If you’re expecting or you have a child in diapers, then you may have developed a fear for this costly part of having a baby. It seems like diaper duty never ends, which can be a problem if you’re on a tight budget. Diapers and wipes aren’t exactly on the cheap end of the spectrum and with all of your other new expenses, you may wonder how you’re going to be able to keep up with the constant demand. Luckily, there’s several ways you can keep your baby in diapers without spending the small fortune you might think. These ten tips should help you cut back on your spending, so you can worry less about diaper money and make more time for your bundle of joy.
1. Try Generic
There’s a lot of big name diapers out there, but for each of these brands you can easily find a generic option that is equal in quality. Of course, that doesn’t mean all of the generic brands will do right by you. If you choose to try out a new brand, make sure to shop for a smaller package. This will allow you to see the quality of the diaper without being forced to spend a lot of money on a bulk buy that may not even work for your child. It will also ensure that you won’t end up with a lot of diapers if your child is allergic to them, which happens more than you think. Generic diapers will still add up in price, but every little bit helps when you’re saving money. You should also try out generic brands from stores that you trust. Dollar store brands may not be up to par with other department stores, so shop carefully and ask others how they feel about generic brands before shopping.
2. Shop in Bulk
One of the best things about diapers is numerous stores will sell them in bulk batches to help you keep up with the constant demand. Each store will offer a variety of different bulk sizes, so you should be able to customize your shopping experience to your budget or your child’s needs. These big boxes will help you get through a longer period, so you may not have to go on diaper runs in the middle of the night. Of course, you should always do the math before you buy in bulk. Calculate the cost of each diaper and compare it to the costs of other stores. Sometimes, the biggest of the packs aren’t the best of price, which could leave you paying more than you should.
3. Open Box Deals
Open Box deals still aren’t as popular as they should. Basically, these deals offer a product at a discounted price. The only catch is the product has already been opened. Of course, the company inspects the items before offering them for resell, so you don’t have to worry about getting something that has been tampered with. You can find Open Box deals on a wide variety of websites, so make sure to look around to see what suits your needs. Amazon actually has an Open Box store especially for baby supplies, which can help you save a whole lot of money if you don’t mind getting an open box of bulk diapers. If you’re a member of Amazon Prime or Amazon Mom then you’ll still be able to take advantage of your free shipping perks too, which will cut back on your spending even more.
4. Free Samples
If you’re looking for any bit of assistance when it comes to diapers and wipes then the internet is certainly the place to look. Many companies will send you free samples of their products in order to win out your business. You can even write to the companies to see if they will send you special coupons on products to help you out. There are also special programs that will offer you free samples of a wide variety of baby products. More often than not, you will get samples for diapers and wipes. If you have a newborn or one on the way, then you can easily apply for a lot of welcome boxes that will help you out with many baby needs. Usually these boxes come with a small pack of diapers or samples as well as a variety of wipes. So, make sure you sign up for as many of these as possible. Finally, there’s lots of coupons around that can help you get major discounts and freebies.
5. Membership Programs
When it comes to saving money, you may want to look into memberships to help you out. There’s lots out there that do a wide variety of things. For starters, you can get a membership like Amazon Mom, which will allow you to take a 15% discount off baby necessities as well as the perks of free shipping. This should help keep you in the savings while adding a whole lot of convenience to your now busy life. If you have a wholesale store near you then you may want to grab a membership to that as well. This will help you to buy diapers and wipes in bulk, which is sure to make life a whole lot better, especially when the baby is going through so many diapers. Last but not least, you can sign up for perks with your diaper company. Many will put codes on their diapers which will add up to give you freebies and more.
6. Earn Points
It pays to be loyal when you’re buying diapers and wipes in more ways than one. For starters, it lets you feel secure that your child isn’t allergic to a certain brand and that you’re not going to deal with leaks as often as you might with other brands. On the other hand, it lets you get great deals on the items you’re already gong to purchase. Many diaper and wipe companies offer rewards now, in order to keep company loyalty. For instance, they will give out special codes for customers to type into their membership page. These rewards tally up and eventually you will be able to earn freebies. Of course, these memberships also offer free coupons to help you along your way too.
7. DIY wipes
Recently, baby wipes have been in the news quite a bit and not in a good way. A lot of brands can actually harm your child’s skin if used too much. This factor, on top of the high price of keeping the wipes stocked has left many parents turning to alternative measures. Usually, this means whipping up your own baby wipes for a fair price. There’s a whole lot of recipes online that can help you guide your way into making your own wipes for your child. Most involve paper towels, water and essential oils, so you won’t have to spend an arm and a leg on the items. You may even find the wipes are better for your child’s skin overall. To make things even better, you can always use coconut oil after each change to help prevent rashes and other problems.
8. Trade Ins
Chances are, if you had a baby shower then you probably ended up with a whole lot of newborn diapers to contend with. This is a great start to your new journey into parenthood, but you may end up with too many diapers in the same size. Generally, new born diapers only fit babies up to 8 pounds, which many babies surpass at birth or after a couple of weeks of life. Luckily, you don’t have to just throw out or sell all of the diapers collecting dust in the closet. Instead, you can take them into a retailer and trade them in for an appropriate size. This will help save you even more money as well as space in the home. Most retailers will do this, but make sure to ask before you go in so you don’t waste your time.
9. Go Cloth
If you really want to cut back on the spending, then cloth might be the way to go. This is a greener version of diapering and won’t force you to keep paying for diapers. The downside of cloth diapers is you’re going to be doing laundry a whole lot, but if you have an energy efficient machine you should be good to go. There’s a huge variety when it comes to cloth now too. For starters, you can go with the classic diapers that must be pinned up. These are sure to always be on the market and are a cheap way to save money while promoting cleanliness. They do make special clothed diapers now though that Velcros shut and are easy to get on and off.
10. Ask Around
Knowing people can really help you find what you need for you and your child. If you have a lot of friends that are parents or family members who have recently had a baby, then you maybe in lucky. Often, these households will have extra diapers that no longer fit their child anymore. Since the packs are open completely they may have to hold onto them. If you ask the right people, they may be willing to pass over the diapers to you. Another option is to ask charities. You may be surprised by how many people are willing to help you when it comes to diapers. In fact, there’s even a National Diaper Bank. So check out this charity and others, in order to keep the diaper purchases in working order.
Ensuring your child has a clean diaper and plenty of wipes can be a trying feat. These ten tips should help you find your way to a healthier budget and child. I’m sure, with a little luck and know how, you’re going to stress a whole lot less about diaper duty.
