I always thought that buying a house would be my catalyst for buying grownup furnishings. Quality kitchenware, a lounge set that cost more than $10 … and a new bed. (Everything else – the aesthetic stuff – I could take or leave.)
See, our old bed was actually a secondhand bed. I bought it back in 2006, when I thought I would only need it for a few months. The plan was to move into the student dorms when I started uni in 2007, which would be fully furnished. But then I changed my mind, stayed in the suburbs, and kept that old bed. Fast forward to the current day, and I’ve had that bed for seven years … and I’m not sure how old it was before that. (For what it’s worth, it’s a Sealy, which is about as good as it gets brand-wise.)
After six months in a garage, that old bed wasn’t really in the best shape. Rather than waiting until we buy a house, it seemed like a good time to replace it. Plus, my mother had given me $2000 just before we left (ostensibly a wedding present – she told me to spend it on a new bed).
Now, there are plenty of beds going for about $600/700. I’ve even seen bedroom packages for the same price, with dresser included. Heck, I actually saw a queen size bed advertised for the tiny sum of $250. But at some point, frugal becomes cheap (we didn’t go to check out that one as the retailer was really far away and T was skeptical that a $250 bed could possibly be any good).
We ended up buying a new queen size Sealy from Bedstop in Three Kings. The damage: $1000 (ouch) down from an original price of $1700 (yay!).
Personally, I can sleep on anything. I mean, I don’t love sleeping on the gap between two mattresses (which I had to do far too often in Europe, where a double bed is usually code for two singles pushed together), but I cope. I can sleep on couches, floors, hard beds, soft beds, in cars, on trains … you name it.
On the other hand, T likes a firm mattress, and has chronic back pain, though it’s eased a lot since he stopped working hardcore trade jobs. Our nightly ritual usually consists of him muttering about how he can’t find a comfortable position and eventually sinking into a fitful sleep, while I halfheartedly scratch his back for a few minutes before being overtaken by a wave of glorious unconsciousness.
If it wasn’t for him, I would probably have gone way cheaper. WAY cheaper. But his comfort is important, and a bed is not a purchase to be made lightly. Also, our new mattress is so darn cute – though I don’t get the point of putting fun prints on mattresses, since you’re never going to see them! There’s that fleeting moment when you change the sheets, but I’m generally concerned with getting that tedious task over as quickly as possible more than anything else.