CD Diaper Hopeful - Will I REALLY Save $?

[StopThat!]

I've been doing a TON of research on Cloth Diapers and I am STILL confused if there is money to be saved in this venture. 

We are a family on a healthy, but budgeted income, there is no room for mistakes. I'm wondering if we cloth diaper, and pick an option other than prefolds (I was looking at the fitted ones) will we really save money?

Correct me if I'm wrong - but won't I need to buy about 24 diapers for my newborn, and then after the baby grows up a few months, have to buy a whole bunch more? Plus covers, and inserts, etc?

I obviously want to do this for the lessened impact on the environment, but we can't handle paying MORE to use cloth diapers. 

Also, my 1st child was 9 lbs at birth, and we had the hardest time finding a diaper that fit around his huge legs - of course only the most expensive pampers held in his leaks and didn't get off blood flow to his legs! And he, at 2.5, is telling us he wants to wear diapers and refuses to potty train. So I'm worried I'll buy diapers that won't work for the build of my children.

Please help me understand if there's money to be saved, if I'll be spending about the same, or if I'm going to end up paying more to CD!

[dejagerw]

You will definitely save money.  I switched to cloth with my first at 9 months old and I still saved money.  I figured it out at the time, but even buying new bumgenius pocket diapers, I still saved.  Also, look into cloth wipes.  Those will definitely save you money too.

[doozermum]

Yes, I think you will.

Depending on where you live there may be a diaper service-- some in our area allow you to rent the diapers, covers, pail, wetbags, etc. and then they pick them up weekly and launder them. They will bring larger sizes as needed. It seems to me that the base plan was around $10/week.

I was able to purchase prefold diapers secondhand-- they had been washed/stripped at a professional laundry/diaper service. I purchased one-size flip and econobum covers from cottonbabies.com  and they have seconds which are flawless and super affordable ($5-9 each). My gal has chubby legs and they fit just fine-- I know they do make some especially for babies with chubbier legs.

Many companies allow you to do a trial run of diapers to see the kind you like and you can often score deals on the diapers that others have returned.

I don't regret it a bit.

[elven87]

I think there's an expensive way to cloth diaper, and a cheap way. 

Expensive: AIO's, brand names, fancy covers, latest design of everything, etc.

Cheap: prefolds, a few gerber covers, a few Thirstie covers, and you're set!

http://heartandhip.blogspot.com/2010/09/cloth-diapers-why-we-use-them.html

[socittome]

Jillians drawers does a cd trial for 10 bucks. So you can see which works for you. Also there are cheap pockets like ebays sunbabys or kawaii dipes. By making my own wet bag, cloth wipes, and buying 44 kawaii one size onsale I spent about 225 altogether which you make back in about 2 months. I recommend pockets for when they're older cause the squirming and prefolds was tough for me. You can also make your own detergent and save more! Def make the switch!

[awmiddlet]

I started doing CDs when my 2nd child was 18 months old. I got the motherease fitted diapers that last from newborn to toddler (35lbs). The only things that changed sizes were the covers, so you buy a few for each stage, they only have to be change 1-2 a day. So, now I have 5 kids, my 2nd child is now 7 years old, and I have twins in the same diapers I have had for 5 1/2 years. When the twins were first born I had them in the CDs and my 2 year old was still in them too. I do a load of diapers 1-2 a week. Super easy. And think about the money you can save. Another great way to save money is to get hand me down CDs or buy used online. Ebay used to have them, not sure any more. But some people only last a short time and then want to get rid of them. 

Oh and some of mine are being passed down to my friend and her new baby, so who knows how long they will go. 

[emnic77]

There's no rule saying you have to buy brand new diapers, either. They hold up really well, and have a great resale value. I've exclusively cloth diapered my 6 month old on about $300. I have a dozen nice, fitted pocket dipes (bum genius, happy heinys, fuzzi bunz) that I got second hand or on clearance, or on loan from a friend. I have another dozen random AIOs and pockets that I picked up at my local resale store for under $5 each, a couple still had tags on them.

One diaper company had a sale on an inexpensive fitted, for $3.95 each - I bought 6 of those and knit a couple wool covers ($12 skein of nice, soft wool = 2 soakers). Keep an eye out for sales. On facebook, many of the dipes sites have giveaways - I won a $25 gift certificate just two weeks ago, and bought my first Bum Genius 4.0. :lol

Check resale stores, check ebay, check freecycle and craigslist. even some diaper sites have a "previously owned" section with cheaper, used diapers. I buy a lot of seconds from the Bum Genius folks, I've never even noticed what they were seconds FOR. 

For $300, most of mine are one-size - she'll be in them until she is potty learned. I had a handful of newborn diapers, maybe $80 worth TOPS, I passed those on to friends - newborn diapers are always in almost perfect condition used, as they grow out of them so fast and aren't crawling around and "wearing" them out. So for $380, I've had all the diapers I'll need...that's a couple months worth of disposables. Not even a question as to whether or not we've saved money.

PS, if you're handy with a sewing machine or can knit, it's even cheaper. I can barely sew, and I've made a few fitted diapers out of old t-shirts (super cute) and I love to knit, so I knit wool soakers a lot - they are absolutely my favorite diaper cover, and they're cheap to make.

[girlygirls3]

any thoughts of going with a one-size diaper?  I used disposibles on my first two and decided to purchase fuzzibunz one size w/ my third.  I didn't purchase them until he was 7 months old, but I am confident they would have fit him at birth as well, and he was over 9 lbs.  If you used a diaper that would work all the way through, like a one-size, you'd only need to purchase them once, either new or second-hand, and they should last all the way through until potty-trained.  I also use cloth wipes, and that's a huge savings in itself.  I just wish I bought them with my other kids, the savings would have added up even more!!!

[areawoman]

Well, I've saved money switching to cloth, but we didn't switch until my daughter was two, so we've only bought them once. I have eight diapers (Six fuzzibunz insert diapers and two bumGenius AIO's) and I wash just about every day.

[rlittlemonkeys]

You will most definitely save money, especially if you consider buying one-sized diapers.  I have used the same 30ish diapers on two of my children (mostly at the same time) for almost two years now.  I spent a maximum of $175 total for all those diapers and they are still in great shape. I started with this set when my daughter was one and a half, and then continued to diaper her and my newborn.  She is now potty-trained, but the little guy is still using them.  

You can also make your own laundry detergent to save money in that department as well.  I also saved money by just buying a large tupperware container to hold the diapers in.  It was cheaper than things designed for diapers (the bags and the cans).  

Good luck!  

[MyZoeJane]

Buy one size diapers. If they dont fit at birth, use disposables for the first month or two. I did this anyway, even though the OS cloth I bought fit my ten pound baby at birth. I used disposables because it saved me the laundry during those exhasting first weeks.

I subscribe to the "hybrid" method of CDing. I use cloth when it is convenient and I use sposies when it's not. I have a stash that is WAY too big and I have not spent more than a few hundred bucks.

[corasmom]

I agree with everyone else. You definitely CAN save money cloth diapering. Prefolds are cheap and last forever. And waterproof diaper covers are reasonably priced. Some brands (Thirsties is my favorite) fit baby for a long time so you only buy two sets. Think about getting a couple of pocket diapers for overnight which are a little more expensive but better at keeping your baby dry.

[MyZoeJane]

Meant to add, though.... If you are strictly usng disposables and spending more than $30 a month, you are not a savvy shopper at ALL. Buying at Amazon.com using the 30% off discount AND a 20% off coupon which can be found in various magazines, I spend $19 and change for 200 pampers.

[Jaimee]

Check out my cloth diapering seminar on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/JaimeeGleisner?feature=mhum.  I talk about quantities, prices, accessories as well as money saving ideas.  Hope that helps!  You WILL absolutely save money even if you choose more expensive types of premium diapers. 

[MaerynPearl]

This is my first time cloth diapering... we spent about $100 on the diapers we have and so far at 2 1/2 months we are all good.

We have 2 packs of prefolds and about 15 cheap one-size pocket diapers with microfiber inserts (i got them on eBay for like 5 bucks each) which grow with her.

At 2 months... we have to do diaper laundry every other day or so... sometimes every three if we can change the insert without changing the pocket diaper (we do not actually put them IN the pocket but more use the pocket diaper to keep the prefold in place and as a diaper cover)

Its definitely saved money. By now we would have gone through well over $100 of sposies

[ebodom]

If you are on a really tight budget, you might want to see if you can get some free cloth diapers to use from The Cloth Diaper Foundation: http://www.clothdiaperfoundation.org/. I actually just found this non-profit organization through a web search last night, and I have already e-mailed in my application because my family is on an extremely tight budget, too.

They will loan you 12 diapers for as long as you need them. You just have to pay shipping. The goal is for those granted loaned diapers to slowly build their own stash while using their diapers.

Check it out! I really hope I will get accepted when they start reviewing application again after the holidays!

[rachelhall]

You will save BIG bucks by using Cloth Diapers, even if you opt for the more expensive diapers new.

Check out www.everythingbirth.com for several great cloth diaper trial options. And I agree with someone else's suggestion -- look into cloth wipes, too. They are extremely easy to use (especially because you toss them in your diaper pail and the wash with your dipes!)

And as an aside - we used Bum Genius 3.0s (they now have 4.0s out), and our daughter went through a majorly chunky phase when she was younger, and she is now a slim 2-year-old. They have always fit her well (even as a newborn - she was 8 lbs 10 oz at birth!). We will be using them on our next baby, too. (Talk about huge savings!)

I would recommend a one size diaper, too. You are only purchasing the dipes once, and the ones I have used really do work and "grow" with your baby!

Good luck!!

[onyxravnos]

Don't forget used diapers. Most of my diapers were hand me downs (some from me when I was a baby that my mom saved)  or i bought used at the local cloth diaper store. They work perfectly find and saved me even more money.

 I was really scared of prefolds but let me tell you... not only are they the cheapest route they are also not really that scary and are in fact totally easy :) my husband actually prefers the prefolds because they are so easy.

[echoi]

You will absolutely save money!  I have heard that an average family spends 4K on diapers/diaper accessories throughout a child's diaper years.  We bought everything we need - one size fits all diapers and wipes for a little over $300.  I absolutely love Soft Bums.  They are so absorbent and wick the moisture away from my baby's bottom.  

Here is the site if you care to check them out: http://www.softbums.com/

[ma_Donna]

My 7yo still wets the bed. The other night he wore a fuzzibunz stuffed with a flat + hemp doubler that I bought for him when he was 6 months old (large) at the time they were a little loose around the legs for him and some other ones have a better leg fit at that age (for example, my first class fleece pocket). He is on the slim side. He's also wearing XL bummis covers.

Newborns definitely need a separate stash, but you only use them for a while and can resell (mine have been passed through at least 4-5 babies). Then, depending on the kid, you can move up to mediums and larges that will last a very, very long time!!

I think if the majority of your absorption comes from flats & prefolds (I ADORE flats) with some fitteds, you'll do great. For covers, some pocket and some PUL covers along with a few fun, fancy ones will get you a long, long way.

Good luck!

Donna (exculsively CD'ing for almost 7 years!)