We Have a Winner!

After cloth diapering Miss Abby for about 2 weeks with the BumGenius organic snaps diaper and for 1 week with the BumGenius 3.0., I've finally decided. Cloth diapering is much easier and much more realistic than I thought it would be. They actually work better than the expensive brand of disposables we have been using, and they are much easier on her delicate tush. Who would've guessed?

Not me.

Hands down, I like the convenience of the BumGenius organic all-in-one snaps diaper. It's nice not having to stuff a pocket diaper. I definitely think the snaps will hold up better in the long run compared to the velcro tabs of the BumGenius 3.0. With the BumGenius organic snaps, it still looks and smells brand new following the care instructions. I didn't feel the same way with the BumGenius 3.0- the velcro is already starting to pill a little bit and the microfiber insert is starting to look very used. Not good. The only downsides for the Bumgenius organic snaps are the additional expense per dipe and the dryer time. It takes 2 dryer cycles to dry the diaper completely or 1 dryer cycle and hanging overnight.

Overall, I think cloth diapering could save us a decent amount of money in the long run. I have to admit- Abby sure looks cute with a colorful diaper. The best part- more cash in our pockets & less diaper rashes on her sweet pancakes.

BumGenius- Genius or Not?

-Abby sporting the BumGenius Organic Snaps Diaper-

Motherhood has led me down several paths I never anticipated taking... babywearing, co-sleeping, dairy-free diets, and etc. The most recent adventure for us is now cloth diapering. I am not a tree hugger by any means, but as my husband likes to put it, we are all about trying to save a different type of tree... nice, clean cash. Abby's diapering has been a budget breaker in our household- she can go through 10-15 diapers a day easily. At 3 months old, we are just now backing down to close to 10 diapers daily on good days. That adds up to about $100/month just on diapers alone- good thing we're breastfeeding... formula in addition to that would be expensive!

There are quite a few options out there in the modern cloth diaper market. It's come a long ways since our grandparents' days. After hours of research, I've narrowed it down to the 2 diapers that are most likely to work for us... BumGenius One-Size Organics with Snaps & BumGenius One-Size 3.0. I like that for less than $300 we can buy diapers once and for all. Since they are size-adjustable, they will fit Abby until she is potty-trained. Even when you add in the extra expense of detergent, water, and energy costs, it is still substantially cheaper. Bryan and I have ordered one of both diapers to try them out for a few days and see how easy and efficient they really are. I'll keep you updated!

-Abby modeling the BumGenius 3.0 diaper-

For those of you interested in the nitty-gritty money details, here they are:

• What We Spend on Disposables Per Month (If we remember to plan ahead and order in bulk): $81.98
• Thus, we would spend $983.75 on disposables annually at this rate.
• Total Cost for Using Disposables for 3 Years (Average time to potty train a child at present): $2951.25
  

BumGenius Organic OS Diapers

• 10 BumGenius Organic OS Snap Diapers: $227.36
• How Often I Plan to Wash: Every Night (7 x Week)
• Cost for Water, Energy, & Detergent Per Diaper Load (Very Worst Case Scenario): $0.85
• Cost to Wash Annually at this Rate: $309.40
• Total Cost for Using Cloth the First Year: $536.76- additional cost in years to come are just for annual costs of washing diapers
• Total Cost for Using Cloth Diapers for 3 Years: $1,155.56
• Total Savings in 3 Years for Cloth vs. Disposables: $1,795.69
  

BumGenius OS 3.0 Diapers

• 10 BumGenius OS 3.0 Diapers: $175
  
• How Often I Plan to Wash: Every Night (7 x Week)
• Cost for Water, Energy, & Detergent Per Diaper Load (Very Worst Case Scenario): $0.85
• Cost to Wash Annually at this Rate: $309.40
• Total Cost for Using Cloth the First Year: $484.40- additional cost are just for annual costs of washing diapers
• Total Cost for Using Cloth Diapers for 3 Years: $1,103.20
• Total Savings in 3 Years for Cloth vs Disposables: $1,848.05