A good night’s sleep is extremely important for overall well-being and health. However, there’s a lot more to getting proper sleep than going to bed on time. Hence, it’s suggested to always opt for a comfortable mattress. That said, it is not very easy to ensure you’re picking up the right mattress since there are lots of things that can confuse you. Read on to know more about the sales traps used to sell mattresses.

Buying the right mattress – Sales traps to avoid
Most people buy mattresses as an investment for at least a decade. This means while buying the mattress, these customers ensure that the product serves its purpose for at least the warranty period mentioned. However, retail sellers usually focus more on selling their mattresses than on the welfare of their customers. Thus, they come up with a few traps to force or cajole their customers into buying the goods. Here are some of the traps and tips on how to avoid them.

Claims about the premium quality of the mattresses
Most mattress retailers, both online and offline, often use the word “premium” to describe their goods. Moreover, they may also use the word to detail the quality of the mattress’s materials. This may include coils, cover materials, and even foam. Furthermore, some other vague words used to describe the mattresses are “high performance,” “natural,” and “advanced.” These words are often employed as traps to lure in customers. Hence, experts suggest that the customer always ask for specific information regarding the mattress; this can include the number of layers, the number and gauge of the coils, and even the density of the foams. As different people have different needs, retailers must provide the customer with the information needed to help them choose the best mattress.

Pillow top softness that does not last
Usually, when one goes to the store to select mattresses, they may find the pillow top mattresses incredibly soft and comfortable. This happens because the mattresses have soft and thick layers of fiber above the springs. However, these soft layers are prone to developing deep indentations, which can affect the sleeping posture. Hence it’s suggested to opt for “plush top” mattresses instead. These mattresses have two or three layers of blended foam and fiber. Furthermore, they are less prone to indentions and are quite cost-effective compared to pillow tops.

A promise of exclusive products
In most cases, departmental stores and mattress chains offer their customers exclusive mattresses from a certain brand. Moreover, the sellers may also add that the products are available only with them. However, these exclusive mattresses are often a clone of the brand’s product, and the original ones can be found elsewhere for a far lesser price. This may often make shopping for mattresses quite difficult. Hence it’s advised to always conduct a thorough study of the brand, its products, offerings, and also its basic components. This may help one spot similar models in different stores, which can then be bought according to the analyzed needs, wants, and budget.

Product warranties and guarantees
At times, when one walks into a mattress store and voices their concerns about a certain mattress, the seller may provide information about the satisfaction guarantee offered by the store. During these times, the customers can quiz the seller about the guarantee details, such as the availability of a cashback or exchange, the presence of a restocking fee, and the amount charged for pickup/shipping of the products. This not only ensures the customer makes an informed decision but also helps them see right through the loopholes of the product’s guarantee. In addition to the above, one should also pay attention to the warranty, as it may only cover major defects during the warranty period.

Provision of discounts after an increase in prices
Most mattress sellers often increase or decrease the prices of their products throughout the year. Sometimes they even sell the mattresses at a price higher than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), only to slash it down after a few days. Furthermore, online retail stores market these instances as a sale across their website to lure in more customers. Hence, experts suggest researching the MSRP of the mattresses across brands and stores to decide the minimum price one is willing to pay for the products. Furthermore, customers can also try shopping for the needed mattress towards the end of the month, when salespeople are more willing to negotiate prices and fulfill their set targets.

An oversell of user reviews
One must always take online reviews, either positive or negative, with a grain of salt. However, it’s equally important to read through them carefully and weed out the products or stores with negative reviews. These reviews may help one know more about the mattress’s size, durability, overall quality, and edge support. But, the reviews do not aid prospective buyers in knowing about the mattress’s subjective qualities, such as firmness and comfort. Hence one must always be aware of user reviews and steer clear of making decisions based on the number of positive product reviews they find online.

In addition to avoiding the sales traps mentioned above, one must also lie on the mattress for at least 10-15 minutes in the store. This gives the customer an idea of the spinal support and comfort provided by the mattress.

The prices of SUV’s can come as a shock if you are on a tight budget, but you still need the versatility that the SUV offers. If that’s the case, it would be wise of you to go in for a used SUV that can solve the issue you are facing and put your mind at ease. You can buy a reliable, serviceable used SUV for under 10,000 dollars. Here is a list of all the prime used crossover SUV deals:

• Hyundai Santa Fe: This is a mid-sized SUV which comes with a lot of standard equipment. The Santa Fe has a two-compartment fuel tank fitted with two level sensors and this has been the cause of some problems in the crossover. But if you are aware of the problems that this SUV might cause and you keep a lookout for them, this model could make a good used-vehicle buy.
• 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer: This SUV was built to be robust, hence longevity was the main focus of auto makers when they built this crossover. This is a fuel friendly crossover and can serve the owner faithfully even with 200,000 miles on it. Some Trailblazers experience idle speed problems which can, however, be solved by cleaning the throttle body. Although the trailblazer isn’t the most modern vehicle, it is still rugged thereby making it a greatly used crossover.
• 2008 Dodge Durango: The Durango is a traditional seven-passenger body-on-frame SUV with a rugged style, plush interior and the option of a V8 engine purring under its hood. Some owners experience problems with the Durango which can be avoided with regular maintenance. It offers you the opportunity to get a reasonably late-model SUV for less than $10,000.
• 2007 Nissan Murano: The Murano comes with a very distinctive exterior and interior style which makes it stand out and hold its own among all the other SUV’s. Although it offers better than average fuel economy, it comes with some teething problems. It is reliable and if well maintained can look even better than new crossovers making it a good used SUV.

There’s a marked difference between leasing a car and renting it. Which is why it is imperative that you become familiar with these terms and do not mistake one for the other. The only similarity that exists between “car leasing” and “car renting” is that you will be paying for the right to use a car that is owned by someone else. However, this is where all the similarities end.

The major differences in leasing a car and renting it lies in the distinct financial arrangements, the different types of commitments, and the expectations pertaining to the usage of the vehicle by the driver.

The prominent differences between car leasing and car renting are outlined below:

The time frame
One of the major differences between car leasing and car renting is the time frame; leasing the car is a long-term commitment and you can use the car as your regular vehicle for personal purposes. Leasing a car is similar to buying a car on loan; you will have to pay the lease until you decide to buy a new car or lease a new car. Whereas, rented cars imply short-term commitment. You can rent the car for a week or two when you are on a vacation. In fact, you can rent a car even for a single day.

Potential for ownership
The potential for ownership is another factor that helps one differentiate between the two; when you lease a car, it usually involves the possibility of ownership towards the end of the lease period. Mostly, this occurs when you opt for the lease-to-own deal, where you can choose to stop paying the lease or pay enough to own the car after a period of time. Car renting has no scope of ownership towards the end. You will use the car for the specified number of days and return it to the company when your contract comes to an end.

Provider type
Car leasing and car renting providers are completely different; car leasing services are offered by car dealerships, whereas the car rental agencies offer rented cars. The car dealerships that offer car leasing services even sell cars, and the lease arrangement is considered to be an alternative to the traditional financed purchase, whereas, car rental agencies only allow the customers to rent the cars and there’s no possibility of owning these vehicles.

Furniture is one of the essential components that complete a home environment efficiently. Moreover, furniture is required in every step of our lives such as for sleeping, dining and relaxing, you need beds, table and chairs, and sofas respectively. From basic to luxurious purposes, each task in our lives is executed with the help of furniture. However, if you are still wondering why you should add some new furniture to your home, consider a few of these vital aspects to complete your home’s look.

Renovate your home on your own
People often go to interior decorators to renovate their living space; however, instead of spending money on the decorators, you can browse through the collection of at a Sears furniture outlet. The addition of new bedroom furniture sets or living room furniture sets can accentuate the entire environment of your household.

• For bedroom furniture sets, the Sears furniture outlet offers beds with an innovative and unique Queen style.
• The signature table and chairs by designers can give you the royal experience of enjoying a hearty meal with your family.
• 3-piece sectionals from the Sears furniture outlet can remove mundane and vacant spots from your home.

If you want to get new electronic devices
When you are buying a gaming console or a new desktop computer, you will need of a gaming chair or revolving chair. A proper seating arrangement can help take you to the virtual gaming world. If you are not comfortable with your chair or couch while playing games, you can start losing the games too. Just like a gaming chair, a comfortable sofa set in front of the television is essentially required to enjoy your favorite movie with your loved ones.

If you have worn out furniture
As nothing lasts forever in the world, furniture is no exception either. As time passes, the color of the furniture fades away, and the rigorous use by children and pets can show adverse signs against the well-polished wood. If you observe that the furniture cannot be used for other purposes, then take the wood of the furniture for fuel. You can then go to a Sears furniture outlet to find replacement pieces. However, if only springs are damaged, you can change the parts in order to keep using it for some more time.

If you need more comfortable furniture
After dealing with critical tasks throughout the day, comfort is the only thing that you seek. A piece of furniture like a sofa set pilled up with cozy cushions can give you sheer comfort within seconds. For relaxation purpose, there can never be any other replacement. Moreover, at a Sears furniture outlet, you can check out pieces of furniture have come with the latest technology to enhance your day to day life.

Natural calamities
Earthquake, fires or floods can damage your furniture and erode its quality. Due to severe damage to the pieces of furniture, they become fragile and start to show signs of decay. You can rescue your luxurious furniture out of the home, but this is not an easy task during sudden calamities. Hence, you are left with the choice of purchasing new furniture that can do justice to your home. Sears furniture outlets offer great deals on furniture, allowing you to replace any damaged pieces.

Maintaining harmony
Tranquility and peace are what people look for when they enter their homes. And if a house lacks the components that enable tranquility, then it does not feel like a home anymore. This is why it is a well-known fact that you need pieces of furniture such as a rocking chair to ponder about life, 3-piece sectional to have a gala time with family, coffee table to host a discussion with your book club or kitchen countertops to store all your pickles and guilty-pleasure foods.

Hence, it can be discerned that the role of furniture in our lives is more than valuable and nothing else can never take its place.

HIV is a deadly virus that directly attacks your immune system. The destruction is beyond repair. People often confuse HIV with AIDS. However, AIDS is the ultimate stage of an HIV infection. So being infected with HIV virus doesn’t mean that you have AIDS.

Basically, there are two kinds of HIV
HIV-1 – This is the one that is responsible for AIDS, and has become a threat to the entire world.
HIV-2 – This causes a condition that is similar to AIDS. It is generally uncommon.

The HIV virus undergoes its own life cycle inside your body. This life cycle has seven stages. For better understanding about how the virus infects your immune system, you must know all these seven stages.

Stage 1 – Binding
The HIV virus attaches or binds itself to CD4+ cells. These cells are a kind of white blood cells and are responsible for a body’s natural defense. There are certain receptors on the wall of the CD4+ cells and the HIV virus binds to those receptors. In this stage, CCR5 antagonist medicines are used to stop further infection.

Stage 2 – Fusion
After binding to the receptor on the wall of the CD4+ cells, the envelope of HIV and the cell membrane of CD4+ cell fuse together. This fusion allows the passage of HIV virus into the CD4+ cell. Certain fusion inhibitors are prescribed by the doctors when the patient reports to them at this stage.

Stage 3 – Reverse transcription
After the HIV cell is inside the host cell, it uses the enzyme reverse transcriptase, which is released by itself, to transform its own RNA to DNA. For this, the virus enters the nucleus of the cell and utilizes the cell’s machinery. At this stage, the doctor prescribes non-nucleoside and sometimes nucleoside inhibitors to stop the infection.

Stage 4 – Integration
Now the HIV virus releases an enzyme with the help of which it can insert its own DNA into the DNA of the host cell inside the nucleus. Integrase inhibitors are used to stop the infection at this phase.

Stage 5 – Replication
After the virus is integrated into the host cell machinery, it starts the replication process. It makes long chains of HIV proteins. When enough protein chains are created, the HIV virus is complete.

Stage 6 – Assembly
After adequate proteins have been accumulated, the proteins and HIV RNA rise up to the surface and assemble the portions together to form an HIV virus.

Stage 7 – Budding
When the formation of new HIV virus is complete, it comes out of the host cell. It releases an enzyme called protease. After it has retained stability, the protease breaks the protein chains that were made from the past immature virus. When these smaller broken proteins begin to mature, they combine to produce a single mature protein.

You should start taking medication at the moment you find out that you have HIV. The medicines may not be able to stop the entire process, but they can definitely slow down the progress and help manage the symptoms.

Here are some relevant guidelines in planning your finances and systematically protecting and increasing your savings.

First of all, you need to assess your net worth which is the total of all your liquid and non-liquid assets and investments, from which final figure you subtract the total of all your debts and liabilities.

Once you understand the total savings, you can go ahead with financial planning as per short, medium, and long term goals.

Given your current income level and monthly expenses, factor in the cost of living expenses due to inflation and how much of your income would be required to cover your essential needs in the future. Also, try to have an approximate idea of large sums of money you would require and when you would need this.

Depending on your income, secondary income from your partner or other family members, your age, your likely career path and where you live and work, you could decide how much of your monthly earnings you wish to apportion towards investments. There are some low risk, medium risk and high-risk investments available, depending on how much you invest and the kind of returns you seek.

While it is important to build your assets by investing wisely, do remember to cover your self and your dependents for any risks by taking out life insurance.

Rather than putting all your eggs in one basket, it would be wise to spread your investments across savings accounts, gold, real estate, debt, and equity.

Financial planning requires you to compute your tax liability and invest in a manner that gives you the maximum tax breaks under the sections legally permitted.

Also, review the status of all your investments at intervals, so that you know if you need to redirect your money towards other investment options.

Lastly, do not be misled by spurious claims of agents who promise you quick money. Investments need to go be made carefully using one’s discretion. You can seek the advice of a professional investment consultant who will guide your financial planning towards optimizing your benefits.