“Having a baby costs so much money!”

How many times have you heard this statement? Some may answer that a newborn baby needs very little aside from loving parents. But some of the simplest necessities cost the most: diapers, clothing, a car seat, and food. This week we’ll be looking back at some old posts about saving on baby, whether it’s diapers, gear or food.

While this is an older post from the archives of Southern Savers, I’ve updated the details, prices and links. There are tons of great comments too!

Saving on Baby: How to Save on Diapers

I’ll start with my diaper story. Many of you know that I have twins. Thankfully, they have long been out of diapers, but when they were babies, I attempted cloth diapers out of sheer desperation and then seriously lost my mind. We weren’t couponing at the time, so I did the next best thing—always buying house brands. The diapers were fine, t but we spent a ton of money.  The cheapest house brand I liked was still around $7.50 a pack and we could go through a pack a day!  As we continued having kids, I began combining coupons and store sales, and we usually ended up with free diapers or at most paying less than $5 per pack for name brand diapers.

Choose cloth diapers

It may seem old fashioned or even gross to some, but when you start doing the research you will find that choosing cloth is by far the best way to save on diapering. The average family spends anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 to diaper one child to age three, depending on how good they are at finding the most economical disposable. This price doesn’t include disposable wipes (which are sometimes almost as much as the diapers), a special diaper pail, all those little plastic baggies to minimize smell, etc. Multiply these numbers by three (or more), and we’re talking about nearly $5,000-$10,000!

Families who choose cloth diapers (even the most expensive all-in-ones) rarely spend over $500 on diapers and associated gear. Even when you add in the cost of laundering, the total doesn’t come close to the amount spent on disposables. Don’t forget that quality cloth diapers can last a family through several children. To further reduce start-up costs, you might even consider buying gently used diapers (check Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Craigslist) or making your own if you have the talent. Once you have the diapers, you can save on laundering by letting your diapers line dry, which also helps them to smell fresh and remove stains.

Finally, many choose to cloth diaper because they feel it is a superior product that is more comfortable for their child or because of the environmental impact. Don’t forget, this doesn’t mean that you can’t use disposables for convenience on occasion.

Growing Wild Roots has a comprehensive guide to cloth diapering, and we also have a post about cloth diapers!

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