Do I need to be?) but I just assume that if I live within my means, I’ll be okay. Today, I looked at my bank balance to see if I could afford a bed. Once I get through end-of-the-month bills, I’ll be basically broke until next payday. Shouldn’t I have a small shit happens fund and enough for a bed by now?

Does anyone else feel like this? You’re working your ass off but basic life (phone, utilities, rent, car, insurance) for a professional in the early twenty-first century is just too expensive? (And then you get into all questions about whether or not it’s worth it, which I’m not even touching now). How do you put aside money for miscellaneous? A bed and a bike are the only new things I’d really like to buy now and I don’t consider either luxuries.

Also, what’s an average car insurance payment? There’s not much I can do to lower my phone, utility, rent or car payment but maybe I can switch my insurance to a cheaper plan or company. But I worry that I’ll get what I pay for by going with Gieco, Safe Auto and others who tout themselves by low rates alone.

[winneythepooh7]

I live in a very high-cost area, and I am focused on paying off my debts (ie. school loans, car loan) that it's really hard to save $$$. And it seems like 99.9% of the time, when I do get money saved up, I have to take it out for some "emergency". I have resorted to using my credit card for things I really need (which I think in your situation, a bed is an absolute must that it's appropriate to use a credit card for), or, when emergencies happen (ie. my dog almost dying in the summer and getting emergency medical care). When stuff like that happens though, I end up putting the $$$ which would normally go to savings, towards the credit card. It's an endless cycle. But I don't think I am doing anything "wrong" or anything the average American isn't doing either.

ETA: I pay about $115 per month with Geico and that is for full coverage.

[Adam Strange]

I have resorted to using my credit card for things I really need (which I think in your situation, a bed is an absolute must that it's appropriate to use a credit card for)…I don't think I am doing anything "wrong" or anything the average American isn't doing either.

That’s another thing, deciding what is and isn’t essential. I came to this job and area with a sort of minimalist mindset: I don’t need X,Y and Z because I lived without X,Y and Z for so long. I’ve been sleeping on a floor for the better part of a year. But now I’m in a strange, new place and finding myself to be a bit of a workaholic, I think I need an area where I feel comfortable and getting a bed, an internet connection and other stuff is essential.

P.S. I did get a "Switch Kit" from Geico. It may be the first ever piece of junk mail I respond to.

[wordsmith]

Hi, Adam...a bed was the first thing I bought when I started on my journalist's salary, so I'm sure you can do it (I'd been sleeping in the single daybed that I'd had since I was 14 and decided that it was time to upgrade to a queen). I bought little more than a mattress/box spring, at a discount mattress warehouse, and got it for under $200 ($179, I think, and I believe they took payment plans, though I don't think I used one). It's not fancy, but it's fine. They gave me a frame with casters to put it on, and I didn't get an actual bedframe till about a year later. When you're living on a tight budget, it's okay to buy discount and put something together piecemeal. Hell, it's always okay, but it's completely understandable when the income is on the low end and you're pretty emptied out just paying bills. Been there.

Also, and here I sound like a commercial, but I DID save a bundle of money by switching to Geico! :huge: ;) I haven't had to make a claim, though, in the years since switching, so I can't vouch for how they are to deal with if you actually try to collect. But they are inexpensive, ratewise.

[pisces2473]

Please tell me that you are sleeping on an air mattress or something. Or that you have a pallet made out of blankets.

So what are these debit card swipes from (the ones that you said are no more than $175)? Can you curtail any of those items?

What I've started doing, now that I make a better salary, is the 1st 10% goes into savings--no matter what. This week, it was less than $50 but still. Then I took $30 out in cash for "fun" money. The rest went into checking to pay bills (yay :googly: )

Good luck! Glad to see you back on the boards.

[wordsmith]

Yup...I consistently put $25-$50 into savings from each weekly check, no matter what. Less if I have more expenses that week, more if I don't.

[beeblebrox]

I put $500 a month into savings. It's usually from my first paycheck of the month.

[wordsmith]

Hah, $500 would eclipse my entire first paycheck of the month, and then some.

[SunDevil]

Please tell me that you are sleeping on an air mattress or something. Or that you have a pallet made out of blankets.


I sleep on a $30 air mattress. It is easy to move, and doesn't collect dust. I might look into getting some of that memory foam stuff to make it not as cold in the winter. Your body heat gets taken away very quickly on air mattresses.

[winneythepooh7]

I had an extra $500 that I was planning to spend on a weekend getaway. The SO doesn't know when he will have the the time, so I just put it into my savings so I don't spend it. This thread inspired me LOL.

[dengeist]

I think Jess gave some pretty good suggestions.

I have two savings accounts which a set sum of money is taken out of my check before I get it. One I call my "Oh Shit!" fund, which is just a regular savings account. So when something comes up, for example, my computer died on me at the end of the summer, I had enough in there to go get a new one. If I need my brakes or something done I have enough to go get them done.

The other savings account I have is my vacation fund. A set amount goes into that per paycheck that I can't touch until the summer. By the time the summer rolls around I have a nice chunk of change.

The rest of my salary goes towards monthly expenses and ideally, I want to have a lot left over from that too so I won't have to dip into my savings funds.

As far as insurance, I have a car and a motorcycle, so it's one of my biggest monthly expenses. I do have a 10% discount for being a teacher and a 10% discount for taking a basic riders course with AIG. During the riding season, which is roughly from April to mid-October, I pay $195 to cover my car and bike. When riding season is over, I drop the bike insurance. Then I'm on a nine month payment cycle with my car insurance.

Kind of byzantine I know, but it works for me.

So I'd say you seem to be doing the right thing with your money. Just put what you can into the bank until you have enough for a bed. But for some reason, I'm thinking you have a little bit of money socked away after two and a half months. I've noticed the more I save though, the less I want to spend. Get the bed as soon as you can though, a good bed changes your life (In more ways than one). :cool:

[spiritedaway]

My savings rate has stalled for the last two months, but I also try to put at least $500 a month into my savings whenever possible. The rest of that paycheck and the second paycheck is used for bills and expenses. If I ended up with extra, I put it away in an emergency fund (so I don't have to keep dipping into my savings).

I don't shop a lot, but I indulge myself every once in a while. I have always been financially conscious, but I really don't want to get back to living paycheck to paycheck if I could help it. It gives me some sanity to know that I have a little cushion, and that even if something bad happens (laid off, fired, sick), I could still take care of myself for some time.

To the OP, I would invest in a good bed. I sort of equate it to a good night sleep -> good health -> ability to work, so I see it as a necessity, even if it's just one of those air-bubble mattress. Anyway, keep chugging away. It may not seem like it, but it will get easier after a while, trust me. :)


I put $500 a month into savings. It's usually from my first paycheck of the month.

[dengeist]

My savings rate has stalled for the last two months, but I also try to put at least $500 a month into my savings whenever possible. The rest of that paycheck and the second paycheck is used for bills and expenses. If I ended up with extra, I put it away in an emergency fund (so I don't have to keep dipping into my savings).

I don't shop a lot, but I indulge myself every once in a while. I have always been financially conscious, but I really don't want to get back to living paycheck to paycheck if I could help it. It gives me some sanity to know that I have a little cushion, and that even if something bad happens (laid off, fired, sick), I could still take care of myself for some time.

To the OP, I would invest in a good bed. I sort of equate it to a good night sleep -> good health -> ability to work, so I see it as a necessity, even if it's just one of those air-bubble mattress. Anyway, keep chugging away. It may not seem like it, but it will get easier after a while, trust me. :)

Heh....JINX!!!

[wordsmith]

Get the bed as soon as you can though, a good bed changes your life (In more ways than one). :cool:

Snort. True story. I can't say that the impetus to get the queen wasn't because I started dating somebody, and wasn't really looking forward to getting to the point where you're two adult people sharing a twin mattress.

Then, when we did get together, and I was at HIS place for the first time, he had (insert drumroll) a twin mattress. :rolleyes:

[dengeist]

Snort. True story. I can't say that the impetus to get the queen wasn't because I started dating somebody, and wasn't really looking forward to getting to the point where you're two adult people sharing a twin mattress.

Then, when we did get together, and I was at HIS place for the first time, he had (insert drumroll) a twin mattress. :rolleyes:

I was really talking about health reasons, but I can't say I wasn't talking about that too.

[wordsmith]

Yeah, I caught that. :cool:

[spiritedaway]

Hey! What what that all about? ;):

Heh....JINX!!!

[bluup10]

Yo Adam, my man. I was earning jackshit working two jobs and I managed to save up enough to buy a bed. I was the sole provider at that stage, as my now ex boyfriend was continously unemployed. So, most of my money went towards his transport to and fro interviews, snack money, groceries, more snack money for him, etc.

Well, I paid 70% cash (on the bed) and the rest I paid off over 3 months. This is 2 years ago. Since then, I've had better paying jobs and have managed to buy a stove, fridge, sofa, table, chairs, decorative things, springbok rug, good quality linen, ipod, digital camera, television, dvd player, etc. It's possible. Now, I've reached a stage where I can afford to invest in art. Or perhaps not really afford to but I certainly want to. And I've also got an internet connection at home. No car yet but I'll get there.

[dengeist]

Hey! What what that all about? ;):

We posted at the same time.

[StillInCali]

A bed is one of life's basic comforts and needs. When I first graduated from college, I bought a bed by paying for it over the course of a few months, my bed was about $700 but I'm sure you could get a cheaper one (craigslist, or a new one at a discount mattress store as mentioned below). I sold my own mattress for about 30% of what I paid for it once I graduated from college, so maybe look at local college newspaper ads and bulletin boards at local stores.

If you go to a store, ask if the store has a payment plan, which it probably does. Everyone deserves a bed, especially if they're working hard and need to sleep well. I'd be sad if my younger brothers didn't have a bed, I'd probably buy one for them. I personally think it's more important than insurance.

Hi, Adam...a bed was the first thing I bought when I started on my journalist's salary, so I'm sure you can do it (I'd been sleeping in the single daybed that I'd had since I was 14 and decided that it was time to upgrade to a queen). I bought little more than a mattress/box spring, at a discount mattress warehouse, and got it for under $200 ($179, I think, and I believe they took payment plans, though I don't think I used one). It's not fancy, but it's fine. They gave me a frame with casters to put it on, and I didn't get an actual bedframe till about a year later. When you're living on a tight budget, it's okay to buy discount and put something together piecemeal. Hell, it's always okay, but it's completely understandable when the income is on the low end and you're pretty emptied out just paying bills. Been there.

Also, and here I sound like a commercial, but I DID save a bundle of money by switching to Geico! :huge: ;) I haven't had to make a claim, though, in the years since switching, so I can't vouch for how they are to deal with if you actually try to collect. But they are inexpensive, ratewise.

[winneythepooh7]

A bed is one of life's basic comforts and needs. When I first graduated from college, I bought a bed by paying for it over the course of a few months, my bed was about $700 but I'm sure you could get a cheaper one (craigslist, or a new one at a discount mattress store as mentioned below).



I would just like to advise everyone NOT to buy a used mattress. There's been a bedbug infestation in the NYC area because of stuff like this. I mean, a frame or headboard is one thing, but you don't want to catch cooties which live in a matress. Also, I agree that a bed is a basic need. At work, we will not let any of our clients move into an apartment if they do not have a bed. (We also get a small amount of funds though to pay for this, which not everyone here may have).

[Adam Strange]

Please tell me that you are sleeping on an air mattress or something. Or that you have a pallet made out of blankets.

Good old blanket/sleeping bag pallet. I try to maintain the illusion that if I stack up enough of them, it’ll be the equivalent of a bed. It’s not; it’s the adult version of playing fort.

So what are these debit card swipes from (the ones that you said are no more than $175)? Can you curtail any of those items?

I’m going to try. Most of it was honestly for groceries. I’m going to bring a lunch to work everyday instead of every eating out and I have new rule: no new CDs until I have a bed. But I went through my bank statement and all of those little swipes combined aren’t much compared to the checks written for my car, student loans and apartment.

I have two savings accounts which a set sum of money is taken out of my check before I get it. One I call my "Oh Shit!" fund, which is just a regular savings account. So when something comes up, for example, my computer died on me at the end of the summer, I had enough in there to go get a new one. If I need my brakes or something done I have enough to go get them done.

That’s the crappy thing. I wanted to get up an “Oh shit” fund so that if my car needs new brakes or I need some medical care not covered by my insurance, I’ll be okay. I figured I could do that and get some basic life items like a bed and bike. It looks like I’ll struggle to do either.

I would just like to advise everyone NOT to buy a used mattress.

I’ll buy a desk or book shelf used but anything that can soak up bodily fluids, I’d prefer come from the factory.

I'm going to wait until next pay period to look into a bed again. But I did check it out and it seems I can save $50 or so a month with Gieco.

[wordsmith]

There's seriously no reason you can't get a perfectly affordable deal on a (non-used) mattress/box spring from a factory outlet type store. Even if you put it flat on the floor for now, and save up for a frame, it's better than sleepiong on the floor. Shit, sleeping on a futon cushion on the floor (which I've also done) would be better than your current setup.

[wordsmith]

Also, if money is seriously that tight that it's iffy whether you can afford something to sleep on, or to put a little bit into savings, you might want to look into roommates to share rent. I manage without them, but I live in an extremely low cost of living area with dirt cheap rent. If my rent were more "normal," I'd have no choice.

[pisces2473]

Shit, even an air mattress from Walmart is better than a pallet on the floor!

[vxmike]

I sleep on a $30 air mattress. It is easy to move, and doesn't collect dust. I might look into getting some of that memory foam stuff to make it not as cold in the winter. Your body heat gets taken away very quickly on air mattresses.

I sleep on a $50 air mattress. Queen size, 18" thick, and has an electric pump that plugs into the wall. In fact it's very very comfortable.

Beds are expensive and I move rather often, so an air mattress is a better choice for me.

[Illuminous]

At least, you could get a futon mattress and sleep on that. then when you have $$, but a futon frame, either a paltform bed frame or a acutal futon frame. I bought my bed and frame from a futon store for $400 and its a high end futon. Plus, they pack up easier than heavy-ass mattresses.

[CTGirl]

At least, you could get a futon mattress and sleep on that. then when you have $$, but a futon frame, either a paltform bed frame or a acutal futon frame. I bought my bed and frame from a futon store for $400 and its a high end futon. Plus, they pack up easier than heavy-ass mattresses.

I got my old futon at Walmart for $100 (mattress and frame), it's $120 if you want the nice mattress on it - and I know a couple people who got this nicer one and use it as their everyday bed (its quite comfy)

[jrwilheim]

I came to my current job with almost nothing in the bank. I used a loan from my dad and some money my company gave me to relocate to get myself down here and established. I’ve been working here for about ten weeks at a salary I consider good for a person of my generation in my profession. I don’t buy much besides gas, groceries and clothes. Aside from bills (phone, utilities, rent, car, insurance), none of my checks or debit card swipes have amounted to more than $175.

Question: When can I have a bed? Since I moved down here, I’ve been sleeping on the floor. I’m not a person who makes meticulous plans about money (Do I need to be?) but I just assume that if I live within my means, I’ll be okay. Today, I looked at my bank balance to see if I could afford a bed. Once I get through end-of-the-month bills, I’ll be basically broke until next payday. Shouldn’t I have a small shit happens fund and enough for a bed by now?

Regarding your car insurance: I have no direct experience with this, since I live in New York, don't own a car, and take the bus and subway everywhere I go. You might try looking on progressive.com. They advertise on TV all the time that they do rate comparisons. With any kind of insurance though, whether it's auto, life, renter's, or what have you, be careful to look at what the policy covers, not just the price. You don't want an el cheapo policy that leaves you insufficiently protected if anything happens.
Does anyone else feel like this? You’re working your ass off but basic life (phone, utilities, rent, car, insurance) for a professional in the early twenty-first century is just too expensive? (And then you get into all questions about whether or not it’s worth it, which I’m not even touching now). How do you put aside money for miscellaneous? A bed and a bike are the only new things I’d really like to buy now and I don’t consider either luxuries.

Also, what’s an average car insurance payment? There’s not much I can do to lower my phone, utility, rent or car payment but maybe I can switch my insurance to a cheaper plan or company. But I worry that I’ll get what I pay for by going with Gieco, Safe Auto and others who tout themselves by low rates alone.

I'm a bit confused--do you mean you're sleeping on a mattress on the floor, or you're sleeping on a sleeping bag? How much furniture do you have at the moment?

If you don't have a mattress, I would consider that a high priority--a mattress really is something you need. That I'd be willing to make a higher priority than the emergency fund, because sleeping on the floor night after night will kill your back. Your health matters more than your finances.

If you're on a mattress on the floor and just want a real bedframe, save up, or borrow from a relative, if you can find one who will lend you the money to buy some basic furniture at IKEA or the like, at a low interest rate, I'd say do that rather than buy on a credit card at 14%+ interest. You might also check out Goodwill, etc., or, if you have any relatives in your area, see if they have a bedframe they're not using or want to get rid of.

I would say that the emergency fund should come first. Get enough in the bank to handle three months' worth of expenses, at least (six would be better). But if you absolutely feel you need a bedframe for the sake of your sanity, do what I recommended above.

[jrwilheim]

I would just like to advise everyone NOT to buy a used mattress. There's been a bedbug infestation in the NYC area because of stuff like this. I mean, a frame or headboard is one thing, but you don't want to catch cooties which live in a matress. Also, I agree that a bed is a basic need. At work, we will not let any of our clients move into an apartment if they do not have a bed. (We also get a small amount of funds though to pay for this, which not everyone here may have).

It's actually illegal to sell a used mattress. The people at Sleepy's told me this when I bought my mattress. This wasn't just Sleepy's trying to drum up more business, because they have an exchange policy for X number of days after you purchase (you can exchange and only pay a small additional amount). The lady at the store told me that if they take back your mattress under the exchange policy, they have to destroy your mattress--they're not allowed to re-sell it, under law.

I wouldn't take a used mattress from anyone except relatives.

[yankeeyosh]

When I was living at home, I saved roughly $800-1,000 a month. Unfortunately, my savings rate is near zero now...and it's hard to tell because it goes up and down very violently, but my balance might actually be slowly declining. A lot of this struggle is due to pure stupidity on my part, though, since I know my salary should be more than enough...even here.

Still, I think you should try to find any kind of bed...get it on installments. What you're doing can cause problems to your spine. Don't get a used one though...you never know who might have slept in it.

[wordsmith]

I'm wondering if any of you sleep on hotel mattresses?

[paiger81]

It's actually illegal to sell a used mattress.

Don't know if that's true everywhere. Cort Rental Furniture sells used mattresses (found that out when I went to their clearance sale).

To the OP, I don't generally think mattresses are expensive. I'm moving this weekend, leaving most of my furniture(including bed)behind, & have been looking around. Places like Sam's Club sell Serta queen mattresses for $94.

[jrwilheim]

I'm wondering if any of you sleep on hotel mattresses?

Well yeah...but you can trust those because they're inspected regularly. The last thing a hotel wants is to have stories circulate that bedbugs were found in the hotel. That's different from using a mattress one particular stranger has had for a long period of time.

[wordsmith]

Don't know if that's true everywhere. Cort Rental Furniture sells used mattresses (found that out when I went to their clearance sale).

I checked. Most places it's legal to sell used mattresses if they've been professionally disinfected (like hotel beds ostensibly are).

[pisces2473]

professionally disinfected (like hotel beds ostensibly are).
Yeah, but they don't do that after each guest has left. Lysol (and the like), sure. But prof. disinfection? No.

[pisces2473]

Places like Sam's Club sell Serta queen mattresses for $94.
They do? Sweet!

[paiger81]

They do? Sweet!


Yep, I'm not going to be able to buy one there, though, there is no one to help me haul it up the stairs :sad: So, I'm probably going to have to go to an actual store & pay for delivery. :neutral:

[BlueEyedFunOne]

Also, and here I sound like a commercial, but I DID save a bundle of money by switching to Geico! :huge: ;) I haven't had to make a claim, though, in the years since switching, so I can't vouch for how they are to deal with if you actually try to collect. But they are inexpensive, ratewise.

Not to threadjack, but I completely agree. I switched to Geico a few years back. After 2 years of a 'good driving record (no accidents, tickets, etc.), my premium got lowered by $250 a year! I was super-excited to receive that phone call!

But I completely understand the concern with trying to 'get ahead'. I live paycheck to paycheck, and like a few of you have mentioned, every time I can throw some money in my savings, some emercengy comes up and I'm back to square one. I'm struggling now just to set aside a few months of living expenses, like everyone says to.

I was just sitting here going over my finances (I keep mine like an electronic checkbook in Excel, going a few weeks ahead to incorporate future expenses) and every month I'm bottoming out. Too many bills!

I think a big re-evaluation is in order. Time to cut down and trim out unecessary stuff. Doing that a bit at a time has really helped me not feel deprived. Then again, my roommate search troubles have made the situation worse....I've paid 2 full months of ALL rent & bills on my own. Eeeek.

[wordsmith]

Yeah, but they don't do that after each guest has left. Lysol (and the like), sure. But prof. disinfection? No.

Hence the ostensibly. And we sleep on those (and dorm mattresses, etc.)

[blueyes]

I don't know how helpful this is at this point so far along into the thread, but what about getting a low-profile box spring? My queen sized bed has weird side boards, so I ended up getting a low-profile box spring so the mattress sits normal in the frame. There's no difference, except in cost - the low-profile cost less than a regular one by more than half.

For the box spring and the mattress, I paid no more than $400.

[jrwilheim]

I wouldn't recommend skimping on a mattress. I paid $800 for mine (marked down from $1000), but it was worth every penny. When you sleep well, everything in your life is better. Don't get a mattress that isn't comfortable or right for your body just because it's cheap.

[paiger81]

I wouldn't recommend skimping on a mattress. I paid $800 for mine (marked down from $1000), but it was worth every penny. When you sleep well, everything in your life is better. Don't get a mattress that isn't comfortable or right for your body just because it's cheap.

Wow, I've never paid over $300 for a mattress & box spring, I really don't feel much of a difference between the high priced ones & the more affordable ones.

[jrwilheim]

Wow, I've never paid over $300 for a mattress & box spring, I really don't feel much of a difference between the high priced ones & the more affordable ones.

Prices for these things may be higher in New York. My mattress was a housewarming gift from my folks when I moved into my current apartment. They amd my grandmother both said they would contribute toward buying me a mattress, and I didn't really have a sense of what they cost or where to go, so I went to my local Sleepy's and bought the mattress before I was even clear on how much I had to spend (I made a couple calls to them while I was at the store trying to get a sense, and when they sort of said "I don't know..", I bought what I have now). My father told me later his philosophy is that no amount of money is too much to spend on a mattress--you spend a third of your life there.

I would never buy a mattress without going into the store and testing them out by lying down on them. I'm not sure if this company does business in Texas, but there's this company in the New York area, 1-800-MATTRES ("and leave off the last S for Savings") that advertises that you can make a phone call and have a mattress delivered to you that day, without having to go into a showroom. I would never do that.

[asm198]

I definitely think that getting a bed is essential. Go to a discount place or Sam's Club and get one there cheaper. Others have told you what they've paid, which I couldn't tell you because the bed I sleep on is older than dirt. I wish there was some way to put a bed on a wedding registry and not make it seem all money hungry. If I had to guess, the mattresses we sleep on are about 15-20 years old and were handed down from his parents/grandmother.

[WorkInProgress]

I would never buy a mattress without going into the store and testing them out by lying down on them. I'm not sure if this company does business in Texas, but there's this company in the New York area, 1-800-MATTRES ("and leave off the last S for Savings") that advertises that you can make a phone call and have a mattress delivered to you that day, without having to go into a showroom. I would never do that.
You could try some out and then call the other company, if they're cheaper. Not exactly the classiest thing ever, but when you're hard up for money, you do what you've got to do.

[pisces2473]

I definitely think that getting a bed is essential. Go to a discount place or Sam's Club and get one there cheaper. Others have told you what they've paid, which I couldn't tell you because the bed I sleep on is older than dirt. I wish there was some way to put a bed on a wedding registry and not make it seem all money hungry. If I had to guess, the mattresses we sleep on are about 15-20 years old and were handed down from his parents/grandmother.
My friends put their bed on their registry. I don't think it's tacky or money-hungry. This friend was totally agains a registry in the first place, too, but they needed a bed.

[pisces2473]

Hence the ostensibly. And we sleep on those (and dorm mattresses, etc.)
Let's not talk about dorm mattresses...

[wordsmith]

Wow, I've never paid over $300 for a mattress & box spring, I really don't feel much of a difference between the high priced ones & the more affordable ones.

I agree, inexpensive doesn't mean that it's not perfectly fine to sleep on. Like I said, mine is from a discount factory outlet, and is pretty basic, and was under $200 for the mattress-box spring combo (and yeah, I got to go in the showroom and test it out). I sleep well on it every night.
Will it hold up for 15 years? Doubtful. It will def. start to sag earlier than a more well-constructed, less cheap one. But it's not, yet. It's only when a mattress starts to sag that I get less quality sleep.

[cheshrcarol]

Even though I flip it regularly, my mattress has started to sage because I tend to sleep right in the middle. It's only 6 years old and I don't feel like buying a new one, plus I can't afford it at the moment. So doubled over an egg crate in the middle and put a fiberbed on top. Works great :huge: .

[asm198]

My friends put their bed on their registry. I don't think it's tacky or money-hungry. This friend was totally agains a registry in the first place, too, but they needed a bed.

It's good to know that others have done it and it hasn't came off as tacky. Because we've lived together for around 7 years, so we've got the basics taken care of. And really, the last thing we need is something like a crystal picture frame or something.

[jrwilheim]

It's good to know that others have done it and it hasn't came off as tacky. Because we've lived together for around 7 years, so we've got the basics taken care of. And really, the last thing we need is something like a crystal picture frame or something.

The only issue I could see with registering for a mattress is that it can be a pricey item...people do spend a lot on wedding gifts, but I don't know whether I'd put an $800-$1000 item on a wedding registry. Not because it sends the wrong message, just because I doubt anyone would buy it. But that may be a factor of who I happen to know.

[asm198]

The only issue I could see with registering for a mattress is that it can be a pricey item...people do spend a lot on wedding gifts, but I don't know whether I'd put an $800-$1000 item on a wedding registry. Not because it sends the wrong message, just because I doubt anyone would buy it. But that may be a factor of who I happen to know.

The only reason I'd ever consider it is because maybe the parents would want to buy it and because you generally get a percentage off the price of registry items that aren't purchased after the wedding.

[winneythepooh7]

My friends put their bed on their registry. I don't think it's tacky or money-hungry. This friend was totally agains a registry in the first place, too, but they needed a bed.

My parents and M's parents have been nagging us about what furniture we want for our apartment. M's mother actually bought us our couch when we moved into our new apartment. My mom wants to get us this long table thingy for Christmas, and M's mom wants to get us a new kitchen table.

[WorkInProgress]

My parents and M's parents have been nagging us about what furniture we want for our apartment. M's mother actually bought us our couch when we moved into our new apartment. My mom wants to get us this long table thingy for Christmas, and M's mom wants to get us a new kitchen table.
That is so nice of them!

[winneythepooh7]

That is so nice of them!

Definitely! M gets embarassed though--I think it makes him feel like "less of a man" or something when our parents purchase us such nice gifts.

[WorkInProgress]

Definitely! M gets embarassed though--I think it makes him feel like "less of a man" or something when our parents purchase us such nice gifts.
But you guys get to pick it out!

[Josie]

We bought a california king from a kinda discount place, where you get a huge discount if the boxspring doesn't match the mattress. We didn't care, the box spring is covered by the bed skirt.

[Allie]

Ways to sleep thru the night:

1. on mattress & boxspring on the floor
2. camping - on air mattress with foam pads underneath
3. on air mattress bed (from kmart, $60) it's on a metal frame (air mattress part is done, so I stack pillows, cushions from couches & comforter on top, it's a daybed, now)
4. a mattress & boxspring bought at auction for $10 - moved and left behind
5. a mattress & boxspring given to xboyfriend from his parents attic - he moved out
6. at a motel in their bed (think they change the mattress every night??? or does the next person sleep on the floor...)
So I may not buy a used mattress in NYC (read about their bedbug problem) but wouldn't have an issue with it, just inspect it closely. Yesterday at goodwill they had single mattress & boxspring for $170, they were still in the plastic.