Cloth Diaper Week -Cloth Diapering on a Budget

One of the reasons many people seem to choose to cloth diaper is the reduced expense.  That said, I've had many tell me that their impression is that cloth diapering is more expensive than using disposables.   While it's true that it requires an up-front investment, the cost of using cloth drops off dramatically over the two and a half years or so your child is in diapers, not to mention the additional savings you will incur if you are able to use your cloth diapers for future siblings.* 

Many cloth diaper retailers recognize the sticker shock that the initial investment may cause and sell trial packs so you can see what works best for you before committing to any given system only to find out it doesn't work for you and/or your baby. 

Another option that may save you money is to seek out people selling handmade cloth diapers and covers on websites like Etsy.  Heck, if you're crafty you could even try making some yourself!
 
You could also scour websites like Craigslist or your closest Goodwill to find previously-loved cloth diapers.  (This is how we acquired the majority of our diapers.)  If you go this route, I would strongly encourage you to make sure that the diapers you buy haven't been ruined by improper washing.  It is a pain to try to get them back into wearable condition if they've got excessive detergent build up or have been put through the dryer with fabric softener. 

If you're lucky enough know a family that has used cloth for their kiddos, they may be willing to pass along their old diapers to you.  Most of the cloth diapering families I know get very excited at the prospect of someone they know trying it out!  

If saving the earth from 6000+ disposable diapers isn't enough of a reason to give cloth diapering a try, maybe saving money is!  

*If you Google something along the lines of "Cost of Diapering Baby" you'll come up with all sorts of websites comparing the costs, even going so far as to factor in things such as cost of detergent and water usage for cloth diapering your baby.  I won't get into numbers here because I know I won't be able to go into nearly as much detail as what is already available on the internet.