Cloth Diapers and Wipes: Penny Pinching Party Week 4

5 years ago, if you would have told me I would have 3 more children, ages 3 and under, I would have split my side laughing. If you had went on to mention homeschooling, and cloth diapering I would have called the local crisis center, thinking you were nuts.

Remember the old adage, “Never say never?” When it comes to trying something new, it’s best to keep that one in mind.

I learned about cloth diapers, while perusing a number of frugal message boards when Rachel was small. I hated being back to work, and was constantly pouring over frugal sites to ‘discover’ ways to save money, so that I could justify cutting back at work.

I kept seeing a recurring theme …..cloth diapers. I cringed, since I remembered my mother using cloth diapers on some of my younger brothers and sisters.

I decided to give it a whirl, but knew I’d have to do something relatively fool proof, and as close to a disposable diaper as I could get. Anything with a huge learning curve would not fly well with my husband, or my best friend, and I’d give it up quickly as well.

Enter Fuzzi Bunz ….. I give my friends Andrea and Stephne credit for introducing me to these. Adorable, and easy as pie to use! How could you resist something this cute??

I’ve bought the majority of my diapers on Diaper Swappers …. these pocket diapers can be a bit pricey, but I can save by picking diapers up here. I’ve also managed to score some deals via my friend Susan, when she visits the ‘cloth diaper superstore’ when she goes to Ann Arbor.

For me, cloth diapering is a front-loaded expense ….. meaning, it’s more expensive upfront, but the longer you use the cloth diapers, the cheaper it becomes. Make sense? Trust me, my brain is too sleep deprived to break down the cost comparison — but let’s keep it simple. Instead of using a disposable diaper, and throwing it away, you get to use a cloth diaper again, and again (and maybe with multiple children). Pocket cloth diapers like these run around $18 per diaper new. Sounds pricey, but keep in mind, you won’t be throwing this one away. Honestly, I probably spend at least $50/month on disposable diapers, and maybe more, since there are two babies in diapers around here!

I started out part time, then quickly built up our stash, buying a few diapers at a time. I’ve almost forgot — Rachel was 18 months old when we started. It’s never too early, or late to give it a whirl.

If you use cloth diapers, it only makes sense to use cloth wipes. There are LOADS of adorable cloth wipes available, but I just picked up some baby washclothes from Target and used those. I did splurge a bit, and picked up some cloth wipe solution from Booty Cubes. I just fill an empty wipes box with clean baby washcloths, and leave a bottle of the solution right beside it. Spray a little on the cloth, and I’m ready to go. These get washed right along with the diapers.

Join in the frugal fun with Jen this week, and add your tips!