It’s a necessity that you keep buying until they are potty trained (which for each of my four children was right before they turned THREE! And then we used Pull-Ups for bedtime too!).
With so many brands and various sizes out there, it can be difficult deciding how much you should spend.
I started couponing in 2009 when my youngest was just about 3 years old and was just graduating OUT of the regular diaper use… after a few years, my husband James and I went back and calculated the amount of money we would've saved had we couponed for the diapers from the beginning of having our four children.
Are you sitting down?
We would've saved over $7,000. SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS over the course of four children and the 12 years my children spent in diapers.
So, thankfully, I have gone before you and figured out a few simple ways you can save money on baby diapers (and not make the horrific mistake of overspending like I did)!
I'll teach you how to save money on diapers so you can start keeping more of your hard earned dough.
Plus, when you learn how to get cheap disposable diaper deals, you can stock up and never pay full price again!
And, when you see cheap diaper deals, you'll know exactly what you should be paying so you'll never be suckered into paying more than you should.
Ready?! Let's get to it! Here's how to save money on diapers.
Know What To Pay Per Diaper
The first way how to save money on diapers is to know exactly how much you are paying per diaper. This will allow you to compare prices across brands AND across stores.
Especially when you are standing in the diaper aisle and just need a pack RIGHT NOW and then you find multiple brands are on sale.
Well, you kinda have to sample them out to choose which ones work best for your little one, and then buy when they hit their stock up price.
They will each hit the stock up price.
That means that they will go on sale or potentially have a coupon, rebate or reward card to make them as low as you are willing to pay for them.
To calculate, simply divide the price by the number of diapers in the package. For example, in the image above (from Amazon), you can see an 80 ct pack of diapers that costs $34.99. To determine the price per diaper, simply divide the price $34.99 by the 80 total diapers in the box. That equals $.44 each diaper. YOWZA! That's a lot (when you see how much you could be spending)
Now, the best price to pay for a diaper is between $.13 and $.25 each. Here is the stock up guide per size:
Newborn: 13¢
Size 1: 14¢
Size 2: 16¢
Size 3: 19¢
Size 4: 22¢
Size 5: 25¢
Thankfully, just by KNOWING what you should pay, you can choose a different box of diapers also for sale on Amazon and now you will only pay the Stock Up Price!
As you can see, you can figure out your own cheap disposable diaper deals so you don't pay full price!
Have you connected the dots yet?
In order to choose the right box of diapers to buy on Amazon, you have to know what to pay per diaper. Otherwise, you are just choosing whatever Amazon suggests and haphazardly wasting money.
BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD
Make Dinner Super Simple
Download this FREE Guide to make dinner in less time with less stress!
Drug Stores Have the Most Consistent BEST Prices
Almost every week you'll find diapers (and wipes too) on sale at the Drugstores. Combine the sales with coupons, and rewards and you'll end up consistently saving 60% or more (and we are talking name brand varieties too). Another great way how to save money on diapers.
Every once in a while Target or your local Grocery Store will have a big baby sale and promotion going on (I'm used to seeing them twice a year), which means if you are stockpiling diapers and don't need them right away, then you have the time to plan. But consistently the best deals on how to save money on diapers can be seen at the drugstore.
RELATED ARTICLE: Here's 12 other items you should ALWAYS buy at Drug Stores.
What About Warehouse Clubs?
So many times people tell me how to save money on diapers by buying their diapers at Costco or Sam's Club. Did you know that Warehouse Stores rarely have the best price for diapers?
In fact, you could be paying almost twice as much!
Think about it this way; a coupon is typically good for “any” size package, so buying 3 smaller size packs and using 3 coupons is better than buying one big box and only using one coupon.
Now you can see first hand how knowing the best price per diaper (listed above) is the key to making sure you don't overspend.
RELATED ARTICLE: 10 other items you should NEVER buy at Warehouse Stores.
Pregnant?! Start Stockpiling Today!
As soon as you hit that second trimester, I would start to stockpile diapers. Here is a realistic picture of how much it is going to cost you and how many diapers you will need to stockpile to be prepared for when your bundle arrives. I have a great gauge for approximately how many diapers will be used each day (and therefore per week) and how long they stay in each size:
Newborn size = 252 Diapers
Size 1 = 490 Diapers
Size 2 = 588 Diapers
Size 3 = 2,380 Diapers
Size 4 = 1, 680 Diapers
Size 5 = Depends…
Here are the details for size, weight, and approximate diaper usage.
Size | Weight | # Diapers/Day | # Diapers/Week | Time in Size & Total Cost (at 15¢ each diaper) |
Newborn | >10 lbs | 9 per day | 63 per week | 1 Month = $37.80 |
Size 1 | >14 lbs | 7 per day | 49 per week | Until 3.5 months old 2.5 Months = $73.50 |
Size 2 | >18 lbs | 6 per day | 42 per week | Until 7 months Old 3.5 Months = $88.20 |
Size 3 | >28 lbs | 5 per day | 35 per week | Until 2 years old 17 Months = 68 weeks = 2,380 Diapers = $357 Total |
Size 4 | > 35 lbs | 5 per day | 35 per week | Until Potty Trained For me this was until they were 3 yrs old = 12 months = 48 wks = 1,680 Diapers = $252 |
Size 5 | >37 lbs | 4 per day | 28 per week | Depends on the size of your child. |
Did I lose you in that grid of numbers?
Essentially, if you buy diapers and only spend around 15¢ per diaper, then you are going to spend over $800 in the first three years of your babies life.
*Caveat* Now, of course, this could change depending on the size your baby is born (my dear friend Kari's daughter was over 10 lbs at birth!!)… and then it also depends on the rate at which they grow. But overall it is a great gauge to determine how many diapers you will need to stockpile before your baby gets here!
Move UP Slowly
Here's another great tip on how to save money on diapers. Don't be in a hurry to move your baby up to the next diaper size. The higher the size, the less diapers in the pack. For example, a pack of Pampers size 2 diapers has 32 diapers, whereas a size 3 pack only has 27 diapers. That’s 5 diapers you lose in each pack if you move up too early! If your baby still fits great in a size 2 then don't move them up until you absolutely need to.
A great gauge for this is a leaky diaper! If your diaper starts to leak, it's time to move up.
Many sizes overlap with the weight recommendations, so make sure you aren’t wasting money by moving too soon.
You've Got To Watch the Quantity
The same size diaper can vary depending on brand and variety.
You'll find that the Huggies Little Snugglers has less diapers than the other Huggies Snug & Dry option, and it is the same for the Pampers brand: Pampers Swaddlers diaper packs have fewer diapers per pack than the Pampers Baby Dry of the same size.
BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD
Make Dinner Super Simple
Download this FREE Guide to make dinner in less time with less stress!
That way you'll get more diapers for your dollar.
Always Have a Coupon on You
This may be obvious, but coupons can be the best way how to save money on diapers.
Many top diaper brands have a place on their website to sign up to download coupons.
Plus, if you contact each company and tell them what you like best about their product and they will more than likely send you some really GOOD coupons (higher dollar amount coupons than they release to everyone) in the mail.
If you have a coupon on hand and have to make a quick run, then you just check the price per diaper and buy the one that is closest to that stock up price. It truly IS that simple how to save money on diapers, I promise.
Look For Bonus Rewards!
Stores like Target, Walgreens & CVS often put Diapers on sale with Reward Offers.
For example: Get a $5 Target Gift Card when you buy (3) Huggies Box Diapers, or Spend $30 on Huggies Diapers, get $10 in rewards.
Factor that reward into the price in order to compare the price per diaper and make it easier to choose which diaper brand you should buy.
Don't Miss the App Rebates
Rebates are like an after-the-fact bonus! Especially if you've already gotten a good sale and possibly used a coupon! You can even buy one item and submit the rebates to more than one App! Here are my 3 favorites with regards to Diapers:
Ibotta – This app frequently has Pampers and Pull-Ups Rebates and typically update their offers every 4 days. Sign up for an account and then download the app. See step by step instructions for how to use Ibotta here. You’ll find savings at stores like Target, Walmart, Safeway, CVS and more!
Checkout51 – Another great rebate app, the offers change every Thursday morning and expire the following Wednesday. To submit a receipt just snap a photo with your phone and upload it to the app! Easy Peasy! Read more about Checkout 51 here.
Target App – If you are shopping at Target, then you gotta take one second to search the Cartwheel Offers inside their App, and see if there is any additional discount to make for a better deal.
Subscription Services Might Be Cheaper
Amazon, Diapers.com and even Target offer subscription services for you to receive monthly baby diaper shipments to arrive at your front door. They offer discounts because you are paying to receive these items on a regular basis. Plus, you save money on gas and extra purchases you may make since you can stay home and get diapers delivered right to your door.
Amazon also offers a Subscription Service that gives you 20% Off!
BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD
Make Dinner Super Simple
Download this FREE Guide to make dinner in less time with less stress!
Switch to Cloth Diapers
Cloth diapers, once purchased, can save you a great deal since you aren’t throwing your money away in the trash at each diaper change!
There are many cloth diaper options out there, with some costing just $10-$12 per diaper.
Inserts can be used with some diaper covers so that the cover can be reused, even further saving you money.
Even after you add in the cost of washing the cloth diapers, they can still be cheaper to use. If you are willing, that would be a great option to save some extra money over the long run.
PLUS, usually, you can sell them again once you are finished using them!
So I hope you've learned how to save money on diapers so you can start keeping more of your hard earned dough.
Plus, now that you've learned how to get cheap disposable diaper deals, you can stock up and never pay full price again!
And, when you see cheap diaper deals in the future, you'll know exactly what you should be paying so you'll never be suckered into paying more than you should.