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Sorry if this gets asked a lot...

rp-chicago-momrp-chicago-mom member
in Cloth Diapering
I've lurked a couple days not a lot so sorry if this is a common question. Is it more cost effective to do cloth diapering? I would love to do it and I think the only way to get DH on board is to prove that it would save us money in the long run. I would guess you ladies have all sorts of strategies for this. Thanks!
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Re: Sorry if this gets asked a lot...

  • Dr.LorettaDr.Loretta member

    Yes

    There is more upfront cost to CDing. However, if you factor in the costs of manufacturing new disposables, packaging, transportation, etc., you're already starting to see cost benefits. Plus it's, what, $20 for a pack of diapers, and you can get a set of used prefolds for that, which will last longer than a pack of disposables. Add the potential to either sell off what you don't use or re-use for another child, and you're seeing cost savings as well.

    Most people here don't see significant increases in water or energy bills due to CDing. You're going to be doing baby laundry anyway, what's another 2-3 loads of diapers a week? And we line-dry our diapers, lowering energy costs that way.

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  • namara5532namara5532 member

    Definately.  Even the most expensive cloth diaper stashes worth a few hundred dollars are still cheaper than the thousands of dollars you would spend on disposables.  I got my DH on board when I pulled numbers from baby planning books of how much disposables cost, then I showed him how we could get a full stash for a couple hundred dollars.  Plus if you invest in a diaper that doesn't work for your LO, you can sell it to someone.  Most you can do with a disposable that didn't work is throw it away.

    There's some debate as to whether cloth is more ecologically sound, but it's easier to choose eco friendly options with cloth, such as line drying instead of using the dryer or buying unbleached.  You don't really get eco friendly options with disposables as either way they'll spend hundreds of years decomposing in a landfill.

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  • rp-chicago-momrp-chicago-mom member
    I thought I would get him on the eco friendly aspect but he's still skeptical. I did the math estimating somewhere in the middle of what the diapers seem to cost but I have no idea how many disposable diapers I would need in contrast.
    image
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    Then and now. How did my boy get so big? 

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  • Dr.LorettaDr.Loretta member

    imageBaker_Bride:
    I did the math estimating somewhere in the middle of what the diapers seem to cost but I have no idea how many disposable diapers I would need in contrast.

    You're changing diapers up to once an hour or so for newborns, and the timing stretches out as they get older. There should be some general calculators out there on how many diapers an average child goes through.

    And to be honest, who cares if he's skeptical? It has never been DH's thing, but we still CD.

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  • rp-chicago-momrp-chicago-mom member
    imageDr.Loretta:

    And to be honest, who cares if he's skeptical? It has never been DH's thing, but we still CD.

    Well right. I plan to stay at home for at least the first year. So who is going to be washing all those diapers anyway? My sister said I should register for some and then I might get some for my shower since it's our first. Besides, they're so ridiculously cute! 

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    Then and now. How did my boy get so big? 

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  • punkrockabyepunkrockabye member

    For what it's worth, I made a registry for myself on Amazon with just the very basics in terms of baby items that I feel we will need; we're fairly minimalist so it's not a whole lot. I wanted a simple list of things so I'd know the kind of money DH and I need to save and set aside, as I am not sure if anyone will give us a shower and I can't rely on anyone to help. Chances are, yes, family will help, but that's not their job.

    On this registry are all the diapers we will technically need through potty training. The prefolds, covers, cloth wipes, and some liners all total about $340. That's it. How quickly can you imagine you'd spend $340 on disposables?! I did some quick math and horrified myself. 

    Of course we'll end up getting some fitteds, AIO's, probably some wool... but those aren't completely necessary if the budget is extremely tight. We'll have what we need up front, and any extra diapers are for fun and/or more convenience. Even if you spend $1,000 on your cloth stash, again--how quickly do you think you'd burn through that in disposables? It's scary! 

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  • steffie1982steffie1982 member

    This website does a great job comparing the benefits of cloth diapering to disposables.  It gives you an idea of how much money you would spend if you went the most or least expensive route with cloth diapering and disposables.  I found it to be the most helpful!

    https://www.thestorkwearhouse.com/cloth-diaper-101-a/135.htm

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