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View Full Version : How much does it really save you?



starrynight
11-04-2003, 01:55 PM
I have never cd'd before but am considering it now that I have 2 in diapers to save some money. But I'm wondering after using detergent and extra wear and tear on the washer etc does it really save you any money? Plus the upfront cost kinda worries me because what if I just can't stick with it or whatnot.. Any info would help thanks!

stillplayswithbarbies
11-04-2003, 02:24 PM
Here is a website that worked it all out:

http://www.punkinbutt.com/bottom_dollar.html

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

toomanystrollers
11-04-2003, 02:29 PM
I'm not one to ask b/c I love all the cute girly fitted dipes and have accumulated way too many.

Schulyer's mom - where are you?

mommyj
11-04-2003, 03:59 PM
I was also going to refer to you the Punkinbutt article. I've also calculated it based on what I've spent, and cloth is much cheaper. The cheapest system is to use prefolds and inexpensive covers like Proraps or Bummis whisper pants. Prefolds run between $1.50-2.00, depending on size, and the covers I mentioned are between $5-6. Depending on how big your babies are, they might be able to wear the same size in prefolds.
Here's a website with great info on getting started with CDs:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/kfegelman/started.html
If CDing doesn't work out, you can always sell the covers and dipes to recover some of the initial cost, but my guess is you'll love it :)

parkersmama
11-04-2003, 06:41 PM
Jackie...I'm so happy to see you considering CDs! :) I will be happy to show you everything in my stash (and it is considerable! LOL!) and you can even try some out to see how you like it, if you'd like. Definitely CPFs and Proraps (or even a slightly more expensive cover) are the cheapest way to go. I really love my CPFs and they work very well. I do so much laundry already that adding one more load every other day or so hasn't been a problem. I don't think that the extra detergent has really added up to much. Also, factor in that using cloth wipes is *much* cheaper than buying disposable wipes. I still have some disposable diapers and wipes around to use in the car or at church but I do cloth pretty much 99% of the time. Today, I goofed and forgot to take an extra cover in the diaper bag on Parker's field trip and had to put Amy Grace in a sposie. Wouldn't you know it...she decided to poop and had an up-the-back blowout! Ugh. I really hate disposables now that I've switched!

I think your best bet would be starting with a small quantity (maybe 12 in each size you need) of CPFs and several inexpensive covers in each size to see how you like it. If it ends up being too much trouble, diapers have a pretty good resale value. If you do like it, you can buy more. We can point you to some good sites that have either flat-rate or free shipping.

I'll definitely bring some diapers to show you next week so you can at least touch a few in person! :)

lizajane
11-04-2003, 08:20 PM
here i am! here i am! thanks, pam, for the "economic shout-out!" (or maybe you were just calling me a cheap b**ch... hee hee)

ok. broken record AGAIN. (i know you are all SOOOOOOO tired of me...)

prefolds and proraps. prefolds and proraps. prefolds and proraps. prefolds and proraps.prefolds and proraps.prefolds and proraps...

i have spend less than $250 in 7 months, and i have more prefolds than are necessary because i like to do wash twice a week instead of every other day.

my friend with a 16 mo old buys sposies in bulk and estimates $50/month on diapers. that is for a TODDLER who doesn't pee like an infant, so an infant's diaper cost would be higher. i belive my power/water bills went up less than $10 each. water maybe went up 5-10 and power really isn't even noticeable.

so at $250 for 22 standard prefolds, 15 premium prefolds, 6 small proraps, 6 medium proraps, 3 snappis, one wet bag, 4 pairs of FB, 4 hemperoos, and 6 infant size prefolds (ok, i cheated here because i used MY diapers for him when he was an newborn infant... that's right folks, resurected from the 1970's...) i will still need some size large proraps and some size large FBs and hemperoos. i figure i can do that whole diaper "thing" for 2 kids for about $350 plus let's round up to $15/month on power/water/detergent (and i just made myself a clothes line, so cut the power bill because i will only use my dryer to fluff now)

SOOOOOOO that is less than 7 months of sposies for supply cost and a monthly sposie savings of at LEAST $35/month after that. for two kids (this is VERY rough and bad math...)

the savings comes to no less than $1680.

toomanystrollers
11-04-2003, 08:37 PM
Liza,
You're my prefold guru! You helped get on the cd bandwagon with my prefolds and proraps but I should have kept chanting "prefolds and proraps, prefolds and proraps"... now I've become a diaper hyena. :)

liya
11-04-2003, 08:42 PM
Liza said it best....Although I AM ALSO A BROKEN RECORD...LOL I HATE PRORAPS.....I like green earth wraps better(if your going with an economical wrap)...Its nice and soft and WORKS!!!

Hey take my example.....I bought a whole bunch of diapers to test out and went basically full circle..I make diapers but find myself only making AIOs for Ari when we go out. We use CPFs ALL THE TIME except when we are OUT...Im even selling everything thats NOT CPFs or AIOs....I can make my CPFs all cutsie(Liza and Sonia we have a project when i get to NC :) ) at minimal cost(about 25 cents more to make cutesie CPFS..LOL) and i dont have the temptation of buying ANY diapers....BTW you DONT need AIOs but since i can make em i have no problem getting some for dirt cheap(considering their regualr retail prices)..LOL

starrynight
11-04-2003, 10:43 PM
Thank you all for you input. Denise, thanks so much!! I would love to see some of your stash :). I think even if I only put Eliza in them it would save me some money. Daria is already 21 months old so I wonder if she would let us switch her? I'm hoping to have her potty trained soon, but again I said *hoping* lol I have to have her cooperation too. Dh is actually the one that brought it up because he is cheap and the first thing he thought of was less money! haha And after reading on the internet how long it takes for a disposible to biodegrade I am more thinking cloth for the environment than the cost (although being cheaper helps me too!)

Now cpf's are the plain white diapers you can also use as burp clothes right? And prowraps you buy online I assume? (yup I'm a dork when it comes to this stuff!)

Linda, where can I found the green eart wraps? And prowraps are not the same as aio's right? The prowrap is a cover for the cpf right? I do not want to use pins at all, can I do that?

liya
11-05-2003, 01:21 AM
right no pins you just lay it and your set...aslo if you buy a snappi it will make things sooo much easier when doing the folds but honestly you dont have to.. My husband just trifolds lays it in a cover and hes set to go..I just like my son to have a trim diaper on so i usually twist it and snappi it...

You can find the green earth wraps at www.lilbunz.com she also price matches and has free shipping....

Proraps are covers and there is also something called the prorap AIO which is an all in one diaper...But they are way more expensive than just getting CPFs and covers so stick with that...You can get proraps at natural babies...I dont like them because they have a plastic inside i mean you can literally SEE the plastic...The green earth covers are softer and there is NO plastic feel to it like the proraps..they are the same design as the proraps so it all comes down to pure taste of material...

CPFs look like the plain white diapers you use as burp clothes but aer IN NO WAY like them...They have the rectangular shape thats all..LOL These are nice plushy and thick..When you get them they will look like plain ol flats..but when you wash them you will feel the plushy comfyness...

HTH

parkersmama
11-05-2003, 10:53 AM
It might be a little hard to get Daria in them. You could try a few CPFs and see how she likes it. Some babies make the switch easily and others balk at it. If she doesn't like it, then you'll still have those diapers for when Eliza is that size. I do think it will save you money to just do Eliza but you have to be careful not to get sucked in to the diaper machine we have here and start buying all the "fun" stuff. It's *very* hard to resist. At least for me. I'm sometimes cheap but cool and cute almost always beat cheap for me! LOL!

starrynight
11-05-2003, 10:56 AM
Linda, thanks that does help!

Denise, I know I'm already obsessed, I have been scouring the internet looking at them all but trying to hold back a bit until I know what I really need/want instead of going for cute :).

lizajane
11-05-2003, 02:18 PM
just wanted to add that collen at naturalbabies.com has the best prices on cpf that i have seen. i would get standard size, even though they may be a little bulky now. you may grow out of infant size too fast.

and also want to add that linda is a PUL snob! LOL!! hee hee. ok, ok, maybe we will try green earth covers when we move to larges if we like yours. of course, the medium proraps are STILL big.

liya
11-05-2003, 09:18 PM
Linda IS a PUL snob...LOL Im taking mine with me youll like em youll see!!..They dont have that plastic back...Say no to plastic...LOL :)