houseboat vs. hostel vs. B @ B in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a tricky place for cheap accommodations. You are unlikely to find a houseboat for under $100 per night. I'm not a B&B person so I won't try to speak to that. As for hostels, you will find them in your price range. The key is to find something that you can tolerate in terms of comfort, location and dealing with the other guests. The fact that you're going in April is good if you are looking to avoid the deluge of partying college students in the summer. But it's still important to thoroughly research any place you want to stay if you don't wish to be caught up in that scene. I assume (although I could be wrong) that you want to sleep at night. Booking.com and TripAdvisor are good sites to read reviews. Accommodations are cheaper outside the city center, but that will mean more walking and tram-riding. There are also some hotels still around which offer a private room with a shared bath. You might consider that as an alternative to a hostel.

Do you have RS Amsterdam Guide Book yet? If so, good. If not you might want to get it as it has plenty of good information of places to stay that we used when we went there. I have stayed in both Amsterdam and Haarlem and enjoyed Haarlem better as it is more "small town" as compared to "city" Amsterdam and it is only a 15 minute train ride away. Happy travels.

Thanks for your suggestions Brad and Charlie.
I found what I think is a centrally located Amsterndam Wiechmann Hotel with breakfast for 6 nights at a very modest rate. Have you any personal info about it?

I've never stayed there but the location is excellent. You can take a virtual walk around the neighborhood by clicking here: http://g.co/maps/4g2w9

Michael, that site that you sent to me is so cool!! I just booked the Weichmann Hotel for 4 nights. Thanks