Have you
ever considered cloth diapering your baby, but were worried about the hefty
upfront cost that it can sometimes accrue? If you’ve wandered around this blog
at all, you have probably noticed that I love cloth diapering and enjoy sharing
what I have learned…But I also LOVE saving money! Doesn’t seem like those two
things can co-exist, does it?
Below, I
have compiled a list of the top ways that I have found through my cloth
diapering research to save money. Whether you are just starting out and trying
to build your stash or adding on to a pre-existing one, I hope that you find
something that works for you and your budget!
Pre-folds and Flats
I figured I
would start off with this since I actually have first-hand experience with
them! As I’m sure you have probably read, we have been using BestBottom diapers
since Myka was about a month old. We only had their small size inserts to start
off with and she was starting peeing too much for them to handle before she was
even 3 months old. I still wasn’t working at the time, so I experimented with
different things to find something that would work until we had the extra money
to buy bigger inserts. Then I remembered the pre-fold and flat diapers I had
received at my baby shower. Long story short, they work so well for us that we
have been using them ever since! In fact, we ended up buying several more
pre-folds instead of the BestBottom inserts. (Although I did end up splurging
on some overnight microfiber and hemp ones.)
Pre-folds
and flats are super cheap price-wise. You can find the Gerber ones at pretty
much any Walmart from what I’ve seen. Their 10 pack sells for $19.58 online
currently. A 10 pack of the Gerber flatfold diapers sells for $12.34 on
Walmart.com as well. Compared to some of the pricier “name brand” diapers out
there, that’s not a bad deal!
Now, you
might be thinking, “What about the covers? That’s extra money.” Ah. You got me
there! However, covers are typically cheaper than the All-in-One, fitted, etc.
diapers you will see. Plus, the great thing about covers is you don’t need as
many because you can use them more than once between washing! Many are also
“one size”, meaning your baby will be able to wear it from birth to potty
training, which means even less money spent on different sized covers.
Econobum
I can’t
personally vouch for the quality of these, but they look like a super cheap way
to start off cloth diapering. Although they don’t come in fun colors or
patterns, you can buy the diaper covers individually for $8.95. (I believe you
can find some places that sell ones with different trim colors.) You can also
purchase a trial pack, which includes one cover and 3 one-size pre-folds for
$11.95. (That’s a good deal on most covers by themselves!) Finally, if you
decide you really like Econobum, you can purchase their full kit, which
includes 3 covers and 12 one-size pre-folds for only $48.95!
Trial & Rental Programs
If there’s
one thing I wish I would have known about going into cloth diapering, it’s
trial and newborn diaper rental programs! I’m not going to go into this too
much here because I recently wrote a more elaborate guest post HERE
specifically on these. To be totally honest, I didn’t even realize they
specifically made newborn diaper sizes until my daughter was around a few weeks/1
month old. I do remember thinking, “Why would you spend that much money on
diapers you’re only going to be able to use for about a month anyways?!” Then I
discovered there were rental programs. What a brilliant idea!
I also
discovered around the same time that there are quite a few “try before you buy”
type programs out there for cloth diapers as well. The fees are usually pretty
cheap (ranging anywhere from about $10-$35 from what I remember off the top of
my head), but the deposit is where the real expense comes in. This is usually a
little over $100, BUT, you will get that money returned to you or put towards
store credit (depending on program) after you return the diapers that you do
not wish to keep. You still have to pay for the ones that you want, but some
places will give you a discount on the ones you want to keep.
Both the
newborn diaper rental and trial programs vary significantly from one to the
other, so just be sure to read through each one’s policies carefully. As I
mentioned, be sure to click the link at the beginning of this section if you
are interested in reading more about these programs. There is also a list of
links for different programs at the end!
Gently Used Diapers
Many cloth
diaper sellers offer gently used/seconds/pre-loved diapers at discounted
prices. The value of cloth diapers doesn’t diminish much even after they’ve
been used (good for sellers, bad for buyers), so you’re probably only going to
save a few bucks on each used diaper that you purchase. However, keep in mind
that those few dollars are going to add up when you’re buying several diapers!
For instance, $3 may not seem like much in the way of savings. However, if
you’re buying 6 cloth diapers for $3 off the regular price of each, that’s $18
you’re saving! In my opinion, that’s not too shabby. You could buy a whole
other diaper or two covers etc. etc. with that money. :)
Sales, Sales, Sales
It probably goes without saying, but always be on the lookout for sales. I subscribe to and highly recommend you check out "Thinking About Cloth Diapers.com" weekly cloth diaper sales round-up, which can be found HERE.
Co-ops
Another way
to save lots of money on cloth diapers is by joining a co-op. A co-op is a
group of people who combine their orders into one big order to receive major
discounts on items. Because of the number of people and large amount of items
being ordered, these groups get products at wholesale prices (like stores do).
For
example, the co-op I’m in is currently taking orders for cloth diapers. There
is a time frame in which you can order and after they keep you updated on the
order as far as it being invoiced, in transit, etc. They also give brief
product descriptions along with pictures. The co-op fees depend on how many
items your order, but are less than $10. If orders reach a certain number,
price breaks are also given. Like the cloth diaper order on the co-op I belong
to will receive a price break if they make it to 300 pieces (diapers in this
case). The best part? I’m pretty sure they’re “China cheapies”, but they start
off at $2.30 each!
There are
plenty of co-ops on Facebook. Just remember, the more people that are in it,
the more likely you’re going to get cheaper prices. If it is a closed group,
don’t be afraid to ask to join!
Make Your Own
If you are
good with a sewing machine, there is always the option of making your own cloth
diapers. We have actually tried this ourselves. To be upfront with you, though,
it didn’t end well. I was making a fleece cover and wanted it to have elastic
all around the edges. Let’s just say we found out the hard way that elastic can
be a giant pita to sew! If you’re not using elastic, though, it should be
relatively easy to make one. Several yards of fabric can make 4-6 diapers! Plus
you can choose whatever colors or prints that you like. : ) You can even order
pre-cut diapers kits from websites like THIS ONE.
Charities
Great advice. I am just starting cloth diapering, and I am doing a lot of this. The Newborn Rental that I am using was not mentioned on the links from your guest post. It is from Max and Jack's Room:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.maxandjacksroom.com/Rentals-and-Trials_c_16.html They have really reasonable prices and you can get a lot of your money back.
Thanks, Colleen! I will be adding that link to my cloth diaper page at the top!
DeleteI wish I had had advice like this at the beginning. I was on a serious budget, and ordered wicked cheap ones off ebay. I learned a lot with them, but would have done differently in hindsight.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I thought we had done enough research beforehand, but I had no IDEA there were so many different options out there until we had already bought/received most of our "stash".
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