Thrifty Thinking: Futons

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Futons have gotten somewhat of a bad rap in the past, giving off a "cheap" image. But they are actually a great way to save money without sacrificing quality.

The advantages of futons are that they give you a bed and a couch for the cost (and space) of only one piece of furniture. My husband and I used a futon as our only bed/couch in our first apartment for quite some time, and after we got a real bed, it was great to have the futon as our couch to give us instant space when someone wanted to spend the night.

The original futon we had was a pretty inexpensive metal frame, but we dressed up the look by using a good-quality sheet over the mattress, and hanging blankets over the arms so they were more comfortable and looked softer. My father-in-law built his own futons, and they look really nice - plus it provides sleeping space for four extra people (great around the holidays when both our family and my brother-in-law's family visit).

The Futons to Go Blog has a lot of great advice for updating the look of futons to match any room and is a great starting point if you're trying to figure out how to combine the cost-saving qualities of a futon with your house's appearance. You can update the look of a futon quite easily and inexpensively with different slipcovers or throw pillows. I also like the cozy look of hanging a blanket over the back - not only does it make the room look warmer, but then you don't have to go looking for blankets if you need to use it as a bed.

If you've never considered a futon because it looks cheap, it's definitely worth a second look next time you need to replace either a couch or bed!