Black Friday Prep: Cloth Diaper Style

Black Friday is a way of life in my family. Every Friday after Thanksgiving since about the age of twelve, I have bundled myself up and headed out the door before the sun was still up to scout out the best deals with my mom and sister. We wade through the crowds, delight in the Christmas music pouring from store speakers & purchase items at what we consider rock-bottom prices. Our day is usually successful----but that’s only as a result of planning!

This will be my very first “Black Friday” experience as a cloth-diapering parent. As such, my excitement about deals has shifted a bit as I plan my wish list for the day. Because I’ve never seen a Black Friday before in cloth-diaper-land, I don’t totally know what to expect… but I’m taking my Black Friday experience and putting it to good use this week.

Here are a few things that are helping me prepare to score the best deals (and maybe will help you too!)

1. What are my funds like? For me, this means checking both the bank account and my designated paypal account for cloth diapers. I’ve been looking over my stash and pulling a few items we just don’t use anymore and listing them on diaper selling forums to be able to purchase items that we do need. Nothing to sell? Examine your reward points available on Kelly’s Closet from previous purchases….maybe you have enough points to cash in for a gift card to use on Black Friday.
2. What do we need? I have a LOT of wants when it comes to any area of life, but right now, we have some real needs when it comes to diapering. This week I’m taking the time to finish off that list so I know what I’m on the lookout for and won’t feel overwhelmed with other good deals that I miss out on what I really need. We need more FLIP covers for nighttime, Hemp Babies Doublers, Joey-Bunz inserts & prefolds.
3. What could I use? Just like shopping in the stores on Black Friday, there are many things I find that I legitimately could use. The same is truth in cloth diaper shopping. My “what we can always use” list includes Tiny Bubbles detergent & CJ’s Butter. These are items that even if I have enough right now, I know for certain I will use more of it in the future. This list is helpful to have if you need to add things to your order to push it over for free shipping or a freebie.
4. What do I want? This last list is my fun list. The wish list of, “Oh man, I really want a bumGenius 4.0 in Mirror!” This is where I jot down anything that isn’t a need or an always usable item like detergent or diaper cream. This list will include items that I’ve always wanted to try that I might find for great prices. For me, this list includes the aforementioned Mirror 4.0, a FLIP trainer system, an Oh Katy, a Tots Bots & a Thirsties Duo Diaper.
5. Get Organized! Now that you know your funds & have your lists ready, get organized and ready to shop! I know that some things I want will be sold out or out of stock, that’s just the nature of the game. But by having multiple lists, I’m sincerely hoping that I can just move onto the next thing on my list (as I would if I were out in the stores) instead of being discouraged that something I want is out of stock.

Happy shopping!

Rachel is a proud wife to Jonathan & cloth-diapering mommy of two-year old Lucy & eight-month old Jack. When she's not busy taming tantrums, folding laundry or snuggling with her little guy...she can be found sharing her world and unsolicited opinions at rachelonrewind.