How to save money on diapers? A question that plagues every parent. But don’t worry, you have options to reduce your costs!
3 Options for Diapering & How to Save Money on Diapers
The modern parent has 3 options for diapering.
Cloth diapers are ones I am most familiar with. I used them for 3 of my 4 biological kids!
Disposables diapers are the ones you are probably most familiar with.
Elimination Communication is a form of very early toilet training that many cultures use a method to skip diapers all together.
Cloth Diapers: How to Save Money on Diapers
Cloth diapers made a big come back in the 2000s. New materials and fabrics transformed cloth diapers. Now they look and function much more like disposables!
Cloth diapers are great ways to save money, if you can keep yourself from buying all the cute prints for your collection!
The only major concerns with cloth diapers are ability to wash and water quality. If you have a reliable way to wash, you can do cloth.
Before You Buy the First Diaper
Cloth diapers are amazing money savers. But there are some trade-offs.
First, it does require a bit of an upfront investment. Individual diapers cost between $5 and $20, with custom diapers costing even more.
And you must also buy a wetbag or 2 for storing dirty diapers on the go.
If you buy brand new and all at once, then that can be a big purchase.
Second, you will also need to evaluate your energy needs. You can dry cloth outside on a line to save even more money. In my experience, I ran 2-4 loads of diapers a week (each load must be washed 2x). I saw absolutely NO difference on my water or electric bill.
I cloth diapered for 5 years straight! They are my #1 suggestion for people asking me how to save money on diapers.
Disposables
Disposables are the choice of many families simply because they are so easy.
If you choose to use disposable diapers, shop around. Even the same store may have different prices depending on whether you are on the affluent side of town. And, don’t be afraid to try store brand diapers.
If you find that you just love a more expensive name brand, you still have options to save money!
- Join a rewards program. Many diaper companies have them and now even Amazon.
- Buy in bulk. Diapers don’t ruin and can be easily stored. If your child outgrows them before they are gone, try selling unopened packs on Facebook Marketplace.
- Use coupons. The secret to getting a really good deal is saving your coupons until the diapers go on sale, then using them.
- Look on Facebook MarketPlace and Craigslist. People have extra diapers that they often sell after their child has outgrown them. Couponers will also sell at discounts. Only buy unopened packages. Do not buy *Comfees* brand as these are WIC and other public program diapers. Unused portions are supposed to be returned to the WIC office.
- Ask for diapers of all sizes on your baby registry
Elimination Communication
Some cultures skip or greatly reduce the need for diapering altogether. I greatly admire parents who can do elimination communication.
So it’s pretty common in Asia and Africa to watch your baby, get to know their cues, and hold them over a toilet or bucket while the go. Kids release with a simple signal like a whistle or snap.
This practice is becoming so popular clothing companies springing up for elimination communication babies.
Do you have an ingenious tip for saving money on diapers? Leave it below!
Money Savvy Mommas know that family finances are the secret to security and, ultimately, happiness for their family.
