Try saying that fast three times! This weekend we went to buy a sofa bed for our guest room. I’d researched possible stores and narrowed it down to two options. We decided to go with one from Jennifer Convertibles. The price was $599, which was within our budget. We liked the color it came in, so we didn’t go for a custom fabric. I’m not sure if that would have raised the price or not, and I actually forgot to ask about other colors when I was there. However, once we settled on the sofa we wanted, my frugality fell apart.
Taxes and Delivery
These were unavoidable, and I had factored them into the budget. However, I live in California, so that tax was nearly 10% of the price! Still, a big tax and a delivery fee aren’t frugal. If I were going to get uber-frugal, I’d borrow a friend’s truck and tote that thing home myself.
Sofa Bed Sheets
These are $69.99. I probably don’t need them, but I let myself be talked into them. When compared to regular Queen-sized sheets, that’s a reasonably-priced set. However, it’s $20-30 more than sofa bed sheets available online, and has a lower thread count. I didn’t even think to research sheets before I walked in that store, and I should have.
Fabric Protection
Now for the worst failure: fabric protection. I let the saleswoman talk me into buying the $99 fabric protection plan, which they claim covers stains, tears, etc. My husband left the showroom when she came to write up the order, and let me make the call. I reasoned that we have two cats with a penchant for vomiting, but I could have just Scotchguarded the sofa myself. I also hadn’t researched the program, and there have been complaints about making claims. I guess we’ll see what happens.
I still came in under my budget, but if I’d been more careful and thought things through, I could have saved $185 on the purchase. I’m sure this isn’t my worst frugal failure ever, but it’s certainly not a high point for me.
I’m usually a more careful shopper than this, but for some reason I let myself be led by a salesperson, something I try never to do. Maybe it was just because I was frazzled. We had a lot more unpacking to do and I wanted to get home. Next time I’ll give myself more time and even be willing to return later to complete an order after I’ve had time to do some research.
