Someone once told me that buying a mattress is like buying a new car. I don't agree. A new SUV, a sports car or any new car is a lot cooler then buying a large heavy mite collector.

One similarity was a mattress salesman that I had a while back. He reminded me of a used car salesman. There are way too many choices in the first place, to have a guy manipulate me into buying a mattress that I don't need.

He had me kicking the tire on a lower price mattress and then sitting in a Cadillac. Sure I can tell the difference of a $200.00 mattress and a $1200.00 one. But isn't there a happy medium.

The best advice would be to do as much online research as you can. Find beds that advertise for what you are looking for. The size, pillow type and even firmness are just a few to name. Find a forum that has real life experiences. Be an informed buyer.

When you get to the store, you tell the salesmen what bran and styles you are looking for. Try them out. Ultimately it's how you feel on the bed that matters.

This is the best way to find the best deal. If you go to a mattress store uniformed and you're trying to shop by price, you might go home with a bed that turns into a lumpy rock in no time.

So remember if you don't want a used car salesman trying to sell you model that was owned by a little old lady from Pasadena, become an educated consumer. Use the internet, find what you want and get an idea what things are priced.