Adventures In Cloth, On a Budget

I might have mentioned before that I'm a fairly frugal person, so it probably won't surprise anyone to hear that I got interested in cloth diapers to save money as well as health reasons. I thought I'd share a few of the ways I've kept my expenditures down. (I've spent around $65 total on diapers and inserts/fst/prefolds)

*Friends and family*
I made sure everyone knew I was planning to use cloth and several of my friends gifted me with diapers or diaper supplies.

*Craigslist and fb b/s/t groups*
Here's where I built the bulk of my stash, I found 25 bumGenius diapers and a partial bag of bG detergent for $50! They're definitely well used but I've only retired two in the four months I've used them!

*Guest writing*
Every time I write a blog post like this (that gets accepted) for The Cloth Diaper Whisperer, I'm earning points toward a gift card for Kelly's Closet! So I'm always wracking my brain for new CD related posts that might not have been covered by someone else, or that maybe I have a unique viewpoint on.

*Blog ads*
Something that I haven't tried, but looks like something that's a great option if you have a blog, is signing up to advertise for your favorite cloth diaper stores and diaper brands! You can earn either points or cash depending on the company!

*Sign Up For An Account At Your Favorite Store*
Kelly's Closet and several other stores have programs where every time you purchase from them you earn points toward free products! You can also set up a gift registry so people know exactly which brand, style and print you want!

*Giveaways*
I LOVE giveaways! I spend an hour or so every Friday morning entering giveaways (I get an email from a blog I follow with a giveaway roundup), plus a few minutes whenever I see a giveaway advertised! I've added six diapers to my stash this way! The biggest thing about giveaways is something my mom taught me in kind of a round about way. Whenever we saw a giveaway mom would say "I never win" and that would be her reason for not entering! Guess what ladies? IF YOU DON'T ENTER YOU WON'T WIN!

*Facebook Parties*
This is a different form of giveaway. In a Facebook party you need to participate at a set time, usually an hour or two. If you keep an eye out on diaper brand pages and in the Cloth Diaper Support Group for diaper reveal parties, and just go get to know your fellow cloth diapering moms you can win some pretty cool stuff!

*Various Social Media Platforms*
Don't just use Facebook. Sign up for Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Even if you only use them as extra entries in giveaways its worth it! (Right now instagram is a gold mine because so few people are entering contests there!) Even signing up for one extra site helps.

*Above all Be Grateful!*
Bloggers and companies put a lot of time and money into these giveaways; express your thanks, follow the rules and be polite!

*Get A Giveaway Buddy*
Have a friend (or several) that uses cloth? Ask them to tag you in giveaways they see and do the same for them!

There you have it! My "secrets" for diapering without breaking the bank!

By Ruth


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