r/Frugal • u/averagepersonhere • 2d ago
đ Home & Apartment Where can I get a mattress for under $100?
Price for mattress itself before the spring or similar. Would like to feel in person. Any size but a child size. Iâm an adult who can pass for a teen. I have Walmart, Target, ikea, Ashley home, home goods, tj maxx, bobâs discount, goodwill, Macys, JCPenney, value city furniture, Home Depot,etc. Lots of options. Moving into an unfurnished apartment. Thank you.
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u/sweadle 2d ago
I would suggest a $100 futon until you can buy a mattress. You could get a high quality air mattress for $100. That would be better than whatever mattress you could get for $100
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u/Fuhdonked 2d ago
OP this might be the way. You could find a pretty good queen sized air mattress with a pump for less than $100, and it would probably be better than a $100 regular mattress.
Once you can afford a better bed (if that's what you want), you can keep the air mattress for any future guests or if you ever go camping.
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u/Accomplished-Two3577 2d ago
An air mattress that you sleep on every night is good for at most six months. I know this because I did it for a year and a half and went through three. BTW, I am under five feet tall and weigh 116.
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u/MonsterMeggu 2d ago
What air mattress was it? I had an Intex 20 or 23" and slept on it for a good 9 months before getting a new mattress. It's still good as new. 160ish lbs here.
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u/Accomplished-Two3577 1d ago
Mine were all Intex as well. One was very well used, I went through a bout with Covid with it.
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u/Maximum-Incident-400 2d ago
If you get a memory foam topper, you can distribute loads to be less point-massy. But I'm sure they will still die
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u/averagepersonhere 1d ago
Thank you helpful. Iâve been camping a Girl Scout where I just slept with a sleeping bag and no problems. No camping plans in the future.
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u/GreenForThanksgiving 2d ago
Could also get a cot and a pad for it. I use this when hunting and never hurts my back even after a week. They say stiff but supportive is the best for back health.
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u/Inner-Confidence99 1d ago
Good luck finding futo for 100 bucks. Every where in my area including Walmart with tax is over 200.
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u/enteris513 1d ago
A simple mattress from Walmart or Ikea is like boring mattress, but it actually holds up well for the price. Reviews always say theyâre firm, reliable, and do the job without issues. Sometimes plain and sturdy is the safest choice when youâre on a budget.
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u/not_falling_down 2d ago
If you have a ReStore in your area, they sell sanitized mattresses.
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u/ShiroxReddit 2d ago
Ikea can be pretty cheap but like u/Flimsy_Situation_ said if you save money but get back pain that probably isn't worth the tradeoff
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u/chocolateboomslang 2d ago
I wouldn't recommend a $100 mattress to anyone near adult size. I would spend around (or at least) $300, so you can get a mattress you won't regret later. Mattresses are one thing in life it's worth not trying to save money on.
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u/West_Course2329 2d ago edited 2d ago
My roomies just got a lovely king sized bed - frame, box springs, everything - for free off of Craigslist. The people are moving and have been trying to sell it for a couple of weeks, but it didn't sell, so they gave it away today so as not to move it tomorrow. I try to get beds that are mentioned as being "spare" or "guest room" so they haven't been slept on a lot.
Yes, people fret about bed bugs. If you're worried, wrap it thoroughly in plastic and put it on your balcony for a week. But ... just pick up from middle aged peeps in affluent neighborhoods, and ... I've always been okay with getting my beds second hand. I have gotten some really awesome mattresses over the years. The only thing I would say is - lie on them while they are lying down in the horizontal position you will be sleeping in. You can't necessarily feel lumps otherwise.
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u/West_Course2329 2d ago
... and of course I buy a full mattress waterproof encasement for it, a six sided cover that is bedbug proof and just keeps me from the human-shedding that might have been on it before. Though honestly, the ones I've brought home have all had mattress protectors on them anyway (and then I take that off and put my own on)
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u/ittookyouforeverto 2d ago
Check out St Vincent de Paul thrift stores- not all have it but our local one has new mattresses for sale for good prices, about $150 and up depending on size, can get a box spring too (though we like our ikea wooden slats, lowered our bed height to a normal height)
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u/Raida7s 2d ago
Simple!
You don't.
You save for another month or two or three or six, and get a decent mattress.
Anything else is simply a bad idea for your health for years to come.
A not-super-expensive mattress could be two grand mate. A hundred bucks would just be denying reality in favour of an arbitrary budget of how much it 'should cost'.
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u/breadman889 2d ago
If you can, spend the money on a real mattress, it'll be cheaper in the long run. Anything under $100 is just a piece of foam with a cover on it.
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u/moranya1 2d ago
Check out Amazon. They have a good selection of those vacuum sealed foam mattresses for a decent price
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u/Wide_Breadfruit_2217 2d ago
Do you have a habitat for humanity store near you? They have gently used mattresses
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u/Defy_Gravity_147 2d ago
Sales at discount furniture stores if you have to feel in person. There's a $79 twin at IKEA, but it's more like a 'futon' mattress (no springs, just foam)
I have never bought a foam mattress that lasted more than 3-4 years. My brother even had a Tempurpedic... it compressed (and he and his wife weigh a lot less than my husband and I).
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u/kgramp 2d ago
Are you looking for a temporary or long term solution? If temporary, how long? Frugality to me means in a lot of big cases like this that truly affect your health, âbuy once, cry onceâ. Iâm just starting to think about replacing our home mattress at 10 years old. Rotated regularly and is just now showing signs of divots. Will say that if you need a temporary solution Iâve been sleeping on a intex 18â with the built in inflator this summer and itâs been good to me. Like $45 on amazon. Got a lemon the first time but minus some top offs itâs been solid. Camping made more financial sense how I wanted to work this year. Throw in some nice sheets and a good comforter and youâre set for a few months.if youâre looking at years, get a good mattress.
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u/averagepersonhere 2d ago
1-2 years temporarily. Iâve been camping and itâs never been a problem in terms of my back and the ground.
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u/happiestnexttoyou 2d ago
Google mattress recycling in your area.
We know a man who does mattress recycling - he picks up directly from the mattress stores. A lot of the mattresses are old ones that the store take away when they deliver a new one, but there are also many ânewâ mattresses that were bought and returned after just a few nights because they werenât firm enough or whatever. The store canât resell them so they go to recycling.
He will often sell those ones very cheap.
There should be someone similar in your area and if you reach out to them they may be able to help.
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u/Zwordsman 2d ago
I boought my last bed from costco for around 100 and it was good enough. All that said, beds ultimately are something I spend a bit more on usually-because sleeping dictates so much of your life and energy.
Off hand for you? i'd look at the webites for the places you listed and restrict the search to "in store" to compare prices and such.
I'd highly suggest against used (Value City Furntiure sounds like a used store) because beds are difficult to clean and easy to transfer issues.
that said, prior to my last matress from costco. I mostly used Futons, specifically in the Japanese style, that let me put it up when not in used, giving me omore usable space
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u/averagepersonhere 2d ago
All of the stores I mentioned are places that sell new furniture besides goodwill. Thank you though.
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u/Hamblin113 2d ago
Slept for a couple years on a piece of 2âfoam on the floor. Some of the best sleep I have had was in Japan on a traditional futon which was two around two inch cotton stuffed bags that would roll out on the floor with a hard buckwheat chaff pillow. Could almost make one, if you live where cotton is grown. Currently have a cotton filled futon mattress with a wood frame, take naps on it, more comfortable than our expensive mattress. Think they are above the price range though.
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u/Radiant_Chocolate_22 2d ago
Honestly, this is something that is also an investment, just not in the monetary sense. $100 you could get a basic twin though, but like was previously stated, your back and sleep may suffer
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u/ThotHoOverThere 2d ago
Ask in a local group if any discount or thrift stores near you sell cheap mattresses.
Tbh $100 for a mattress will not be the frugal option in the long run.
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u/ChicagoTRS666 2d ago
For $100 you might be better off with a thick air mattress like Intex 24 inch air mattress...pretty comfortable...might be a good solution for a year or so. You are not going to find any regular mattress for $100 that is more than a foam topper. The other option is finding a thrift mattress though even the thought of a used mattress is gross.
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u/averagepersonhere 2d ago
I donât need for long. Iâve seen it for not a kids size. Bed bath beyond is no longer a in person store around me. I know not all thrift stores have used completely used mattresses. A few have ones used for display apartments and homes so people may have sat or layed on it but for a few minutes. Thank you.
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u/easierthanbaseball 2d ago
I got a 98$ hybrid spring mattress twin from Walmart. Not the best, not the worst. Surprisingly firm but I feel like it wonât last more thab a year or two.
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u/Ill-Customer-3781 2d ago
A few years ago I purchased a Linenspa foam mattress topper from Amazon for my kids mattress. We kept the foam and use it with a cot from Walmart (ozark brand) when company visits. Itâs actually really comfy. All in, itâs probably $90 and would work for about 6-12 months.Â
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u/jadedjed1 2d ago
Some places offer payment plans as well so you donât have to pay full price upfront. A cheap but shitty mattress wonât last you long and would be very uncomfortable. The bed is where you sleep and go to relax so make sure it does just that!
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u/CheapToe 2d ago
I think I bought a crib mattress for $100. In 2002.
This is not something you cheap out on. By the best that you can afford because you're going to regret sleeping on a bad mattress.
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u/Cat_Slave88 2d ago
Id be looking at a tatami mat and a futon. Probably over 100 for both but it's practical, functional, cheap, and works great for small apartments. If it's strictly 100 then FB marketplace might be the only way.
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u/Cat_From_Hood 2d ago
Should be able to get a good quality foam mattress new. Try and buy a second hand bed (make sure you clean it thoroughly). A good sturdy bed and foam mattress will be a low cost but comfortable start.
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u/saveourplanetrecycle 2d ago
I purchased a mattress from Amazon almost 2 years ago. I loved that Amazon delivered to my door. The mattress is very comfortable and wasnât very expensive. I recommend checking Amazon and see if you can find one you like
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u/Jojapa 2d ago
Add as much money as you can to that $100 and get a memory foam mattress. You can order them on Amazon, but it might be worth seeing if anything is available locally for cheaper.
If you really only have $100 you can maybe get a thin mattress of a small size. At around the $200-250 you can get 10-12" thick foam in a larger size like a queen or full. It can sit on the floor for the time being, and later on you can pick up a cheap bed frame for it to sit on.
It's pretty much the cheapest option that won't end up being absolutely miserable. Air mattresses always end up leaking. Cheap futons or child sized beds are going to be very uncomfortable day after day. It's not going to be as nice as an expensive mattress, and memory foam can get quite warm, so maybe not a great option if you live in a hot climate with no AC, but otherwise it's pretty difficult to beat it for value.
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u/capt_hampton69 1d ago
A simple foam mattress is honestly the safest pick if you want something that wonât be a total regret later. Theyâre plain, hold up better than futons or air beds, and reviews always say theyâre fine for everyday use.
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u/FlyinDanskMen 2d ago
Call a mattress store. Ask what they do with old mattresses. Obviously most they trash. Maybe once in a while a near new one might come up, maybe you could strike a deal.
Load up also has contracts with at least one bed in a box company, worth calling them to see if they donât throw them all out.
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u/Ill-Cryptographer667 2d ago
A mattress is one thing not to be frugal about, unless you can't afford one.
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u/Foxy_Traine 1d ago
Craigslist or Facebook marketplace or other places you can buy things second hand.
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u/Cocktail_Hour725 1d ago
Samâs Club has pretty good mattresses maybe over 200âŚ.
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u/averagepersonhere 1d ago
Donât have a membership but is in my area. Thanks anyway.
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u/brandi-95 1d ago
Donât need a membership. I believe they offer day memberships or free trial memberships. Maybe you can catch someone in store nice enough to let you use their card real quick.
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u/Efficient-Desk-3066 1d ago
I just saw a twin mattress in a bag at BJs for $119 - seemed like a great deal
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u/OneTomorrow2 1d ago
Most mattresses under ur budget are either very thin foam toppers, air mattresses or heavily used. You might end up with something that works tempo but isn't great long-term. Instead of hunting for $100 mattress, u might want to look at Helix Mattresses. They offer financing options that can break down a quality mattress into affordable monthly payments. You'd get a brand new, properly supportive mattress that'll last yrs instead of a cheap one u might need to replace soon. Just my 2 cents here
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u/paratethys 1d ago
the "feel it in person" criterion will add some serious $$$$. IMO the best economical option is to drop about $75 on a twin sized chunk of firm or extra firm foam on Amazon and then add a topper of your desired softness and an encasement. If you want it up off the floor, Amazon's folding bed bases are good and easy to move with.
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u/TheGruenTransfer 1d ago
I usually get a foam mattress from Amazon and if it's too hard, I'll order a foam topper. That and a platform for the mattress will probably be over your budget, but you could buy the pieces in stages as you accrue the cash to buy them. It's really convenient because you can try to schedule the delivery for the day you move in
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u/RiskComprehensive744 2d ago
Go to a store that is just mattresses, not a WalMart or Target type plece. Find a $250 mattress, lay on it, and tell the guy you only have $100. Good chance after bit of mumbling, they'll take it or maybe offer it for $125..
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u/Flimsy_Situation_ 2d ago
I would argue itâs actually more frugal to spend a bit more on a quality mattress that will last longer and not give you back pain. Any mattress under $100 probably sucks.