October 22nd, 2008

Nappies on a Budget

Nappies on a Budget

Most of us are feeling the pressure to save our pennies right now, and switching from disposables to real nappies is certainly a fantastic way to do that! Who wants to literally throw their money into the bin? Nope, not me!

However you decide to ‘Go Cloth’ you are looking at good savings over disposables. With disposable nappies costing around £930 (and rising) over the course of 2.5 years, you are left with absolutely nothing to show for it.

If you are a little extra strapped for cash right now it will be handy to know that there are some really cheap ways to nappy your baby, and I mean REALLY cheap!

The cheapest option of real nappies is the trusty terry towelling nappies. You can stock up on 24 good quality Terry Squares for under £30, plus Nappi Nippas (£3.85 for 3) and you have the bulk of your stash. You would then require some waterproof covers, and a great budget option is the Fleece Wraps or Fleece Soakers by Debbies Nappies, starting at just £3.50. You will need around 3-4 of the covers to get you started. And there you have it, a complete starter stash for under £50!  

However, if the idea of folding puts you off, the Diddy Diaper is a great shaped alternative to the flat terries. At just £4.99 each they are fantastic value for money. Again, you would need the Nappi Nippas and covers to complete the set, so 15 of the Diddy Diapers plus accessories would be a spend of under £90. Not bad eh? The downside of this option compared to the terry squares is that they would then need to be re-purchased later on in the second size. The Size 2 can be used as a one-size if necessary as the front can be folded down, however they would be very bulky on a small baby.

Another surprisingly economical option is the Birth-to-Potty Pocket Nappies, such as the bumGenius. At £14.99 each the intial reaction might be ‘Ooh Heck, they are too expensive!’ and although the initial outlay may be more, they are designed to take you right through to potty training. So no bigger sizes need ever be purchased. They have rows of poppers down the front which allow you to adjust them in size as your baby grows, so when you stop to consider it, the savings really do make sense! The initial outlay will of course be more than the previous options, and 15 of the bumGenius nappies would cost around £220- compared to disposables this is still a mega saving!

Optional extras to these nappy stashes are liners, be it flushable or washable. Flushable liners usually come in rolls of 100 and are often used to make disposing of ’number twos’ easier, and washable fleece liners have the added benefit of keeping bottoms nice and dry, and being washed and reused along with your nappies. 

The cost of washing works out at around £96.74 over the course of 2.5 years, and with any of the options listed, tumble drying is not essential as they all dry quickly on the line or on an airer.

Real Nappies do not need to be complicated, or expensive. Spending £5 here and £10 there on disposables seems harmless, but the cost really does add up! Real Nappies can be used for future children, saving you even more money, or they can be sold on after use on a pre-loved nappy site.  Definately something to think about huh!?

If you want any more information or advice, feel free to Contact Us

Posted in Real Nappies
By Laura