[onewhippedpuppy]

Good pad will make cheap carpet feel luxurious. You can also usually reuse the pad if you decide to replace the carpet years down the road. Most of the name brand middle priced carpet will be fine, in your situation you probably won't replace until it gets dated looking or in the event of a major stain. Even with kids the odds of my carpet getting physically worn out is low, much better chance of a big fruit juice spill.