It’s estimated that one baby will go through about $2000 worth of disposable diapers by their second birthday. That’s a whole lot of money to literally just be throwing away! If you are completely broke and you still need to put diapers on your baby, this is the cheapest way to accomplish that. Cloth diapers- hear me out, they are not as hard as you think they are.
Related: Meal Planning
Related: Everything You Need To Know About Cloth Diapers
Cheapest Diapers
The cheapest option for cloth diapers is flats and covers. You can cloth diaper a couple of kids for just $78 total- not a month, rounding up.
Diaper covers & wet bag set– $29.99 (pack of 6)
Flour sack towels – $24.58 (2 packs of 12 $12.29 each)
Wipes– $19.50 (2 packs of 15 $9.75 each)
Total: $74.07
Prefolds
If you have a bit more money and want to save yourself time and energy, try prefolds and get two packs of Gerber prefolds instead of flour sack towels, you will be down 4 inserts, but you will have an easier time with the whole process. Prefolds are a much easier option than flats are.
Here is a cost analysis of what you need if you are going to try prefolds.
Diaper cover & wet bag set – $29.99 (pack of 6)
Prefolds – $27.98 (2 packs of 10 $13.99 each)
Wipes– $19.50 (2 packs of 15 $9.75 each)
Total: 77.47
As you can see, it’s not much more money for prefolds than flats and it will save you a lot of time.
Related: 19 Tips To Save Money
Additional Costs
If you have a few more bucks to spare, I highly recommend getting a pack of snappi. These basically hold the flat or prefold onto your baby. They are not necessary, but quite helpful to contain the mess.
Snappi-$9.95 (3 pack)
If you can afford an upfront cost for the 6 pack ($13.95) I highly recommend that, as snappi do wear out and will need to be replaced eventually.
Oxiclean – $10.47 (5 lb container)
Vinegar- $6 (from Costco 2 gallon jugs)
There will be additional costs associated with cloth diapering, mostly water and detergent. I purchase Oxiclean and Vinegar for my cloth diapers as well as a laundry booster I make myself. For the oxiclean, I do not use the scoop that comes with the container, I use about 1-2 tbsp per load. I use one container of oxiclean every 3 months, but I also use the oxiclean on my other laundry. I get my vinegar in a huge jug 2 pack at Costco for about $6 and that lasts me months. Check out my post on cloth diapers to see my wash routine.
If you are unable to afford disposable diapers, cloth diapers can truly be a great way to make raising a baby more affordable.
