Don't Discount the Importance of a Good Mattress

My back hurts. It is because of my mattress.

As I was reminded late last week while driving, my mattress really needs to be replaced.

I remember when I bought it. Two years ago, as I was getting geared up to start my journey to Dallas, I realized I needed a smaller bed if I was going to move into a 450sq foot apartment. Now, at the time, I certainly was not rolling in the dough, so I had my radar on the look out for a good deal. I searched high and low, because I could just not get my mind around spending $500-$600 for something as boring as a mattress. To me, there just had to be a better deal than to give into the over inflated mattress retail market. (Remember at that time, I was very interested in the bottom line and very proud and very stubborn, my priorities, one could say were out of line, almost to the point of obsession)

One day, while scouring the want adds, for a used mattress, I SEE IT! Full-size mattress sets starting at $150, Queen size at $200, King size at $250! Woo-Hoo! I knew it! What a deal!
I throw down the paper, and run to the phone as fast as I could, because I knew a deal like this was not going to be around forever. I wasn't going to miss the boat. So, I call up the number under the add, and a nice guy answers the phone. After a short conversation about mattresses, he gives me the address to his place of business. Now, looking back, it might have been wise to have looked a little closer at the name of the company, and address that was given, but hey,......$150 for a mattress, the details about the business are insignificant!

As I look up the "location" or should I say rendezvous point, on the internet, a thought flashes across my mind, "I have been out in this area before, and all there is are small storage unit like warehouses. I don't recall seeing any mattress businesses out there.......Ah Well, $150!" After getting the directions I leave to fulfill my mission of a mattress under $200! After a short drive, I pull up to the address I had listed on my internet map, and just as expected....no mattress store in site.

The exact address was to a large tin, storage warehouse, no real entrance, except for a large garage type door. After looking around for a few minutes and realizing that my "mattress dealer" apparently only actually attended his business establishment at specified appointment times, I began to question the logic of this decision. Well, shortly thereafter my mattress salesman arrived, and "opened the business", i.e. pulled the door up. I walk into a large tin building, with mattresses as far as the eye could see. There were even a few "floor models" in which you could test the mattress before you "carried it out". So, after some small talk, I was shown the coveted $150 mattress set, "uh-huh" I said. You see, I don't know a lot about mattresses, but I decided that a mattress that you could feel each individual spring, and count each one in the same fashion as someone would count your ribs when tickling you, is probably not going to be something you would want to sleep on. So.....we moved up one level to the $200 full-size set (which by the way is the one I purchased). Now, in this model you could not feel the springs, but I will say that it certainly showed its quality, when I picked it up with one hand and twirled it around on one finger......(I wasn't a very big guy back then, either). But, for me, the deal was much much sweeter than any good nights sleep that I would have on a more expensive mattress! So, I said...Sold! We opened up the other garage door, I pulled my truck around, literally threw the mattress in the bed, and we were all set to go!

Now, as I look back on that decision, the question arises, "Josh, now was that really a good deal?" As I head to the kitchen for some aspirin I tell myself...."of course, $200 for a bed set! you can't beat it!"..........opening the aspirin....and grimacing "Yea, you really showed the world with this one!"

My back still hurts.