My friend Kaitlyn and I came up with a great idea that I absolutely love.
As you know, Kaitlyn is expecting her first child. This can be so overwhelming and I know that other first time moms probably feel the same. She has so many questions and would love to hear the opinions of moms who have already been through this a time or two before.
As you know, Kaitlyn is expecting her first child. This can be so overwhelming and I know that other first time moms probably feel the same. She has so many questions and would love to hear the opinions of moms who have already been through this a time or two before.
Because of this, we are hosting a weekly series to try and get some answers to some of the most common questions.
Here are the topics we still have for future weeks:
Friday, May 31: Cloth Diapers vs. Disposables
Here are the topics we still have for future weeks:
Friday, May 31: Cloth Diapers vs. Disposables
Friday, June 7:
To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate
Friday, June 14:
Tips For Quick Recovery After Labor
Friday, June 21:
Struggling With Postpartum Depression
Friday, June 28:
BabyWise vs. Attachment Parenting
Friday, July 5:
What You Really Need In A Diaper Bag
Friday, July 12:
Buying vs. Making Baby Food
Friday, July 19:
Cord Blood Banking vs. Not Cord Blood Banking
Friday, July 26:
Moving Baby To Solids: Ideas, Tips & Tricks
Friday, August 2:
Shopping For A Little One: Favorite Stores & Shops
Friday, August 9:
Introducing Your Child Into A Home With Older Siblings Or Pets
Friday, August 16:
How To Stay Connected To Your Partner
Friday, August 23:
Baby-Proofing Your Home
Friday, August 30:
Baby-Proofing Your Marriage
So without further ado, let's get on with Week 9: Cloth Diapers vs. Disposables!
Cloth Diapers vs Disposables:
A lot of my friends were doing them and still do and yes I do believe you save money but not nearly as much as what they try to advertise. Some people have used them successfully for multiple children and I know some people have chosen to buy new for their second children because they just couldn't get the smell out of their old ones. Another thing to think about it most cloth diapers have a certain weight they will fit, I have known multiple momma's who have either had to do disposables in the beginning until their cloth fit or buy a whole other set to fit their newborn. That's an added expense for sure on top of the normal starting cloth diaper set. Also not figured in on the price is the cost of extra laundry and special laundry detergent, it's not huge but it's added money onto your original investment.
Over the last year and a half I have really done a lot of research as far as the products used in our home and have really been a lot pickier when it comes to what we use. If I was just starting out with kids now I probably would be doing research on disposables to find out if everything I read about them is true and that may of swayed my cloth vs disposables decision but I can't say for sure. Carson will be 2 in August and we will be potty training soon so it's too late now I'm not changing.
But since we went with disposables, here are a few tips that can help save money in the diaper years.
1) Try out the different brands. We tried a few different ones and always went back to Pampers. Hands down I feel Pampers Swaddlers are the best for newborns but once they are out of the newborn stage, try some of the cheaper diapers or off brand ones and see if they work well for you. Every baby is different and sometimes certain brands just don't work so be careful if you are stocking up beforehand and make sure you can return / exchange them from where you are getting them if they don't work.
2) Sign up for Amazon mom. When I first had Noah Amazon mom was free and you received 30% off diapers if you set up a monthly subscription for them. It was awesome, I did it for diapers and wipes and it helped us save a ton. Sometime, before Carson was born I remember the rules changing to not quite as awesome of a deal but still a good one. Now you can get a free 3 month amazon mom membership and receive 20% diapers and wipes but after that to get the discount you have to have Amazon Prime which is a $79 /year membership. We did the math and it was still worth it to pay the fee and get the discounts when we had 2 in diapers. Now that we don't go through that many it's not quite as much of a savings. However we also order a ton off of amazon so the free 2 day shipping perk is great along with tons of free unlimited TV and movies we can stream through our Ipad or our Xbox. The stuff they have to watch is a lot like Netflix just not quite as good. So that is an option for you to look into, even if you don't do the amazon prime, at least do the 3 months, buy some extra diapers during your trial and then call it quits.
3) If you buy diapers/ wipes in the store always look online for coupons first. There are quite a few out there especially if you aren't brand loyal and could buy whatever the coupon if for.
4) Before I knew about and signed up with Amazon with Noah 3 years ago I went online a lot and would buy a lot of coupons on Ebay. You can't actually sell coupons on Ebay so you are paying for someone's time to clip and list them. You may pay a few dollars for the coupons but can save a lot more if you use them all. It always worked out well for me doing that.
Remember there isn't a wrong decision when it comes to cloth vs. disposables. You and your partner talk it over and decide what is best for you, your baby, your lifestyle, and your finances. You aren't a bad mommy to do either one. The decision is yours!
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