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Is there a way to cut the cost of cloth diapers? Absolutely! There are several ways to lessen the expense and there are even some resources out there that help assist families with FREE cloth diapers. It just takes a little research! Hopefully, we can help you to find a few of these ministries in your local area.

Right now, we are in an economic crunch as most of the nation has had to scramble to find ways to get by on a fraction of our usual budget or close to zero. It’s a scary time and it’s even scarier for parents who are home with little ones who are still in diapers.

If you haven’t made the decision to use cloth diapers yet, there is no time like now. Paper products were obsolete at the beginning of our Covid-19 crisis with people hoarding toilet paper and paper towels and sadly- households without small children or babies were emptying the aisles of any products that could clean or sanitize surfaces. Baby wipes were gone!

We are seeing some positive changes right now and most of our familiar and favorite items are starting to re-appear on the shelves. But, hopefully, this sparked a change of heart with some families to look into using cloth diapers and wipes so that the chances of every being left without a way to diaper your baby are slim to none.

One of the biggest roadblocks for some families is the financial consideration. No matter how you look at it, cloth and disposable diapers are expensive. Cloth diapers, in particular, are an investment at the start of your cloth diapering journey. However, once you get past the initial expense it is less of a monthly burden than disposables to be sure. Even better- if we have any other national emergencies in the future you can rest easy that as long as we have running water to launder clothing, your baby will always have a running supply of fresh diapers.

 
It took 2 seconds to pull up Craigslist and find a cloth diaper stash in the local area:

*LBB reusable training pants: Never used
*Unopened bag of Snappis
*3 Bum Genius
*4 Bum Genius: GUC with original inserts.
*2 no name pockets: GUC
*1 large Planet Wise bags: VGUC
*1 no name AIO: GUC
*6 Rumparoos
*15 Flour sack towels: GUC
*3 reusable diaper changing liners: LN
*12 Large GMD cotton prefolds>
*11 miscellaneous large microfiber inserts
*4 miscellaneous small microfiber inserts
*Roll of unused disposable diaper liners
*Fleece cloth to make reusable cloth diaper liners
*Take everything for $195

The average cost of buying your own products brand new online is approximately a $300 investment the first time around. The one ad saves someone $205!

It’s not just Craigslist. You can find similar deals on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, and consignment stores.

 
Believe it or not, there are actual groups out there that are specifically dedicated to cloth diapers. A quick internet browse took me to clothdiapertrader.com where there were at least 14 pages of cloth diaper bundles that people were unloading as they move out of the diapering phase of their parenting.

Sadly, this site is only open until May 31st, but there are plenty of other listings out there if you take a moment to look.
 

 
Here’s another idea: start a cloth diaper exchange with other parents in your local area. Start at church, or La Leche League, or any of the mommy groups that you can network within the area.

Exchange, sell cheap or barter for services with other families, and chances are that your tiny little endeavor to get some cheap cloth diapers will blossom into a community service that you may have to enlist help for from other interested moms.
 

 
If you are too exhausted or you have limited time and resources to manage a group with others then a local charity might be your best option to find help and comfort.
 

 
Another quick internet browse in my local area instantly revealed a list of 15-20 organizations that have low-cost or free cloth diapers available to families. Everything from thrift stores to Catholic Charities; family resource centers to crisis pregnancy centers. All the information is listed including phone contact, times, and requirements for receiving assistance.
 

 
Where there is a will, there is a way- that’s what mama always said. It’s true! You don’t need to feel like you have to buy everything brand new and pay retail! If you are a first-time mommy, you will learn very quickly how much easier life is when you keep the expenses down and supply your baby’s needs with items that don’t cause additional stress in your life.

When my kids were younger, I would go to playgroups and dress my kids in thrift store clothing that I didn’t care about because they were having fun getting dirty with chocolate and grass stains or whatever the day would bring as they were surrounded by ten other kids at the park. Imagine being so concerned with a $50 outfit that your stress levels cause you to get upset and cut the day short just to spare the outfit. Not fun at all! Make life easy for yourself and buy things that CAN get dirty and washed and used again (stained or not) on the next park day.

The same thing applies to the idea of cloth diapers. Is anyone else REALLY going to figure out that you bought hand me down cloth diapers for your child? Let me answer that for you. No! Absolutely not! Diapers are for getting dirty….VERY dirty. Brand new will cease to be brand new with the first pee and the first poop. It’s okay to be these things used and then use them again and again and again.

Never pay retail when you don’t have to. Ten minutes of research online can save you hundreds and over the course of time, possibly thousands, of dollars as you start your journey into cloth diapering.