Furniture seems so expensive and wasteful to spend $1500 on a bedroom set.

Is there a cheap alternative that looks ok? Most of used stuff I see is in bad condition and really ugly. Are there metal/etc. things like dressers, etc.?

Geez man, talk to any college student, or go to a flea market. Or look at www.craigslist.org if you're in a city that it covers, or look in the classified ads.

I can do wonders with an assortment of sheets, milk crates, zip ties, and a trip to the lumber yard. A dozen milk crates and a slab of plywood becomes a good bedframe if you don't mind lowish bedding, etc.

What kind of furniture are you needing? You can buy everything from cheap particle board assemble it yourself stuff to solid expensive wood. You have to determine the purpose, are you single and just needing something for yourself or does it have to meet the approval of the wife as well?
I like to build my own, gives me an excuse to buy more tools and go to the hardware store and walk down the porn, err tool isle.

Salvation army or any local goodwill, EBay, or cruise the streets on garbage day it's amazing what some people throw out. In the province of Quebec most people move on July 1st (it used to be a law that leases end that date) so you get a lot of goog stuff thrown out on that day !!! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

For "Put-it-togehter-yourself" try Sauder.com. They're also not the only company in the segment.

JimJr