How to Build a Cloth Diaper Stash for $45 – Cloth Diapering on the Cheap
I was cruising around Amazon this morning, when I came across (again) a couple of really cheap cloth diapers, and I thought I talk about cloth diapering on the cheap!
Cloth diapering doesn’t have to be expensive. Once you get obsessed, like a lot of us, it can be VERY expensive, but if you’re doing this for money saving reasons, here are a few tips to get you started cloth diapering without a HUGE upfront cost.
Don’t feel like Amazon is the only place to buy cloth diapers! Do your research for the cheapest prices around! These below are just examples!
Where To Get The Money
Skip Starbucks or McDonalds lunch this week. Twice. OR put back $1.50 per day
That will save you about $11 toward your cloth diaper stash. In one month, you’ll have $45ish.
What is already around the house?
If you take a look around the house, you’ll probably find some stuff that you can start out with! These things make great starters for cloth diapering:
Diapers:
Old Tshirts
Hand Towels
Cotton Receiving Blankets
Covers:
Polyester Fleece Pants
Polyester Fleece Shorts (or cut off the pants if it’s too hot! they won’t ravel!)
Local Options
If you have the option of a local cloth diaper consignment store, you can find some really great deals on cloth diapers! Many consignment stores sell used prefolds for as little as $1-$1.50 each, and you do not have to worry about shipping! The money you would have allotted for shipping can go toward the purchase of more diapers, covers, or accessories! Just keep tax in mind when you shop locally!
Try your local Goodwill or Thrift store for cotton receiving blankets! These will double as flat fold diapers, and they are fantastic for cloth diapering! Even those of us seasoned cloth diaper vets like to use receiving blankets!
Sewing you own Cloth Diapers:
If you sew, the most frugal way to cloth diaper is to sew your own. If you don’t know where to start, there are many options out there with searches like “sew your own cloth diapers” and “free cloth diaper patterns”.
Purchasing cloth diapers for a 20 pound baby:
Cloth Diapers
OsoCozy Premium Prefolds at Amazon – $24 plus 8.03 shipping
Total – $32.08 (Compared to $32 without shipping of comparable brands elsewhere)
Cloth Diaper Covers
There are many options to find reasonable cloth diaper covers such as Sarah’s Stitches, but I ran across some really cheap ones on Amazon this morning, so we’ll start there.
Kushies Taffeta Diaper Wrap – $7.49 free shipping
There are also cheaper, not so great options that will get you by til more money builds up to start buying more diapers! Who knows, these might work for you!
Dappi Diaper Cover Medium – $4.98
OR.. you can always opt for the old school rubber pants! While not the best idea, they’ll get you by!
Cloth Diaper Accessories
Accessories are not a necessity, however, if you’re going to use prefolds on a 20 pound baby, you may want to have something handy to keep them in place. At 20 pounds, your baby wiggles around and it’s a good idea to have the prefolds fastened.
Regular safety pins aren’t the best for cloth diapers. You know, the silver or gold ones you use to lessen the cleavage you show off at church on Sundays? They’re not really “safety”. If you’re going to use pins, make sure you get the ones designed for wiggly babies wearing cloth diapers like these Cloth Diaper Pins Stainless Steel Traditional Safety Pin. You can buy them on Amazon, but they are cheaper at your nearest Target or Babies r Us.
Snappis are a good little invention, however, they can get expensive but don’t be tempted to cheap out and get the ones that aren’t the Snappi brand. Cheap covers will get you by, but knock off snappis will not!
I would settle for 1, unless you’re prone to misplacing things.
Snappi Cloth Diaper Fastener – $3.50 plus $1.98 shipping
Total – $5.48
Total Cost for 12 Cloth Diapers, Cover, and Accessory
12 Prefolds – $32.08
1 Cover – $7.49
1 Snappi – $5.48
Total – $45.05
12 Prefolds – $32.08
2 Cheaper Covers – $9.96
Total – $42.04
Along with the items you have around your house already, this should get you started. You will probably have to wash these diapers daily until you can add more to your stash or start being creative with what you have around the house!
Once you’ve started saving money from not having to make those weekly runs to the store (approximately $15 a week), you can start looking more in depth at places that have used cloth diapers for sale!
Be creative! Have fun! Save money! Find the love for cloth diapers!
Diaper Swappers is a great place to get hand me downs too for cheap! But I love making my own with super cute patterns!
Heather From and Mommy Only Has 2 Hands!
Hi!
What a fabulous article. We would be interested in republishing it on our site if possible–please email us at everythingcloth@gmail.com if this is something you would be interested in! Thanks so much!!
Lisa, Everything Cloth
Or you can purchase 4 of the Econobum trail packs. They usually run about $11.95 a piece. You would be looking at about $40 for 4 covers and 12 prefolds. I love my econobums and think they are high quality. I hate the kushies covers and they are about the same price. I think a lot of people would be happier with an econobum cover. I know I hear a lot of “leaking” issues with the Kushies and rarely hear anything bad about the Econobums.
Just another suggestion.