While we're talking about shopping around, let me tell you about a little secret that mattress manufacturers don't want you to know. They don't want you to shop around. And they've gone to great lengths to make it as difficult as possible.

But that's not the shameful secret. Here's the real kicker. The exact same mattress will have a different name in every store you visit! So you'll never know for sure if you're looking at the same mattress in two different stores.

Let me give you an example. In one store, you may really like the SpringTime Rosebud. In another store, you may try a bed that looks and feels just about the same.

"Oh, is this the same bed I liked at the other place? No, this is the SpringTime Autumn Breeze."

It may be real hard to decide if you like the Rosebud or the Autumn Breeze better. Because they might actually be the same exact bed!

This is the equivalent of every car dealership calling the same car by a different name. Here, you've got the Ford Taurus. Down the street, it's the Ford Nightrider. Across town, it's the Ford Stallion.

That's how devious the mattress industry is. They do not want you comparing prices.

The last bed my wife and I bought actually had a different name only two weeks before in the very same store. The brand name was different! But it was the same bed, in the same spot on the floor, for the same price.

So how do you deal with this conniving scheme they've designed to foil your bargain hunting?

Well, it's very simple. Just keep notes on the beds you like and how much they cost. Forget about comparing prices for a particular model. Just judge every bed on how it feels and how it looks. If one bed you like is $1,800 and another bed you like is $500, that's fine. You can judge them all after you've finished shopping around.

Here is an important point that I want you to remember from all of this though. Make sure you shop around at as many stores as possible before you even think about buying. You want as many options as you can get. The more options you have, the more chances you have to get a good deal.

So shop every store and make a note of every single bed that you like. If you come up with 20 different possibilities, great! If you only find two that you like, so be it. Just make sure you know what's out there.