When we found out we were expecting Nate and I decided to be a stay-at-home-mom, I started looking for ways to save money. I realized we were spending about $50 a month on disposable diapers -- and that was buying them as cheaply as possible through Sam's Club. I realized adding a 2nd child meant spending about $100 (see, Dad, I can do some math!)
I decided to do a little research on the internet, and was amazed at what I found! I quickly realized that cloth diapering was much different than when my mom cloth-diapered and I also realized that I wouldn't find anything IRL (in real life) but would have to order everything on line. I checked out A LOT of websites and decided to search on ebay to see what I could find. I ordered a large variety of different diapers to try out on Colin.
While there are still plenty of cloth diapers that can be pinned -- there are also plenty of diapers these days that are held together with plastic snaps and velcro! In addition, there is a neat little accessory called a Snappi that means you can use prefold cloth diapers, and not have to worry about pins!
In March of 2002, I switched to cloth full-time and have never looked back. (except for a brief vacation to Las Vegas where I couldn't imagine driving home with 3 days of dirty diapers in the back of the truck). I tried a variety of diapers, ordered some brand-new from websites when I found ones I liked, and spent about $400 total on enough diapers and covers to take care of both boys unti they were both toilet trained. By August, I had broken "even" - considering I saved $50/month in March & April and then about $100/month in May, June & July.
The picture above is from late May, 2002. It's about a day's worth of diapers from both boys hanging on the line. I wash diapers every day, but that's because I have 2 in diapers. Before Nate was born, I would wash every other day. They also don't have to be hung to dry, but the sun does a great job on stains. It isn't hard to wash diapers -- I use a dry pail to collect the diapers. I have a diaper pail in our laundry room, lined with a waterproof liner. Every morning, I put the diapers & the liner into the washing machine and run a soak cycle with cold water -- no additives. I then run the longest HOT cycle with about 1/4 cup of detergent. I always hang the covers to dry, and the diapers either go in the dryer or I hang them to dry. I have 2 liners for the pail, so there's always one available.
I figure the increased water & electricity (& detergent) from washing and drying an extra load a day comes out to about $12/month - a far cry from $100/month. Can you tell I do this primarily for the savings? Of course, it's better for the boys' skin and the environment, too.
My favorite diapers are the one-size Motherease Diapers . They fit babies from about 10 lbs through about 35 lbs because of the snaps that hold them closed. Another favorite one-size diaper are Snug-to-fits . They use both velcro and snaps to adjust the size for babies 10 lbs to about 35. I also have a couple dozen traditional prefold diapers that I use a Snappi to hold together.
My favorite covers are also from Motherease . Another favorite are ProWrap Covers .
There are some very creative work-at-home-moms (WAHM) that design and create diapers. Since one of the main reasons I cloth diaper is to save money, I haven't purchased many custom diapers. I have purchased a few, though -- and have been most pleased with Dreamboat Diapers. I bought matching diapers for the boys last October and was thrilled with the quality and softness of her diapers. I have tried a variety of WAHM covers, and every one has leaked : ( If you have any questions about choosing to cloth diaper, please email me! I would be happy to answer any questions.