April 13th

Alivia,

Today would have been your birthday. Funny how Goga and I laughed about the fact that it was a Friday the 13th. I’m not superstitious. It was just another day.

Though we never got to hold you in our arms, I will never forget this day.

Alivia, I wish I could have seen your face, smiled at your little grunts… your soft skin… your beautiful eyes.
I wish I could have delighted in your tiny fingers… swaddled tightly your fragile arms until you felt safe and secure enough to drift off to sleep.

I still don’t know fully why we didn’t get to keep you. I know sin in our world finds it’s playground. I just wish it hadn’t brought about death. But you have met the Creator of Life, in one lost heartbeat you appeared at His throne. Fragile and naive of deep hurts, you found yourself with Jesus. He will care for you far better than we could.

Eleven weeks and three days in utero. We were going to announce you to all our friends, family, and the church at 12 weeks. You only had eleven weeks and three days in utero. The world may not count you as a baby, but there was no doubt in my mind. I saw your little hands. Those little feet. Your little heartbeat. Your closed eyes. Nothing can convince me that you were just some glob of tissue. No, my baby, you were so alive.

God can and has worked all things for the good of those who love Him. He has and will continue to use this for His glory, my dear Alivia. For your life pointed and continues to point directly to Jesus. Hope is found in His eyes. How amazing to think that one so small – only an inch or so big, could so clearly point to the Ruler of the World, without ever speaking a word or taking a breath.

Alivia, I missed you when my friend announced her pregnancy. I felt a little pinch of hurt. I missed you when I held my friend’s newest bundle of joy. I miss you when I look into your big sister Rachael and Abi’s eyes sometimes, catching that glimpse of utter joy I hoped to see in your eyes.

I miss that I will never get to hold you in my arms, or watch your character grow… your personality form… and discovery and mastery and accomplishment light your eyes. I miss that I will not get the privilege to call you mine and announce, “That’s my girl!” I miss that I will never get to delight in how you play with your sisters, running through the house with glee.

Alivia, Daddy and I used to joke that you had to have been a girl because “he only makes girls.” We laughed that he defied the “Stauffer” odds of having boys by having two girls in a row. We don’t even know for sure if you were a girl, but what we do know is that you had as good of a chance as any.

It took me a month before I spoke your name. The shock of it all is still so real sometimes. Daddy agreed shortly thereafter that it just fit right… Alivia. And of course Mommy had to spell it “a little funny” to fit in with the rest of the kids. Alivia. My precious.

We miss you. We love you. And you are not forgotten.

Some day we hope to see you, if we get the privilege. And if we don’t get the privilege, sweet girl, just know that there was a family down here that was just thrilled at the chance to love you and hold you, but Jesus made the best of the situation… as I am sure you are well aware. And we too hope to feel Him and know Him fully to be our faith’s sight someday.

Praise Him all the more up there, sweet Alivia.

He deserves it all.

– Your Mommy.

*** Written October 2011.

April 13, 2012 0

Diamonds

So I had a friend email me asking the average cost of a child per month in her and her husband’s attempts to have her stay home for at least the first year of her daughter’s life.

It got me thinking about budgeting and things small tips I would include in a “ways to stay home and stay on budget to best benefit your family,” guide.

Since Matt and I have been perfecting this skill for over two years now, feel free to laugh at my newbee-ness to this whole concept. But there are certainly some seriously wonderful diamonds in the rough that I have found along the way.

Babies:

Cloth diapering verses disposable diapering budgets
Basic essentials – though I’d add a good baby carrier to the list, you know one of those ones that straps baby onto you so you can carry on with life and supply their need to be snuggled. And i never had a Bumbo seat, despite the hype, and my kids don’t have flat heads nor were they socially deprived. 😉
Hit up those $15 for all-you-can-fit-in-a-bag sales that come in the Spring and Fall at Once Upon a Child. We fit almost $250 of clothes into a bag for $15 (onesies can roll up to smalled than a toothbrush size).
Check out Kidz Again if there’s one in your area. They have clothes for kids up to 12 years old for cheaper than Once Upon a Child and even match together outfits for your “the baby is screaming and we have to leave the store right now” moments for as cheap as $2. Their toy selection is also wonderful (we found a $40 reading system and 2 $10 books for $8.50 all together).
Check out the Thrift Stores (like Valley Thrift or Goodwill) and you’ll be surprised how “my kids don’t look like we shopped at the Thrift store” your kids will look wearing their second-hand name brand clothes.
Check out freebies for new moms and new-again moms offered through Similac (for those of you that are going formula for feeding) and other companies. Many of the companies will mail you a “sample” of their formula which is a regular sized container in hopes to hook you on their brand.
Breastfeeding is free-er than formula (just saying) so give it a good shot if you can. =)
Second-hand is a WONDERFUL addition to any child’s wardrobe, especially for play clothes.

Budgets:

Don’t be afraid to set up a budget of what you need, be serious, and then add on a little “play money”.
We have “allowance money” each month to spend on whatever we’d like and it makes budgeting our other funds realistic.
Always include a date night fund – unless you ABSOLUTELY cannot. Even i it’s $5 for a movie once/month and then you have free date nights in between. But by setting aside a date night fund you are placing it as a priority to invest in your spouse. Free date nights can include walking around the mall, going to a local park, walking the neighborhood, a movie night in, etc. Be creative and just try to be “just us” to keep things sane. =)

Food:

Happy Homemaker Cindy does the couponing and store ads work for you (compiling multiple sites and researching all the large grocery store chains weekly). She even has a section on her site with bulk cooking recipes and meal plans to help drive the cost of each meal down. She has practical and useful tips as well in grocery store management and budgeting well in the food category. (You will need access to a printer and paper to print specific coupons so count that and time into the cost of couponing.)
Make a list – and force yourself to only buy what’s on the list (And don’t bring a pen in to write more things on the list while shopping – that’s cheating).
Don’t grocery shop hungry or with a cranky baby if it can be avoided. Take the time needed to really weight the cost and do the math.
If your name brand picky know what areas matter and what areas don’t. Ex. Toothpaste may be a “hill to die on” but applesauce may not matter. And some things really are better name branded because they last longer and are the one with the versatile features you really want.
Set up a monthly meal plan and then only buy accordingly instead of buying weekly and having to run out and buy the extra sides you forgot.
Planning is most of the battle.
Think about bulk cooking – it can save time on weeknights that you would otherwise be spending in a drive through line, wasting your money on overly-priced-but-nutritious foods, or cheap-in-nutrition-and-price foods.

Children:

Seriously consider child labor – just kidding! Only testing to see if you’re still paying attention.
They don’t know the difference between name brand and non-name brand until they are exposed to the need for name branded toys and characters (usually television over other kids). If you promote a one-character only toy explosion you will find yourself replacing more toys when the fad is over and the child has moved on to something else. We have found great joy in our “built to last” generic toys while finding the balance of adding on a few specific characters only as the phase continues. For example, buying a child’s clothing line in Dora wear is only as helpful and frugal (if the character print shirt was indeed cheaper) as the phase is long.
Some toy name brands are indeed better and worth looking for – but don’t settle for one store’s price. Look for the item on sale or better yet – at a garage sale or craigslist. Being willing to wait for the quality item to be in your price range will save hundreds over last minute “we have to have this tomorrow” buys.
Again, planning is most of the battle.

General Expenses:

Creativity and resourcefulness are very helpful in keeping your cost of living down. Check out “how to” videos on youtube or google search to see if there are ways you can make or practically substitute household tasks/organization/products. I’m not talking about using tree bark only in substitution for soap, but I am saying there are many practical and cheap methods to fixing problems verses buying an expensive organizer or product. Ex. Concentrated lemon juice ($0.89 a bottle) and sunning on the laundry line helps get those “impossible to get out” stains from clothes instead of buying a new shirt or buying an expensive stain remover product.
Where there is a will, there’s a way. And there’s also a whole lot of people out there with good ideas on how to “cut the corners” of “must have” expenses without cutting on quality and end-product.
There are also a lot of really bad and “much more expensive” ideas out there too, so be sure to check out how other people are rating the idea before putting all your eggs in one basket.
The local library – a HUGE resource bank and financial friend with movies (not just the old or dumb ones), CD’s, audiotapes, and of course books.
Redbox your movies over expensive rentals.
Netflix is quite nice allowing an $8 a month subscription with many local kids show episodes (excluding Disney for the bottom line subscription), great documentaries, and all kinds of movies. Plus, no commercials means the kids are less encouraged to be “I need that” oriented.
Bunny Ears (Rabbit Ears) on a TV allow for basic channels without paying to watch TV.
Less TV = more activity and free outdoor play. (I’ve found monitoring TV also cuts down on whining and neediness due to encouraging creativity and self-entertainment, let alone the family perks of doing fun things together).
Check out a local site for free/cheap entertainment. In our area, activedayton is a great site to research local events with price listings and kid-friendly vs. non-kid friendly listings.

Again, where there is a will there’s a way.

Seek budget-friendly advice, cheap and fun entertainment, and look at value of experiences and products for duration and durability and lasting memories. When you start weighing the value in things, it allows you to invest in those things with the most lasting joy for all family members.

It’s about being intentional with your budget to serve your family the best you can with thankfulness for all you have been given.

– Hope this was helpful in some way to you.

And please, please, do share your tid-bits of wisdom with me in the comments section. I always love learning new tricks of the trade. 😉

April 7, 2012 0

A Dream

I had a dream last night, really it was this morning. And it left me woken earlier than usual. Many times pregnancy dreams are so crazy and so random. But this one stayed on the emotional side and less on the “Alice in Wonderland” type weirdness.

This one was about me returning to a high school reunion. Ironically those who returned were signing up for a weekend camp-like experience where we were to “get in touch with each other and ourselves.” This concept entertains me when taken into a secular cause like it was in my dream as if “getting to know ourselves better” (much selfishness) should be the focus of our world. It’s helpful to know those areas that you are prone to weakness for sure, but not that you would correct them or be able to make your own status strong, but that when you surrender yourself to Jesus you would especially rely on Him to guide you through those areas.

So in my dream we all sat in an old library. I looked around and saw a mixture of faces that I honestly haven’t thought about or remembered since high school and some that I have recently heard about via facebook. It was funny to feel the dynamics of high school again – the “who’s popular” and the “who’s labeled what in what crowds”. Petty… unrealistic… and surreal look at how society works in “the real world.” And it was funny, much how you slip into fulfilling a role in your family when you all get together, I felt myself feeling once again like a stranger in my own “hometown” like I did in high school.

I think, ironically, many of us felt like strangers and aliens and wallflowers in that awkward phase of adolescence. We could have played the “to be liked” card or the “fake confidence in myself” card or the “mostly assured in myself” card. But it’s funny to look back on how much of me grew so much deeper and more assured in my faith post high school. So much so that as I stood up to introduce myself, after all the popular people were asked first (recess team picking in more advanced terms), in my dream, I hardly knew where to start.

In our introductions we were asked to say a few things about ourselves and then pick a theme song for our lives. Only the popular people in the room were told in advance how the schedule would go so they were prepared. The first song that popped into my head was “In Christ Alone”

the lyrics

It was the only song that made most sense to me then and now at how to describe the overall theme of my life. Glad my subconscious didn’t pick some crazy disco tune or something. hehe. You never know what happens in dreams sometimes.

Then after announcing my theme song I was overwhelmed with how I could possibly explain who I was. A pastor’s wife… a lover of my Matt – my best friend… a Mom of two wonderful children, Rachael and Abi, and one on the way… blessed beyond measure… striving after Christ to apply the Word and live it daily (sometimes better than other times due to still needing much work, but pushing forward toward His prize)…. a homeschooling Mom who believes education begins with Jesus… a cloth diapering fool because I will go to no limits in serving my family the best I can give – even when it’s hard work sometimes… a boaster in Jesus… a broken vessel poured out on the mission field, whether it’s in my backyard or across the oceans… lost and found in Jesus….

How can I possibly summarize who I am and how I have changed from the self-centered, immature but well-meaning Christianity I displayed to you all in high school? It’s like the blinders have come off… the scales have fallen from my eyes and my heart has broken so in the compassion of our Father for the truly lost, dying and piteous world that so desperately needs laborers for the harvest.

And it’s my hearts cry, whether it be here or there or anywhere, to yell from the pit of my toes, laying it all out, “Here am I!!!! Pick me, Lord!!!” as He rallies His troops to send them in Christ’s Name. Oh that He counts me worthy… me?!… is beyond anything I can possibly express to you all…

And then I woke up.

– Grateful for the reminder.

April 5, 2012 0

Snail Mail Arrival

Well, after needing to return the cloth diapers we had recently borrowed from my sister in law, we invested in our own “full” set. Unfortunately with timing of needing to return them, I ended up anxiously awaiting our pocket diapers’ travel to the States from China, reminded nearly daily as I washed the dwindled stash we had remaining post returning my sister in law’s diapers.

So, needless to say, I was THRILLED when I was able to get these beauties in the mail and thus mark the end of my constant washing of cloth diapers. It’s so wonderful to be back into the routine of washing every 2-3 days and just grabbing a diaper without needing to track down pieces and assemble them from the dryer.

While the USPS failed my expectations on many accounts (long story), I was delighted when I could FINALLY pick up my “where it was supposed to be when it was supposed to be” package and get these lovelies washed and ready. Now while the package wasn’t exactly a beauty in itself (HA!)

the contents were. =)

It was fun to “ooh” and “ahh” with the family as we enjoyed the diaper display post opening the package. We all identified our favorites, Abi’s being “diaper”, and then they were whisked away to the wash and boiling pot (I boil my inserts instead of washing for 10 times to get the max absorbency without the exhausting amount of time and effort). So without further delay, I give you…. our blessed new friends:

*** Not pictured are a second light blue with white polka dots and an all black with white snaps. These are not pictured due to either being in dispose or having been in dispose. 😉

I stuck with “gender neutrals” with only one specifically “girly” one (couldn’t resist) that can be used as a nighttime sleeping diaper should avocado be a boy. The white one in the first picture is clovers and an occasional darker green heart. I still think a boy can get away wearing this one since the clover leaves are shaped like hearts, but not overly girly. Rachael’s favorite was every other diaper I pulled out (she likes the flowers/red butterflies on green background, the animal shapes on creme background, the teddy bears, the stars, and the hearts). Matt’s favorite is the Teddy bear one, in which he stated I should have gotten more of those and let him pick some out too – my bad! And I like the hearts one, flowers/red butterflies, blue with white polka dots, blue circle outlines with green circle centers, the stars, the yellow/green diamonds on the blue background…. the teddy bears…. yeah, I picked them all out so I like them all. While this stash could be considered a bit boyish upon just looking at the blues, I steered clear of cars, soccer balls, etc, that tend to scream boy and steered clear of pinks and violets that were distinctly girl. To me, blues can go either way and I didn’t want out stash to just be ugly neutrals, one-colored or all green and yellow. So I think it’s quite cute. =) I may along the way add a few more diapers to our stash (only a few) especially once we find out avocado’s gender. But really, we don’t know what our family is going to look like in the future and I try not to be a pack-rat of “maybe we can use this in the future” items. So I am trying to keep our diaper stash usable and not too big (since washing past every 3 days starts to leave bad stains, can ruin your diapers due to oogies being left in there, and smells like a dead animal. All good reasons to have no more than 25-35 diapers in a stash. =D

[We do have 2 other pocket diapers not pictured that I got (1) or fixed from my sister in law and then got to keep (1) that are used for night diapers since they do not have hip snaps (best fit on Abi). They are white (1) and black/white diamonds (1). Then the remaining stash is 10 prefolds and 3 covers. That makes our total 24 diapers.]

So there you have it, the newest additions to our team. I couldn’t be more proud. =) They represent freedom from daily diaper washings. =D

FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I promise I’m done……

….promise. hehe.

– Thanks for sharing in my joy.

March 24, 2012 0

For the Sparrows

Last week while the girls napped I decided to break out some old recyclables and make a bird feeder to hang on the front “mini” tree. I enjoyed hearing the birds outside the window, announcing their Spring affairs, when waking earlier in the week and thought I would encourage their return.

It was nice to reflect on God caring for the sparrows (Luke 12:6-7) being a reminder for us never to worry because He will care for us so much more. I grabbed an old marshmallow fluff jar (not a common item in our household, but left over from a youth event much to the delight of two little girls to enjoy in lunchtime sandwiches), Popsicle sticks from the dollar store, Elmer’s glue, and some colored paper clips. And out popped this lovely creation.

– Grateful for the moment of “rest” found in creating.

– For the sparrows.

March 24, 2012 0

Costly Diapering?

**** Warning: This post has potentially too much information for the non-cloth-diaper enjoying crowd. For those who would like to read and learn, I have included this post. For those who couldn’t care less, you will be bored and potentially overwhelmed so feel free to find another time filler for today. 😉

So since I’m a borderline dork when it comes to frugality and practicality, I decided to do some math today while my diapers dried. Now, I don’t claim to be a math major (HA!) but I can add and subtract with use of a calculator. 😉

Back in December we decided to give cloth diapers a try. Abi’s little bum had had enough of disposables and the diaper rash thereof so we decided to stop spending so much in diaper rash cremes and making poor Abi suffer and instead to try my sister in law’s, at the time, vacant stash of cloth diapers. Now we are well aware that the ability to try out and then decided what kind of cloth diapers fits your family best cuts the initial cloth diapering cost down HUGELY, but I also found in my research a few offers to try cloth diapering for a $25 deposit for a month to come to a similar family decision on likes/dislikes and practicality.

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Let me take a break to define helpful vocabulary in the following posts: We use a pocket diaper for nighttime, nap time and Daddy’s favorite/babysitter needs. A pocket diaper has 1-2 inserts (depending on age of child/volume of pee) that slide into the pocket and do not require a separate cover to be worn in the diaper. A pocket diaper looks and functions like a disposable diaper and, thus, is most appreciated by the disposable-diaper-friendly world. A pocket diaper requires the insert to be removed prior to washing and the insert to be dried in the dryer whereas the shell can be line-dried. A pocket diaper is considered a “premium” diaper and usually ranges around $15-$20 new from in the U.S., $5 new from out of the U.S. and $5 used inside the U.S. for a quality pocket diaper that will last for multiple kids. A pocket diaper can come size-specific or one-size to snap down for newborn through toddler (potty training) size. We prefer the one-size method since it is the most economical. And we also prefer a pocket diaper with an additional hip snap (second single snap on the diaper flap) to adjust leg size and make for a better fit. Pocket diapers also come in snap or velcro for the top diaper attachment around the hips. We prefer snap closure on the pocket diapers since Abi has quickly figured out how to unvelcro (probably not a word, but whatever) pocket diapers at night/nap (eeek!). We have 14 one-size pocket diapers. This is a one-size pocket diaper:

A prefold is a classic cloth diaper which requires pins or a snappi (substitution for pins) to hold the diaper in it’s shape around the baby. You can reuse snappies with diaper changes. We have 2 snappies.

A prefold can be folded in many different ways to specialize the shape, fit and needs of the baby (ex. different folds can be used for boys vs. girls, heavy wetters vs. normal wetters, and pooping vs. non-pooping). A prefold requires a cover or else the baby will wet their clothing or your carpet. A prefold can come in different sizes (newborn, infant, toddler, large toddler), but can be as simple as just 2 sizes: infant (7-15lbs) and toddler (16-30lbs). We have 10 toddler-sized prefolds. This is a prefold:

A cover is only needed for a prefold and can come size-specific or in a one-size. We prefer the one-size. The top closure system comes in snap or velro. We prefer velcro due to a better fit in varying hip sizes and Abi being too busy in the daytime to unvelcro her cover. We have two one-sized covers and one large cover. This is a one-size cover that can be snapped down to baby’s size for newborn through toddler:

So our total diaper count for our stash is 24 diapers (pockets and prefolds/snappies/covers) which gets us 2 days worth of diapering and a few left overs while I wash diapers.

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Okay…. now back to the one-sided conversation:

To me, cloth diapering is less an environmental issue (though it does have wonderful perks) and more of a cost-effective, practical and reality issue. If you cannot put forth money up front, cloth diapering may not be for you. If you cannot keep up with your current loads of laundry and have no desire to, cloth diapering may not be for you. If you hate handling poops and pees, cloth diapering may not be for you (because poops and pees that have sit for even 24 hours in wait for the laundry are smelly business – though you don’t have to stink balm the house).

So with the grace of Matt’s “we can try it” encouragement, we stepped into the unknown of cloth diapering. Abi’s rash immediately disappeared, though my sensitive skinned baby still has rash bouts when she passes a silent poop and does not inform us until we find it an hour later. Any kid sitting in poop with sensitive skin will rash. And Abi’s a unique skinned baby. Diaper rash for us disappears w/o creme in 24 hours with cloth diaper airing and more frequent changes [10-12 vs 8] until rash is gone. With disposable diapers Abi had a blistering rash for 1 to 2 weeks with continual diaper rash creme application.

It took us a month to get it together – wish I would have researched “things I would have loved to know then that I know now” topics about cloth diapering and I could have avoided our figuring out soap to diaper quantity, laundering guessing, and some general “how to”s. The reality of cloth diapering, though, is that you need to know what you want (ex. how frequently do I want to change a diaper and how realistic is my want?) and what you can tolerate (ex. how often do I want to wash my diapers and be tied to the whole laundering process?) and then look for the diapers and stash that best fits that need.

Some things are trial and error, especially if you have a heavy wetter. So it’s nice to have a starter kit or borrow some diapers from a friend who has different kinds. Or buy small amounts (1-2) of different kinds of second-hand diapers to figure out what works well for you. I would not suggest investing solely in one type of diaper, especially if you’ve never used that diaper before. I bought many second-hand diapers from a lady who did just that and have seen many posts from likewise sellers.

So I sat down to do the math today, like I was saying earlier, and came up with these numbers from buying off-brand disposable wipes and Huggies snug and dry (basic line of diaper) diapers (since that was the only diaper that was least rashy on Abi and produced the greatest bang-for-your-buck coupons).

*** Matt caught my math error in wipes calculations and I have adjusted the costs due to my error. ***

Wipes per month cost us approximately $18.00 (1 box of 556 count is $12.00 cheapest we have found). This doesn’t seem too bad and costs a total of $216.00 per year. That’s presuming you are wiping only one child, using a box (556+ count) and a half of wipes per month (which is what we were using when adding in boogey-nose wipes and restaurant-table wipes, etc).

Diapers per month cost us $51.38 presuming we could find some coupons and buy the largest sized box of 156 diapers (or buy the smaller boxes with more coupons = more money savings). That’s a total of $616.50 a year and I’m not adding in the up to $8/6 oz bottle of diaper rash creme that can be added on the top to the diapering cost.

Total wipes and diaper costs are $832.50 a year for one child (if you don’t have to buy diaper rash cremes at all).

Now, our initial diaper stash we have put at most to total $175 between diapers, inserts, laundry soap ($5 every 3 months – you only use a TBSP per load), homemade wipes solution (I just found it more practical and cost effective to cut up and sew together old receiving blankets and wipe Abi with that in a solution of baby oil, lotion and baby wash which I can throw into the wet/dry bag and wash with my diapers vs finding a separate trash can for just the wipe and not knowing if the wipe is causing a diaper rash or not for sensitive skinned baby), clothes line/clothespins (used previously owned white string-stuff and $1 for 50 clothespins), wet/dry bag (transports diapers home when out – you could use a plastic grocery bag, but we prefer an odor-shut-out bag that is washable), trashcan liner (for trash can when diapers are waiting for wash day), $2 trash can from thrift store, second-hand diapers/diaper covers, and I don’t think I forgot anything else in the equation. I can only count $150 that we’ve spent thus far, but I’ll add it all up to $175 to be generous and realistic (since my memory’s not 110%).

The ongoing cloth diapering cost is $5 per 3 months of Purex Free and Clear detergent (the cheapest cloth diaper safe detergent) so that equals $20 per year in detergent alone. Then there is the monthly cost of $4.92 ($1.64 per bottle for off-brand baby safe baby wash, baby oil and baby lotion to make wipes solution) that we choose to make to use cloth wipes so that’s $59.04 per year for wipes. ***You could just use water instead of a cloth diaper solution with wipes, but we choose to spoil our little Abi (and future little ones) with a whopping &59.04 per year. I know, I know… we’re really luxurious over here. 😉
So that’s a total of $79.01 to cloth diaper a child per year.

So this year alone we will have saved $578.49 for diapering Abi.

Now, due to the age breakdown of our kids and the little one on the way, Abi could still be using her toddler diapers when peanut 3 comes to join our family. Since we bought all-in-one diapers to save on cost (even if peanut’s trousers are a little bulky initially) we can use many of the same diapers since our stash allows for 14 diapers a day with me washing diapers every 2 days and Abi only uses 8. Since a newbie uses at least 14/day and will not fit into Abi’s toddler-sized prefolds, we will be looking at adding an additional $50 to the total spent on the whole cloth diapering project. Since $50 is what we spent per month on disposable diapers, a one-time $50 investment is looking nice. Abi will also be out of her toddler prefolds when baby needs them so we’ll not need to double anything else in our stash. And my guess of $50 is a bit high since most entire stashes of newborn/infant prefolds are being sold for $20 secondhand. But I am also taking into consideration that the diaper covers Abi wears cannot also be worn at the same time as newborn so we’ll need to invest in a few more covers to get the job done. While a few more covers will not get us to $30 I am taking into consideration that I may need to add a few more wipes to our stash ($0.50 at the thrift store for a receiving blanket that makes 7-8 wipes) and making some potty training pants could be helpful for Abi in the future though not necessary.

Adding that $50 to the ongoing cost to cloth diaper a child (x 0.5 because it is cheaper to buy in bulk and Abi will not be diapered for the full year) would make $168.52 for the year.

So that’ll make our next year savings at $663.98 to diaper 2 children (one newborn to 1 year and one in late toddlerhood).

The following year (kid 3 age 1-2) we’ll save $753.49.

So that’ll put our total savings over 3 years to be $1,995.96.

Does time, labor and effort play into the cost? Certainly! I’m not going to pretend like the laundry is not an extra effort. I am doing one extra load of laundry every two days. It does take time – a cycle and a half in the washer and a full two-three cycles in the dryer for the inserts/wipes (the night inserts take the longest to dry) plus a half hour of drying outside on the line for the diaper covers/shells or over the night for the covers/shells or 40 minutes in the dryer on low heat. It does take me at least 4 hours from start to fold to wash/dry my diapers. It takes time. It takes effort and work.

And so does my other laundry. And the house chores. And investing in the kids. And homeschooling.

Cloth diapering is not for everyone. It is work. It costs up front. And it can be time consuming and frustrating until you figure out what works for everyone who’ll be diapering the child or children. Matt has preferences in the cloth diapering world, and I do my best to cater to them because I want him to change baby’s diapers too. 😉 And he has also been very gracious and flexible in learning what is best for our daughter. I am grateful because not only can I do the math of savings as a result of cloth diapering, but I can also provide the best for Abi, and lil apple-sized invader (we don’t know gender yet).

There is much to think about in the world of cloth diapering, but the numbers do add up nicely in your favor. But for us, cloth diapering is a helpful, realistic, practical, and cost-effective method to provide the best diapering options for our family. Also has the unexpected added bonus of helping me keep up on the other laundry too. 😉

March 20, 2012 0