OP's a tourist on a shoestring budget. I did that many years ago too. You put up with all sorts of inconveniences to save a few (hundred) baht.
When I was doing it full on, BKK was still at Don Mueang not Swampy. The bus into town that dropped you off near Democracy Monument was what, 3 baht 50 satang? IIRC taxi was in excess of 100 baht (dunno, too cheap to ever take one).
The money I saved got me a cheap room on the KSR. I think I might have even been able to squeeze a small bottle of Singha out of it too.
Thankfully those days are behind me and now I won't settle for anything less than the AOT 7-Series ????