Feeding the Addiction & Paying the Bills

I hear this from mom’s all the time, at Twitter parties, on Facebook, and even in the comments of The Cloth Diaper Whisperer: “I really wish I could buy more cloth diapers, but we just don’t have the money.” Maybe it’s because they want to get started in cloth. Maybe it’s because they want to wash less frequently. Maybe it’s they are just addicted to the cuteness and NEED more! Whatever the reasons for wanting to buy more cloth, finances can have a serious impact on the size of your stash. As a full-time college student, I know as well as anyone how tight a budget can get. But after a few months navigating the cloth diapering world, and drooling over everything I wanted to buy, I’ve found a few tips and tricks to grow my stash and still pay the bills.

My first trick is to expand your stash with prefolds. Even if you prefer pockets diapers or All-In-Ones, prefolds work great around the house, when you have more room for diaper changes and can slack on the convenience factor somewhat. Then your pockets or AIOs are available for going out and about. If you have an older baby you can just fold the prefold in thirds and lay it in the cover. (I prefer Thirsties Duo Wrap Diaper Covers.) If you have a smaller baby, you will want to use something to fasten the prefold around the baby to prevent leaks onto the cover. Diaper pins are very cost effective, but some parents prefer not to use them. Snappis are T-shaped fasteners with teeth that hold the prefold on the baby. They are not quite as cost-effective as pins, but still a very good option for families on a budget that prefer not to use pins.

Next stash-growing strategy: sacrifice. This one should be somewhat self-explanatory. You have to give up some things to get things that are more important. It’s all about priorities. For me, my sacrifice is my morning bagel before class. A bagel at the bakery I frequent is about $2.30 with cream cheese. When I get a bagel there, I must have a smoothie, which is about $4. Yes, it is outrageous, but it is SOO good! This breakfast ends up being about $7 with tax. I usually got a bagel & smoothie 1 morning a week. When I cut it down to only on test days (about once a month) it saved me about $21 a month! There is one OS pocket diaper (my diaper of choice) a month right there! This same principle could be applied to whatever you like: brew your own morning coffee, eat out less, or don’t buy that pair of shoes you “just have to have.” Your baby’s bottom will thank you!

My last tip is to use the Kelly’s Closet coupon codes! My favorites are the free one-size diaper coupons. Usually the minimum purchase for these is only $25! So buy the diaper you have sacrificed for, and grab a free one too! To get an email with all the new coupon codes, subscribe to the Kelly’s Closet Newsletter.

I hope this post helps you realize a small budget doesn’t have to mean a small stash! There are many ways to expand your fluff inventory without taking out a second  mortgage!

By Keshia W.