We'll be taking a short break from food-talk today to talk about the other end of the spectrum: poop. And how to dispose of the baby variety in a cost-effective manner, as the good wife to a frugal husband with whom I share said pre-potty trained baby.
The way we have decided to go about this is to cloth-diaper. Cloth-diapering was something that I considered when I was pregnant with our first child but never followed through on because I thought it would be a hassle. But when I became pregnant with our second child I was determined to reconsider, as I was looking for any possible way to cut expenses now that we had another sweet little mouth to feed. I did gobs of research (again) and even attended a class to learn about the different styles that are on the market today. I was SO sold. I was confident that this was something I could get Eric on board with this time around.
And here we are, 18 months into the process and we've survived thus far. It's easy, actually, and truthfully I feel like an idiot for not doing it with our first child! It's really a great option if you have a baby and are looking for ways to cut costs.
We were (SO!) blessed to receive most of our cloth diapers as gifts. We purchased a few more diapers on our own, bought a wet bag to store the dirties, and we received a diaper sprayer from a very sweet friend who cloth-diapers her little girls. I also made a bunch of 8"x8" cloth wipes using a couple yards of cotton flannel material. All in all, we spent about $140 in diapers and supplies and received the rest in gifts. Compare that to the $1300+ we spent for disposable diapers, wipes, Diaper Genie liners, etc., for our first child and you can see what a huge savings that is. It's crazy how it adds up-- and all ends up in the trash anyway. Which is totally gross from an environmental perspective as well as a financial perspective. I might as well have been wiping his butt with dollar bills!
I am also excited about the brand of diaper I chose. Most of my stash is compiled of the BumGenius Elemental diapers, but I also have a few Flip Organic diapers and I just purchased a 3-pack of Econobum diapers. These are seriously awesome diapers!
As a sidenote, these diapers were created by the owners of a local small business, Cotton Babies, which is a retail store with 2 locations in our area and 1 store in Vancouver, WA. They sell natural, earth-friendly products, employ local designers, and donate their products in various community and worldwide charitable endeavors. How cool is that?! I know of the owners as they attend our church but I'm pretty sure they probably don't know me from Bob. I'm writing this simply because I love these diapers, I love how they have saved our family so much money, and I stalk their website like a freak because I love their products.
What are some creative and/or practical ways you have saved your family money? Please share your ideas!
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