SO…I’ve finally gotten around to figuring out some of the more practical applications (THE MONEY) of cloth diapering. My husband and I decided to give them a try for one reason. . .to save money. We didn’t realize the other benefits until we really got into it-but since that was, and continues to be our main reason for covering our little ones bum with something soft, I wanted to break down why exactly it will save us, and why it will help keep me at home with my baby.
First off I want to say that all my calculations are just that, MY calculations. Their based on my experience, and my research. No two babies, and no two parents are the same so the numbers will be different for everyone. There are always ways to get things cheep, even disposable diapers, and if that’s the way you’re saving money-good for you! I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do! I just wanted to share what I’ve found in my endless quest to be thrifty!
Ok….disposables. I did use disposables…for the first two months in fact. We got some as gifts, and we bought some because I was honestly a little intimidated by the whole cloth idea. I was scared to do it! We bought several different brands of diapers, i even used coupons on the ones I could, but the cheapest i could get good diapers for was about 20 cents each (give or take a few pennies), so that is the number I’m going to use in my calculations. If i were to continue to use “sposies” till Wes potty trained (lets say I’m super lucky and he trains around 2!)Ā it would cost approx. 1164.80. That’s with changing him an average of 8 times in a 24 hour period(just from my experience). This calculation does no include wipes, diaper cream, or the diaper pail.
Now….cloth. I tried a few different brands, but the one I found works the best for us is a One Size Coolababy Pocket Diaper. That means this diaper will fit Wes from now until potty training (hopefully!). It has three size settings and an adjustable waist to help fit all different sized babies. They are made up of a waterproof outer layer, a soft fleece inner layer that keeps the moisture away from baby’s bottom, and a microfiber insert you slip in between them to absorb the dirties.Ā I paid around $6 each with shipping brand new(some i purchased from other moms who didn’t like them and so they were a bit cheaper). I have 20 diapers (which is plenty for us). So for the diapers I paid approx $120. But Wait there’s more! for another $20 I got the rest of the things I needed as well. . .a diaper pail, two waterproof bags to line the pail, a smaller one for the diaper bag, and two dozen or more wipes. So that’s $140 for everything we’ll need to diaper Wes from 2 months-24 months (approx.).
Already that’s a savings of $1004.80! Of course we plan on having more than one child, and we hope that God blesses us with many. If we take proper care of our diapers we could potentially used them for more than just Wes!
Some people have asked me about the cost of washing the diapers. Honestly we only pay our water bill twice a year and we haven’t gotten one since we started with the cloth. BUT, with a baby you’re doing a little more laundry anyway, and I can get away with washing diapers every other day to every two days. I do a small load, and a few rinses which seems to me to be the equivalent of one large load. So i probably do 3 extra loads of laundry a week with the cloth diapers. Is that over two years going to add up to over $1000…I don’t think so. Our city does water by units, so I’m not sure exactly what it would take to go over the 2 units we use a year, but i don’t think this will make that much of a dent.
This is just our personal estimations. Every family is different. Some people can do it even more cheaply than we are; by using less diapers (we started with just 8-10) or by using the old fashion diapers with the new, better covers (which also come in one size!). I’ve heard of some mom’s who’ve gotten together a whole system for under $100! And again-this can be used for more than one child! It’s customizable to every situation and family, which is what makes it so awesome.
It not difficult at all to take care of the diapers. . .if i can do it anyone can! There are just a few do’s and don’ts to follow and you’re good!
I could go on and on about all the wonderful things that come with cloth diapering, but this is already a long post-and the point was to show the money saving aspect! But be sure there’s more to come!
Thanks for sharing this with other mommies Laura, it truly is a savings….and even more savings when you think of having several children. š Imagine the savings if you calculates wipes in too š
Laura! Thanks for the info! Where did you order your cloth from?
Elizabeth, I bought almost all of mine of Diaperswappers.com. It’s a site for moms to buy/sell and trade things-lots of stuff not just diaps! There are SO many kinds out there and you can find them all here! I got all but 8 of my coolababys here-i made sure to ask each person i bought from what they washed with and if they used softners and what drying method they used. So far I have had nothing but good experiences on here-everyone is so nice! Most of the diapers i got looked and seemed to be brand new! Not a stain in sight! I did buy 8 of mine on ebay from the manufacturer…while I like the diapers, and the fact that their super soft direct from mnf I personally had a bit of trouble in communication with the specific seller. They asked for my color choices, i immediately replied with them, but they apparently did not read it and sent whatever colors they felt like. I ended up with one purple š they did refund me the price of that diaper since it wasn’t on my list…and they also sent me a wet bag for free.
Thanks Laura! I had ordered Coolababys from e-bay when Chad was younger, but the seller washed them in fabric softener. I didn’t even think to ask I didn’t know at that point. Anyway… they all leak really bad, and Bek told me how to strip them, but even that didn’t work. I would like to try and order again as inexpensively as possible! I will check out that site! Thanks again!