Savvy Dad Who Spotted Amazing £400 Bed Makes It Himself For Just £55 Instead
- Tomasz Zub, 30, had his eye on an expensive £400 bed
- Instead of forking out on the pricey piece, he made it himself at home
- Tomasz spent just £55, resulting in a saving of nearly £350
We’ve all spotted a pricey piece of furniture online and wondered whether we can justify the huge spend.
But one dad was keen to try his DIY skills to get the bed he wanted for his son while saving money at the same time.
Tomasz Zub, 30, a manufacturing operator from Blackpool, spotted a bed he wanted to buy his son online - but the downside was that the bed cost an eye-watering £400.
Tomasz, who lives with his fiancee Dominika, 28, and young son Daniel, 22 months, decided to try to make the bed at home himself.
Using £55 of wood from a local timber shop, Tomasz managed to make his very own version of the bed, saving a whopping £345 in the process.
Tomasz told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "I am a kind of handyman at home, and I like to make things by myself. First of all, it is usually cheaper, secondly, it makes me feel proud of myself.
"My dad did the same, I saw him doing and mending things at home when I was a kid. I can proudly say I did fencing and decking in my garden, and I did some home projects as well.
"We decided it was time for a new bed for our son as he needs more space than he had in his current cot bed.
"My fiancée searched for days and couldn’t find a proper one that wouldn’t be too expensive. Then the idea of creating one was born.
“She said: 'maybe you could make one? It looks quite easy to DIY. I’ve seen people done similar projects.' So I said I would do it.
"First we decided the size of the mattress. There are many sizes available for toddlers. When we got to that, I knew what size of wooden boards I needed.
"I drew up the project with the right sizing, and with my fiancée we decided what we wanted it to look like and what to include.
"I found an online example of a bed I liked and then I searched for materials to make it. I found the materials in our local timber shop, ordered them online and collected in store.
“The wood cost approximately £55, and the tools and screws I already had at home. I spent any free time after work making it, and it took about 15 hours altogether.
"I started with the posts and mattress frame, then made a roof and the barriers. The last part was making the bed slats.
"I can say the roof part was a bit tricky to make properly considering the angles, and to make it look good and straight was a challenge.
"I did not have any devices or tools to check the angles, and I was also worried about whether the bed slats would be strong enough.
“The only tools I used were a cordless drill, hand saw, yardstick and pencil, so as you can see, even with not many tools you still can make things like this.
"If anybody would like to make something similar, first of all I would say don’t rush!
"Everything needs to be done properly, and the bed needs to be stable so you don’t have to worry about it when your child is sleeping on it.
"Think twice before you do any of the steps, and it’s good to think about this project for a few days before starting it.
"If you can, get a tool to measure angles, because that was the hardest part. Remember to put in your screws properly because they hold the whole bed together.”
Tomasz was delighted with how his project turned out, and especially given how much money he saved by making his child’s dream bed himself.
"It’s an amazing feeling after doing such a project,” he adds. "Especially when you see your child being happy with it, sleeping on it and smiling when he sees it.
"I can say this project was really helpful during the lockdown as we couldn’t go to the shops as usual to look for a bed.
"Beds online with a similar look start from £150 and go up to as much as £400.
"At the beginning I was thinking that it couldn't be realistic to make a bed for £55 that costs £400 in the shops, so I was really sceptical.
"After all my calculations I was amazed and even counted it twice to make sure.
"Now after it’s done I’m very proud of myself: I have saved a lot of money and made my son happy at the same time.
"I must say since doing this project, I am always going to take a closer look before I buy something to see if I could maybe make it myself.
"I was working during the whole lockdown so I didn’t have much time daily to do it.
“It might take longer to build it yourself but it can be done. I really enjoyed it.
"I am already thinking about what my next project will be since this one was so successful!”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Ordering furniture we love online is so easy - after a few clicks and a few days, it’s in your home waiting to be used.
“However, it’s not necessarily the most cost-effective way of furnishing your home. As Tomasz proves, making something you’ve admired in your own home can save you hundreds of pounds - and it’s a great creative outlet too!"
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