For the disposables that my husband and I used to buy, they were the regular Huggies brand diaper that you would get at the Costco warehouse. We only got the Huggies brand if we had a coupon, and if not we would settle for the store brand that they sold(Kirkland). Which I ending up not being happy with at all!
About every other diaper change(or two), my baby would have a leak, and if it wasn't a leak it was a diaper rash. I got so frustrated with the extra laundry from my son's peed on clothes, and we didn't really buy many of his outfits back then, so we had very few and I would just reuse the same jeans if they weren't soiled. With the chilly fall/winter months we constantly had to keep pants on him and I was running out of pants to put on because he peed on most of them. I ended up putting on his pjs that he wore the night before that weren't soiled(yet).
But anyway, back to topic.
We would spend about $40 on disposable diapers that would last us a month(give or take). I haven't even counted how much we paid for diapers when he was a newborn but that would probably increase a bit. Add baby wipes on top of that and can be even more expensive if you don't buy in bulk.
So about $600-$800? That's in just a year...just think how much more you would spend after the first year of his/her life. By the time that your child is potty trained, you'll probably spend close to $2,000, if he/she is completely done with diapers by the age of 2 1/2 years. Think of all the things that could be spend with that extra $$.
Cloth diapers on the other hand have different expenses. In this case, most of your money will most likely go to your water bill and electricity with as much hot water as you may want to use to properly clean your baby's diaper.
I've heard of mothers spending about $1,000 on just the diapers and inserts alone, which i thought at the time was a little ridiculous, but very easy to do! One of the main points of this is to save $$! So be aware that even with all the super cute ruffle bums, and fancy prints, try not to spend more than you would on disposables.
There are many ways of using cloth diapers, ways that you can save money instead of spend it. Too many for me to explain so I'll just tell ya'll what I do that is so far cost effective.
EBAY! I have a weakness for bidding, I must confess, but I'm proud to say that all my purchased diapers except for 2 have came from ebay dealers. Definitely something to check out.
It's OK to use used diapers! Just be sure to wash and SANITIZE well! I personally don't purchase used diapers because if I can't inspect a used item , I'm usually not happy with it.
Try outdated-new diapers, they are still trying to get rid of the ones that they have! They are coming out with a lot of new designs and so many different kinds to choose from. So you can get a Fuzzibunz perfect fit diaper(comes with the s,m,l sizes) for cheaper than the normal retail price because they came out with a os diaper. Bumgeious has a 4.0 now, so look over at the 3.0. Sun baby brand is a diaper that I really like and on eBay they sell for under $10 a piece which includes the shipping.
Little accessories are a different matter, laundry soap, diaper pail, cloth wipes, wipe solution and many more. What do I do with most of these?
Cloth diaper soap-DIY! Click here to try this recipe that I personally use. I already had all the ingredients on hand because I already make my own laundry soap.
Diaper Pail-Try a trash can with a lid. You can also purchase washable diaper liners that are waterproof, right now because of finances I just use a plastic trash bag until it gets a hole in it and I sprinkle a little baking soda for odor control.
Cloth baby Wipes-Try to make your own out of simple flannel, or cut up one of those many flannel baby blankets that you probably got 20 of at your baby shower.
Bum Solution-DIY! This site has MANY options to fit your baby bums needs.
In the end, depending on your diapering preferences, it is possible to go cheap and green. Just look what's out there and try the different styles. Set a goal for yourself and spend only maybe a little a month and gradually build up your collection. Look around and find the cheapest place to buy certain diapers. Sites like Cotton Babies, Kellys Closet, and even Diapers.com. Google it!
From simple prefold diaper and cover to a AIO(all in one) you can choose how much you spend on your collection. Take your time in finding the perfect diaper that fits your needs.:)
With love,
Jess
With love,
Jess
Little did you know you would become the expert! Good for you Jessica. Wendy
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