When making big purchases such as furniture, explore your options. You may find there are more frugal opportunities than you think.
So, as a fifty-something woman I found myself smack dab in the midst of peri-menopause about 5-6 months ago. Where this has affected me the most is at night, while sleeping. I was never one to have difficulty sleeping or staying asleep until now. Now, I find myself tossing and turning to find a cool space on my bed. Until, one night it occurred to me that a waterbed was the answer. When I was a kid in the 80’s I had one of these said waterbeds. I remembered that when they were turned off they were very cool to lay on.
So, my family and I jumped into the car one weekend headed for the local furniture store. The best price we could get was 1200.00 out the door with a queen size bed and mattress. I’m not saying it was not totally worth it, but I don’t have that kind of extra cash. So, my husband pulled up Craigslist, our go-to when we need something in a pinch at a price point that we can handle for unexpected purchases. He found a free waterbed frame and mattress in the next town over. Needless to say, we were there later that afternoon with his pickup truck. Apparently, they had it in a guest bedroom for guest use. But, when guests started to complain that they didn’t like sleeping on a waterbed they decided to get rid of it for FREE on Craigslist. I can confidently call out the adage “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” in this particular scenario, because we scored –big time! My husband assembled the bed within an afternoon and filled the mattress. We soon discovered there was a leak in the mattress, but bought another one for $100 online and had it shipped in a few days. Wow! $100 for a comforting, peaceful night’s sleep going forward. Thank you Craigslist!
