Diapers are a necessity for infants and toddlers, but that doesn’t mean they need to blow your budget. There are simple things you can do to find cheap diapers. From using diaper coupons to changing brands, below are several ways to save money on diapers for your child. You can find more secrets to saving in parents.com’s guide to diapers. Thebump.com even gives hints on saving up for diapers while you’re pregnant.
If you’re a parent of a little one, you know that diapers are something you just can’t get around purchasing. When our kids were little, one of the most significant expenses we had from week to week was diapers. It was quite shocking how much it cost us!
Over the course of three kids, we figured out some great, easy ways to save money on diapers. Some things we tried didn’t work, but at least we were willing to give them a shot. After all, it’s better to try and fail than never to have tried at all!
THE HIGH PRICE OF DIAPERS
When buying diapers, most of us don’t think about the total cost. Instead, we look just at what we spend from week to week. But have you ever considered how much you will pay for diapers overall for each child you have?
Let’s just say that you have one child – do you know how many diapers you will change (on average)? I found this chart, which shows some averages (but I think it may be a bit understated):
If you add this up, it’s nothing for one child to go through more than 3,500 diapers!! If you pay full price for a brand such as Pampers, you’ll pay nearly $1,100 for diapers! And if your child goes through more than these averages, your cost will be even more significant.
While seeing these numbers can be a bit daunting, sometimes seeing what you will spend gives you even more reason to do whatever you can to save as much as you can.
Other helpful posts:
SAVING MONEY ON DIAPERS
1. SHOP ONLINE AT AMAZON
Amazon may not seem like an obvious solution, but it’s an excellent resource for saving money on diapers. You can join Amazon Family (formerly Amazon Mom) to save up to 20% off diapers, wipes and other baby products.
Your orders always ship for free, and you can set them up for regular, automatic shipping intervals. Not only that, but you can use Amazon coupons, which will increase your savings.
Best of all, with online shopping, you never have to leave home to get diapers!
2. DIAPER COUPONS
It may seem like extra work, but a few minutes of clipping can add up to savings! You can find great deals each week at your favorite store when you combine a discount with your diaper coupons.
Make sure you check out coupons.com, where you’ll find a printable coupon for nearly every purchase!!! And there are even ways to get coupons for diapers by snail mail.
3. SIGN UP FOR REWARDS
Rewards accounts won’t necessarily save you money on diapers, but you can earn rewards on your purchases!! Getting something back for all of those diapers you buy is better than nothing at all.
Joining Pampers Rewards is entirely free. Some of the rewards have included free labels from Shutterfly, donations to charities on your behalf, restaurant coupons, higher-value coupons – and more!
You may also want to join Huggies Rewards, where you’ll get points for every purchase. You can even get exclusive coupons and offers right in your inbox!
4. TRY THE STORE BRAND
Often, store brands are just as good as the more expensive name brands. It might be worth it to purchase a small package to see how they work. You might also try different national brands – especially if you find a great deal at your local store.
For example, the Target store brand used by many parents has proved to be just as good as – if not better than – even Pampers or Huggies diapers!
Being open to using a store brand diaper can result in savings of as much as 25% off the more expensive name brands.
5. COMPARE PRODUCT PACKAGING
A smart way to save money on diapers is to check the per-unit price. It may be less expensive to purchase two smaller packages than one big one. Sometimes these prices are printed right on the store shelf, but if not, you can quickly do the math (divide the number of diapers by the cost).
If you happen to have a coupon to save $1 off each smaller package, you can sometimes come out ahead and pay less per diaper.
6. DON’T GO UP TO THE NEXT SIZE TOO SOON
When you purchase larger diapers, your product will include fewer diapers. That means each one costs you a bit more.
The package may say the diapers fit specific sizes, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow it. These are guidelines. Your child might still fit into a smaller-size diaper comfortably, which means you can save until he or she is too big to wear that size any longer.
7. TRY CLOTH DIAPERS
When I had two kids in diapers, we decided to go with cloth diapers. We had to spend a few hundred dollars initially to purchase them, but we quickly recouped that cost (in less than six months).
If you have kids in daycare, you’ll still need disposable diapers during the day, but you can use a mix of cloth and disposables when you are at home. But even then, you need to make sure that cloth diapers are an option that works for your family.
Read more about How to Use Cloth Diapers to Save Money
8. STOCKPILE WHEN YOU CAN
When you see an amazing deal on your brand of diapers, go ahead and purchase a few extra packages. Stockpiling diapers allows you to save time running to the store and also ensures you don’t end up paying full price when you reach the bottom of the box! Find a blogger near you who lists weekly diaper deals to help you find the best deals week after week.
By applying some of these ideas, you can easily save 40%, 50% or even more on diapers for your child. And if you have more than one child, just imagine the savings!! Think about what you can do with that money. Anything is better than literally throwing it into the trash.