Looking for the best mattress for your money? To cut through the clutter of advertising you'll see out there, Consumer Reports has a look at the best mattresses and mattress retailers. The magazine broke out their findings by category: Traditional innerspring, memory foam and adjustable air. In each category, Consumer Reports recommends a best buy, as well as other mattresses they recommend based on ratings. Innerspring: The Denver Mattress Doctor's Choice for $500. The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid Trust Cushion for $1,275 is also a best buy in this category, with a higher rating, but it's obviously a bit more expensive. Memory foam: Tuft & Needle Ten for $600. (Message from Tuft & Needle: "We don't actually use any memory foam in our mattress. We use our own time of polyfoam, T&N Adaptive™ foam. We created it with a foam scientist to have the pressure relief and comfort of memory foam and the breathability and support of latex foam.") The Novaform 14" Serafina Pearl Gel (Costco) is also a "best buy" pick for this category, but it's more expensive at $800.
Adjustable air: Sleep Number c2 Bed for $800. It's important to remember that price does not necessarily equate to satisfaction with mattresses. A more expensive mattress may not make for a better product. For more tips on finding the right mattress for you, check out Consumer Reports' buying guide here. Read more: What you need to know about sleeping pills On the question of retailers, Consumer Reports ranked the Original Mattress Factory stores as the top choice for customer satisfaction. Costco Wholesale was a close second. The high placement for Costco may reflect their return policy on mattresses: A full money back refund without penalty and no time limit. That really makes Costco stand apart! I particularly like the warehouse clubs for mattress shopping, and I've long advised people to test the mattress right there in the store for an extended period. Bring a book or tablet to Costco or Sam's Club and get those mattresses off the displays or yank them off the walls.
Then lay there for 15 minutes and see how you like the feel before you buy. There's one more option I want to mention to you. Casper is a new mattress company that's beloved by millennials. Their mattress comes via package delivery in this tiny box and you open it and watch it unfold before your eyes. The mattress, which sells for between $500 and $950, is made of memory foam and latex. Here's the reason a lot of young people really like this company: Casper gives you 100 nights to test out their mattress. If you don't like it, you send it back for 100% refund.If you've been enjoying those big, juicy summer tomatoes, now's your last chance to enjoy them at lower summer prices.In September, you can still find a rainbow of heirloom varieties for 20% to 50% less than out-of-season prices -- often $1 to $2 off per pound, says Romano.Big, red round "slicer" tomatoes -- a cookout staple for topping burgers -- will still be $1.29 to $1.49 a pound, with some discounted as low as 99 cents a pound, he says.
And if you're planning a cookout Labor Day weekend, don't forget fresh corn. Romano says retailers will be rolling out specials -- 25 cents an ear, or 4-for-$1.The first weekend in September will be the "last push" for corn season, so it will be "very inexpensive," Romano says.September also ushers in the first tastes of fall.Hearty greens that are great in soups and salads, such as kale and chard, "need the cool, crisp nights," that this month brings, he says. Look for discounts and deals of 20% to 40% off.RATE SEARCH: Looking to open a new checking account? Craving apple pie, apple fritters or just a sweet, crispy apple with a slice of cheese?Domestic apples are "a fall crop," and as they roll into the stores this month, you'll start to see prices dropping by 10% to 15%, says Romano. Look for prices in the range of $1.49 a pound for conventional fruit and $1.99 a pound for organic.It's also the start of the short season for another fall favorite: Bartlett pears, he says. "They're very prolific and very flavorful in September and October."
Look for prices to go from the out-of-season $1.99 a pound to the $1.29 per pound this month. "You'll see some nice discounts," Romano says.With peaches and nectarines, look for a 20% discount from off-season prices -- about $1.99 a pound, says Romano. "The pricing continues in September. It's the last chance to grab a good price on peaches.".Last year, some of the large chains offered everything from free cups of java to coffee mugs and doughnuts on the house -- along with special buys on bags of beansThe one exception: Starbucks, which often uses the date to kick off charitable events, says Perez. Last year, to assist coffee farmers hit by a blight, it pledged to donate one coffee tree for every bag of coffee sold over the next year.Think of it as the Black Friday before Black Friday. And if you're searching for deals, you'll find some healthy discounts this weekend.".Labor Day rivals Memorial Day as "one of the best times of the year to buy a mattress," he says. "You should look for discounts of at least 50%," then add coupons for extra savings, Glaser says.
Based on last year's sales, expect discounts of up to 60%, plus some retailers will throw in gift cards to popular discount stores, while other retailers will offer such bargains as twin mattresses for $99, she says.RATE SEARCH: Need a personal loan? September is all about the end of summer, so anything seasonal is going to be on clearance," says Glaser.Look for rock-bottom discounts on summer clothes -- everything from clothing and swimwear to shoes and accessories -- up to 50% off, says Perez. And on Labor Day weekend, look for additional cuts of 20% to 30% for deals that amount to 70% to 80% off original prices, she says.You'll also find good deals on summer home goods -- from grills and patio furniture to pillows. Look for discounts of around 40%, says Glaser.September is also when you'll find the last of the 1-cent and 10-cent deals on school supplies at the big office supply chains, she says. "The deals start to wind down after Labor Day."Some clothing and camping retailers will also have sales on back-to-school clothes and backpacks, says Perez.And if you or the student in your life needs a laptop, you might be able to find a deal.