If you use disposable diapers or wipes, you’ve only got about three more weeks to stock up on them before the prices go up. This is a great time to take advantage of the Amazon Mom deals and save 30% (with the subscribe and save option) on all your diapering needs. Plus, there is a Pampers coupon currently available on Amazon.com to make the savings even sweeter.

And it is…at least as far as number one is concerned. Number two? That’s a whole different story. When I ask her if she needs to poop, she will answer with an emphatic, “No!” When I’m pretty sure she does need to, I’ll put her on the potty anyway. And there she’ll sit. And sit. And sit. She’d sit there all day with her bottom clinched up tight because she flat out refuses to poop in the potty.

I love potty training.

Anyway, summer is coming quickly and since I don’t want my daughter pooping in a pool, it looks like I’m going to need some swimming diapers. The thing is, disposable swim diapers are expensive! They cost more than their dry-land counterparts but the diaper manufacturers can get away with it. Why? Because what choice do we have, right?

Wrong!

Did you know that there are actually cloth swim diapers? For about the cost of a package of disposable swim diapers (sometimes even less), you can get a reusable swim diaper. And for a trip to the pool or the lake, two or three diapers is probably all you’ll need. Now, if you’re only going to go swimming with your baby a handful of times this summer, you might find the disposables to be more economical. But if you plan on swimming weekly or more, cloth swim diapers may be the way to go.

If you have had experience with cloth swim diapers, leave a comment and tell us about it!

There is no better way to dry your cloth diapers than by hanging them out in the sun to dry. Sure, it takes a little more effort than throwing them in the dryer, but the benefits are tremendous:

1. You’ll save money on your electricity bill by not running the dryer.
2. The sun will whiten and brighten your diapers, eliminating the need for harsh bleach.
3. The sun and the fresh air will deodorize your diapers.
4. Avoiding the dryer will lengthen the life of your cloth diapers.

And of course, you can dry your diapers outside at any time of the year. But there’s just nothing like a warm sunny day to get your diapers their freshest and brightest.

• Okay, Amazon.com has a case of Luvs on sale for $34.54 – 264 to 120 count, depending upon size.
• If you are an Amazon Mom member (and if you’re not, why not??), you’ll automatically save 15% off your purchase.
• Then, if you choose “Subscribe and Save” at check out, you’ll save an additional 15%. The catch here is that you are subscribing to automatic delivery of this product. However, you can cancel your subscription right after ordering without penalty.
• This brings your total down to $24.88 — $0.09 to $0.21 depending upon size.
• Now, if you have one of the Parent Magazine 20% off coupon codes, your total for a case of Luvs will be $17.27 – $0.07 to $0.14, depending upon size.

That’s a pretty good deal for name brand disposable diapers. Oh, and if you happen to have scored one of the $10 off Amazon coupons, your total will be even lower.

Silly man. He should know me well enough by now to realize that I am stockpiling for our future baby(ies). No, we are not pregnant but we plan to have at least one more baby in the relatively near future. So if I can get diapers dirt cheap now, why would I wait? Here’s an example:

A couple of months ago, I found a case of Huggies diapers (144 count in a size 3) on the clearance rack of my local Kroger. They were marked down to $7.99. Why? Because the box was pretty beat up. The diapers inside were still wrapped in plastic and seemed unscathed by the damage done to the box. To make the deal even sweeter, I had a coupon for $3.00 off Huggies bringing my grand total to $4.99 for a case of 144 diapers. How could I pass that up?

Then there are the wipes. Periodically, Huggies and Pampers will each put out coupons for $2.00 off a box of wipes. At Walmart, those wipes can usually be purchased for right around $2.00 making them FREE! I won’t stock up on wipes until I am pregnant because wipes will eventually dry out or even get moldy (yuck!). But if you already are pregnant, this is a great item to stock up on.

Here is a list of items that are great for stockpiling, even before your baby is born!

• Diapers — Buy them when you find great deals on them, particularly in a size 2, 3, or 4 (people will probably give you a lot of size 1 diapers when your baby is born). Also, be sure to request diaper samples and add them to the stockpile.
• Formula — If you plan to formula feed or even just supplement with formula, now is the time to start looking for deals. Recently, Ready-to-Feed Similac was going for less than a dollar because of a high dollar coupon put out by the manufacturer. That is too good to pass up, just watch the expiration dates. Also, samples will start arriving in the mail (with little to no effort on your part). These samples are usually full size cans of formula and can be added to your stockpile.
• Wipes — Again, watch for free or almost free wipes and stock up at least six months worth.
• Baby Bottles — I frequently see baby bottles in the clearance section of stores like Target and Walmart. Request manufacturer coupons for bottles and keep them on hand for those clearance sales. You will find that you can get your baby bottles (even brands like Avent) for pennies sometimes!
• Clothes — Clothing can be tricky because of sizes and genders. However, I always watch for clearance sales on gender-neutral clothing basics like onesies, t-shirts, and pajamas. At the end of the season, you can find amazing prices on these items. If you are already pregnant, you can pretty safely estimate what size your baby will be during his first year of life and buy appropriate clothing at the end of the season.
• Baby Gear — Every now and then a manufacturer will discontinue an item. This is NOT the same as a recall. They simply quit making a particular style of an item. When this happens, you can sometimes find closeout prices on the item. Such finds are rare but they do happen. When I was pregnant with my son I found a purple bouncer for $14 (it was originally $49). I knew I was having a boy but who cares? He didn’t mind having a purple bouncer!

216 Huggies Wipes for $6.99 at toysrus.com

Bum Genius All-In-One Diapers $9.95 each! at cottonbabies.com

Huggies Diapers and Pull-Ups $6.99 at Walgreens (use a manufacturer’s coupon for even more savings!)

Register with Diaper Companies

Disposable diaper companies offer membership programs that benefit both them and the consumer. To join the program, you provide your contact information plus the names and ages of your children. This helps the company to accurately target their marketing. In exchange, they send their members free samples, coupons, and other goodies from time to time. At least once a month, I receive a free diaper or two in the mail, a couple of coupons, and occasionally things like stickers or booklets. As your child gets older, you will begin to get training pants samples, too.

Pampers Savings Program
Huggies Savings Program
Luvs Savings Program

Mailing Lists

From the time you have your first prenatal appointment until the time you send your kids off to college, you will have opportunity after opportunity to get on parenting mailing lists. You will find sign up forms online, in parenting magazines, at the doctor’s office, in baby supply stores, and more. Sure, you’ll get some unwanted junk mail from time to time, but you will also receive samples and coupons beyond what you will get from the diaper companies, themselves.

Clip Coupons

Diaper coupons are readily available. Aside from the coupons you will receive in the mail when you register with diaper companies and get on mailing lists, you will find diaper coupons in baby and parenting magazines, the Sunday paper, store flyers (think Target and Babies R Us), and in the coupon packs that come in the mail. Also, be sure to check online. Do a Google search for “diaper coupons” and you will be amazed at what is out there. Coupons can also be found for sale on Ebay and for free through Freecycle. The best way to save with coupons is by combining a sale with a manufacturer’s coupon and a store coupon. For example, Target recently had Huggies on sale for $7.99. I had a $1 off Target store coupon and a $3 off manufacturer’s coupon. My total price was $3.99!

Buy Generic

I have known a number of parents over the years who swear their babies can only wear Pampers because anything else is too harsh on their baby’s skin. If that’s you, then you can skip right over this section. For the rest of you who may be skeptical but not totally opposed to using generic, let me tell you what I have found. Some generic diapers are better than others. Some are simply not worth any amount of money. But some (and I have only found a few), are almost as good as their name brand counterparts. My personal recommendation? Up and Up brand diapers at Target. They are less than $14 for a big box and work as well (in my opinion) as their name-brand counterparts. For those of you with nighttime wetters, consider buying generic for use during the day and pricier diapers for nighttime use.

Buy Used

Okay, I don’t mean really used. Just think about this: What happens if you’ve bought a couple of cases of diapers and before you use them all, your baby moves into another size? Or what if you received way more newborn diapers from friends and family than you will ever be able to use? Or (and we should all be so lucky!), what if your toddler potty trains and you still have diapers left?

Some people solve this dilemma buy selling their unused diapers. You can find great deals on leftover diapers on eBay, at consignment sales, and at yard sales. One word of caution, though — only buy diapers that are still sealed in their original plastic packaging to ensure they are clean and sanitary.

I personally think that some people make laundering their cloth diapers more difficult than it has to be. You don’t need a bunch of fancy detergents or a 10 step process. You just need to get the diapers clean without irritating your baby’s skin.

To follow my recommended method, you will need the following frugal supplies:
• Baking soda
• Laundry detergent
• White vinegar
• Diaper pail
• Clothesline (optional, but recommended)

To care for your cloth diapers, I suggest doing the following:

1. Sprinkle baking soda at the bottom of a diaper pail, garbage can with a lid, empty cat litter or detergent bucket, or other large container with a lid. Do NOT add water to the pail. This can be both a health and safety hazard.
2. Toss soiled diapers into the pail. Solid poop should be flushed first but it is not necessary to rinse the diapers in the toilet.
3. After you have accumulated one or two days worth of diapers, wash them in your machine’s longest and hottest cycle with half a cap or scoop of detergent and ¼ cup baking soda.*
4. After the wash and rinse cycle is complete, start the rinse cycle again and add a ¼ cup of white vinegar to the rinse water.
5. If possible, dry your diapers outside in the sun. The sunlight will help to bleach out any stains and will leave your diapers smelling fresh. It will also help to lengthen the life of your diapers — dryers are harsh on both diapers and covers.

*As a general rule, do not use bleach in your diaper wash. The bleach can weaken the cloth and shorten the life of the diaper and baking soda is a diaper-safe alternative. That being said, if you have stubborn stains or odors, the occasional use of bleach might help.

I folded up a dishtowel, lined the middle of it with a washcloth and put it on my daughter just like I would have put on a cloth diaper. I secured it with safety pins and then promptly called my husband and asked him to bring home some diapers.

While the dishtowel diaper was a solution for me when I was in a bind, some folks make all of their baby’s diapers. It certainly doesn’t get any more frugal since they can be made from many fabrics that you probably already have lying around the house. Think you don’t have fabric just lying around? What about these?

• Old T-shirts
• Unused receiving blankets
• Tattered towels
• Spare dish towels
• Worn out flannel shirts

All of those items make great diapers and are essentially free. Here is the easiest way to convert them into diapers for long-term use:

1. Prewash all items.
2. Cut 25×25 inch squares out of the fabric (this size is designed to fit babies big and small — if you want, you can cut the fabric smaller to reduce bulkiness).
3. Using a needle and thread or a sewing machine, hem up the edges to prevent unraveling (this step isn’t necessary for emergency diapers only).
4. Fold the squares into thirds and insert into a diaper cover.
5. If you find you need more absorbency, you can make your own doublers by cutting out rectangles in the width of your folded diaper from an absorbent material. Finish the edges as you did with the diapers. These doublers can be inserted into the folds of the diaper or simply laid out on top of the folded diaper.

How easy (and cheap) was that?!

Now, for those of you who are more creatively inclined or who want to make a diapering system that is a bit more sophisticated than recycled flat diapers, there are many patterns available for prefolds, fitteds, contours, and all-in-ones. Many such patterns are available for purchase and when weighed against the cost of diapers, may be a great deal. On the other hand, there are a number of enterprising parents who very generously share their patterns for free. Since I am creatively challenged in this area, I will direct you to some of these free patterns. Please be sure to let me know which patterns worked best for you.

DiaperSewing.com – This is an excellent site with instructions for making many different types of diapers.

MamaBird – Great patterns for three different types of diapers.

My Free Diaper Pattern – Basic patterns for a one-size fitted diaper.

Dianna’s Journal – Relatively simple pattern for a fitted diaper.

Dutch Girl Diary – Detailed instructions for making a fitted diaper pattern.

If, on the other hand, you want to be both frugal and practical, The Frugal Baby recommends the items below to get you started cloth diapering. Keep in mind that this is the minimum you will want/need and that the more diapers you have, the less washing you will have to do. Also realize that while the diapers, doublers, and Snappis recommended here will work on a baby of any size, covers have to be purchased by size. Therefore, you will have to buy a new set of covers every few months.

There are also a few items you will need to care for your cloth diapers but most of them are quite frugal:

• Baking soda
• Laundry detergent
• White vinegar
• Diaper pail
• Clothesline (optional, but recommended)

To care for your cloth diapers, I suggest doing the following:

1. Sprinkle baking soda at the bottom of a diaper pail, garbage can with a lid, empty cat litter or detergent bucket, or other large container with a lid. Do NOT add water to the pail. This can be both a health and safety hazard.
2. Toss soiled diapers into the pail. Solid poop should be flushed first but it is not necessary to rinse the diapers in the toilet.
3. After you have accumulated one or two days worth of diapers, wash them in your machine’s longest and hottest cycle with half a cap or scoop of detergent and ¼ cup baking soda.*
4. After the wash and rinse cycle is complete, start the rinse cycle again and add a ¼ cup of white vinegar to the rinse water.
5. If possible, dry your diapers outside in the sun. The sunlight will help to bleach out any stains and will leave your diapers smelling fresh. It will also help to lengthen the life of your diapers — dryers are harsh on both diapers and covers.

*As a general rule, do not use bleach in your diaper wash. The bleach can weaken the cloth and shorten the life of the diaper. That being said, if you have stubborn stains or odors, the occasional use of bleach might help.