Frugal mamas? - Page 2

[anothermama]

I have a good sized stash that gets me *nearly* through three days and I did it buying here and on ebay.....I think I've spent maybe 300 on diapers that would have cost me closer to a grand new. And I use CPFs for LOTS of things...inside bummis, as stuffers, etc etc.

[mehndi mama]

I think I've always been pretty dang frugal. All of the diapers that I used on my older kids were either hand-me-downs or homemade using fabrics from my mom's stash - it's only been recently that I've bought any cloth diapers at all - like in the last year! And that's in 12 years of diapering pretty much nonstop.
IMO, learning to sew is the most frugal thing you can do, diapering-wise, just because you don't have to settle for prefolds if you'd rather be using fitteds. A fitted diaper takes the same number of t-shirts for me to make as a prefold, so why bother with the prefolds when I like fitteds better?

[musicmaj]

Frugal here too.
I started out with all prefolds, then tried fitteds/aio, now am back to almost all prefolds. I also use flats while traveling.

I also started out with dappi pull ons and proraps. They worked great. Now, I have a splattering of bummis, prorap side snap, wool soakers, and pockets to use with my flats and prefolds on my almost 3 year old. I also just bought a wool cuddlewrap (I love it on my toddler). I am considering buying a couple more of these to use when baby hits about 12-15lbs until potty learning. That would definitely be considered frugal since it is one size.

For my next baby, I will probably buy 3 dozen infant prefolds and more dappi pull ons, plus knit 1 more small wool soaker, plus maybe buy a couple of fleece or wool wraps. I am definitely going to buy another 1 or 2 wool cuddlewraps for after the newborn stage.

[Juliacat]

Do you like the prorap side snaps?

[judybean]

I just have to say, Julia, I'm so glad you brought this thread up. Sometimes it's easy to get lost in the hyena-dom of it all... and I know some mamas aren't into that and don't always visit this board because of that.

It's good to see so many frugal and pf (and flat) lovin' mamas!

[grnmtnmama]

Originally Posted by mehndi mama

IMO, learning to sew is the most frugal thing you can do, diapering-wise, just because you don't have to settle for prefolds if you'd rather be using fitteds. A fitted diaper takes the same number of t-shirts for me to make as a prefold, so why bother with the prefolds when I like fitteds better?

the most frugal thing about diapering for me is that most of my dipes have come used from the tp. but i agree with this pp, learning to sew and knit can enable you to have nice diapers and wool soakers and pants without breaking the bank.

When i first started cding, I wanted to be very frugal. But then one day I decided that if I'm going to be elbow deep in poo so many times each day, I should have diapers that are easy to use and reliable. we use mostly wahm-made fitteds (non-hyena) and i don't feel that i've wasted a penny.

[elizabeth rose]

I cloth diapered my now 19 mo old from birth with preemie prefolds, then infant, then premium cps and proraps, bummi pull ons, and bsww. I loved it. Its simple, clean looking, they dry in a snap (the bummis pull ons dry very fast, prefolds dry very quickly compared to fitteds)
I used to think people were crazy to spend big money on fitteds, aios ect when its just gonna get covered up by clothes, I felt I'd rather spend $ on gorgeous clothes people could see, lol, and then to hear everyone say nothing absorbs ike a cpf, well I couldnt see the logic in using anything else. Well I just recently ordered a stash of kissaluvs size 2 for my 19 mo old, and plan on the babe born in June to have mostly fitteds to contain the poop, and bc I can go coverless more easily. I dont feel its necessary though, more of a luxury to do more than prefolds.

[Nickarolaberry]

Funny you posted this because I was just going to post a need for a group cyberhug as I am having to sell off all my "good" diapers.

I need desperately to raise cash so I'm selling off all my happy heinies (I use these for out and about) and my few random aio's and fitteds. I have a stack of prefolds that I use at home and really love, and a few uninteresting covers (dappi nylon pull-ons, alexis sidesnappers, bummis siww). I must say, every dipaer I've ever bought has been used or come to me "new but washed" with the exception of some of my prefolds. I think those are a good investment anyway!

I will miss my hh for their convenience, but not for the complicated wash system I need to use with them. It's not really frugal -- either financially or environmentally -- to have to run 3 rinse cycles and one full wash cycle just for those diapers (otherwise in my water they get buildup). Prefolds are significantly less maintenance that way, they can go in the dryer, and they sun out so easily. Plus there's something so clasically "cool" about a well-pinned or snappi'd prefold.

But I will be dyeing my pf's to cheer me up I think!

You know, it's funny. I do still sometimes have to by s'posies for nighttime and for my 4year old bedwetter (I just can't afford those bedwetter pants) : . But one outlay of $8.99 every four or five months or so vs. every week? I don't know how people do it. Not to mention the trash volume and the STENNCH. Icky.

Let's hear it for frugal stashes! Now, everyone console me my loss of my fave diapers. Sniff.

[musicmaj]

Originally Posted by Juliacat

Do you like the prorap side snaps?

Yes, I love them on my ds - but not everyone can get a good fit with them. ds has very skinny legs and an average sized waist. It is hard to find a good cover for him, but these are great.

[spearso]

I am as frugal...

as the day is long! And you couldn't pay me to trade in my prefolds that have lasted through 2 kids, and will last through another, lol. Although I could easily diaper my kids with other dipes (I sell them, so I could pay less than retail), I won't! Part of the reason is b/c I'm so cheap, and part of the reason is b/c I want to prove to ppl that it *can* be done, lol. My dipes have held up fine thus far, and I just love, love, love the ease of prefolds. I don't find folding them in thirds to be a big deal, and I like the fact that I can use them to clean up other messes (ie -- bowl of spaghetti tossed on floor).

susie

[Quindin]

I have a cheap stash myself (IPFs) except for 12 pocket diapers I have for outings and nighttime.

I don't know if I am frugal or what, but it is almost impossible for me to spend money to replace stuff that is working well. IPFs are so absorbent and fit DS so well... only when they were not working for overnight and were a pain to bring on outings did I go ahead and got pockets.

Ok, PFs are a pain sometimes when DS is too wiggly. I even thought of buying all AIOs last week when I found myself reaching for the pokets more and more because DS was just too irritable to lie down for a change. But then, he went back to his old cooperative self and diaper changes are what htye used to be.

I also thought of more fitted and AIOs because of DH a while back .Then he learnt how to pin and is very proud for having mastered the art :LOL

I am looking into NB stuff righ now and actually thought of buying Kissaluvs and then resalling them afterwards. But then again, I am VERY GOOD at pinning and only had bf blowouts twice.

Now, when I have to buy dipes for other people I have no problem buying the fancy stuff. I got some great AIOs, fitted and covers for a friend's baby shower and it was so much fun. As to my own stash, I just can't buy fancy diapers when the ones I have are working so well already... And DS is just as happy no matter which diapers he has anyways as long as they are soft comfy

I do the same with other things in life too I guess. Though I getting nice stuff for DH, our kids and other people, but it is VERY hard to go ahead and buy myself new stuff becfore what I have is completely worn out.

[sarahbay]

Do you realize that no matter how thrifty you are with CD's you're still saving tons over disposies!!!!???!!!

Back in the day, DH was in school, I was a new mom with NOOOOOO $$, nada, ziltch. None.

Soooooo anyway after learning about the wonderful world of cloth thru a Natural Baby catalog I picked up at the OB's waiting rm before Kita was born(some 8 -9 odd yrs ago...)I musta read and re-read those 3 pages on cloth dipes. They looked sooooo cool, and so much better for baby. I added up the disposies we were throwing away from out little bamibino, and it came to about 20 /day!! yikes, and I used the crappy cheapo brand of disposies and they leaked anyway, and stuck, and were sooo expensive. So I went to target and bought a doz prefolds, of course I bought the wrong kind, and they leaked something aweful. kita was about 3 mo old at that time. Undaunted and brave to the finish I knew I had alternatives. I got the gumption and called and placed an order for 24 rainbow contours(should have just got 36, oh well...)and 3 Nikky covers, oooh la la!! $100! I couldn't believe I had done it I had no idea how we were going to pay for it, but I did it! I found a few indisposable aio's at a thrifty store and some nice neighbor GAVE me 10 kooshies aios!! I was in diaper heaven!!!! Never looked back!! We supplemented with Gerber diaper service quality prefolds $20 or so a doz and Litewrap velcro covers$6 ea. Had about 5 doz dipes and about 6 covers per size, we were so set. But..... That all added up to about $400 buckaroos and that was super super thrifty, only prefolds and couple nice covers and mostly crappy covers(they didi work fine though)

Now You realize I could have dropped about $300 for a complete stash of one-size fitteds and really been livin it up!

[Mizelenius]

I started off being frugal but not by choice (DH was unemployed). I used CPFs and Bummis (I tried Prorap colors and they left bad marks). Once DH got a job, I went crazy. I never got into AIOs (they seem like so much work as far as maintenance) but I bought a lot of fitteds and many different types of hemp prefolds.

One day it dawned on me-- why was I searching for some other type of diaper when the perfect diaper (CPFs) was sitting right in front of me? Super easy to clean, a perfect fit every time, and WAY trimmer than any of my fittteds. I don't have newborn experience with them (I will in April, g*d willing), though. Even though I have some cash for new diapers, I decided "if it ain't broke . . ." and will continue with my CPFs. It truly simplified my diapering life to stick with them!!

[amysuen]

Originally Posted by sovereignqueen

Before I discovered MDC I was content with my 6 prowaprs and my prefolds. I didn't know much about CD, but was happy (iingnorance is bliss, and easier on the pocket book, at least in CD land )

That's where I was before MDC too- happy with contour dipes and Diaperaps. But now I'm starting a stash of fleece and hemp and whatever else catches my eye!

[pfeiff19]

I love our prefolds! Dh prefers prefitteds. Usually use dappi pants, though like fleece a lot. Only used 1 wool and it but now it doesn't fit. And a handful of LHC fitteds for night...

[3boobykins]

I'm definitely frugal. With ds we used proraps and trifolded prefolds. I discovered snappis when he was a little under two. With dd1, I continued using prefolds but switched to bummis whisper pants and especially for baby pullons when I discovered how nice and soft and inexpensive they are. We're still using prefolds with dd2, with a mixture of covers--pullons, a few Nikky covers I got brand new and very cheap at a baby resale store, and a few wool wraps--Biobottoms and Bumpy--that I got for $6 or less on the TP, ebay, and diaperpin. Now I use pins most of the time with the prefolds, with homemade fleece liners. I also have a couple of FB and HH for nights, and would probably buy more HH if we could afford it and use the prefolds to stuff them.

I find prefolds to be quite trim when pinned, and I think they're adorable and classic. Sometimes I think I'd like fitteds, but I'm so fast at pinning and good at getting a snug fit without leaks, that I don't see what the point would be in spending more than $2 on a diaper.

[3 Little Monkeys]

I didn't really start out frugal - the thought of prefolds scared the living heck out of me - now it's the bulk of my stash :LOL I LOVE LOVE LOVE my prefolds!!

I am amazed when I sit down and calculate just how much we have saved by cding. I've recently started making longies and soakers out of wool sweaters I've picked up at the thrift stores. I don't know if we will have any more babies (which makes me so sad!) but if we do, I have a nice little stash built up and wouldn't have to buy anything else. I've really become frugal - I hate to spend money, it's so hard to come by lately.

[lmonter]

I my prefolds. We have fewer poop-splosions in prefolds than we did with some fitteds. Don't have any flats... yet.