The first question people ask when they know you use cloth nappies is 'do you really save money'? So it felt pretty appropriate for my very first blog to answer this question as best as I can.
There is a lot of information out there but this is based on my own research and my own experience with two babies, I'll try to keep it short and sweet as no-one needs an essay.
The maths
Ages Changes/day Total Nappies
0 – 3 months 10/day 900
3 – 12 months 8/day 2,160
12 - 24 months 6/day 2,160
24–30 months 5/day 900
Approximately 6120 nappies
Using an average of 65 cents* per nappy you could spend $3,978 on disposables, assuming they are potty trained by 2.5, which is still relatively early.
Now multiply that by the number of children you want and it soon turns into a rather large sum......when I think $8,000 on nappies I am in total shock, that's a bloody good holiday for the family and I know how I'd rather spend the money.
Now lets be real, you don't have to be using cloth 100% of the time to make a difference, start small and see how you get on, that's how we did it. People ask what's the point in using 1 cloth nappy a day, well by using one a day saves 1 million disposables going to landfill, each week! That certainly seems worth it to me.
Whatever you decide, be it 1 a day, sometimes, part time or full time, whatever is right for your family, you will find its better for your pocket, better for baby and better for our land.
*Prices updated 2023