Almost all parents agree that it takes a whole new level of financial responsibility to bring a new baby into the family.
There is milk to consider if the baby is not breastfed, baby’s clothes which is easily outgrown in a matter of weeks, baby appliances which do not usually come cheap (such as cribs, bassinets, strollers, and high chairs).
Perhaps one common thing that everyone sees as a true need with a baby around is diapers.
Disposable diapers are considered essential in baby care. You simply cannot go without diapers in your list of needs when shopping for a new little one.
Unfortunately, diapers do not come cheap if you consider that you will most likely be buying them continuously for the next three years or so.
In the first months, you can expect to go through several diapers within the span of a day. That will likely decrease in number when your baby is bigger and poops less in a day, but still, you will need at least three to four diapers a day to keep your baby fresh and safe from diaper rash.
All in all, the point is that diapers are an inevitable expense when caring for babies. Luckily, if you’re clever enough, there may be a few ways you can minimize the financial impact of diapers in your parenthood journey.
It may involve some forms to fill out or several phone calls or emails, but ultimately it will pay off once you see that your diapering expenditure has shrunk significantly.
Tips and tricks that you can try out to get diapers for free
1) Samples, samples, samples
Just as almost any commodity, diaper companies offer free samples.
Although these samples often come in singles or in packs of two, it still is a good idea to tale advantage of them.
Also, even though they don’t come in bulk quantities that could look plenty enough to help, samples are almost always given regularly in stores and other relevant establishments that you can actually collect enough to make a difference.
These samples also can come with other freebies too like journals, tokens, and coupons that can actually help you get more diapers at a discounted price.
2) From diaper companies
All you usually have to do is to register with them online or thru phone and you get free samples!
Diaper companies are actually fond of dishing out samples because they believe that once you get to try their product and it worked well for you and your baby, you’ll buy from their brands more in the future.
Take advantage of the perks of your memberships so you can expand your diaper budget onto other baby items like wipes, clothes or milk. Below are some of the diaper companies you can register with to get freebies:
Huggies rewards. Every time you buy Huggies products such as their diapers and wipes, the company rewards you with points by downloading your receipt into their website through their mobile app. Garnering enough points means you can use them for free diaper coupons or maybe even other items that the brand sells.
Pampers Gifts to Grow. This works just the same as Huggies rewards. Every Pampers purchase allows you to accumulate points so that you can be eligible to receive free diapers, baby food, clothes, toys, and a whole lot more.
Other diaper companies to consider:
Luvs. From the makers of Tide, Bounty, and Charmin, Luvs is Procter and Gamble’s own diaper brand that boasts of being the optimal choice for experienced parents -implying that Luvs is the better choice according to those who have already “been there”.
GoodNites. This brand prides itself on being the number one night time diaper for kids, especially targeting those who are nearing the age of potty-training. They offer parents guides on how to ease through potty training for your big kids on their website. They even offer fun cartoon characters for your potty-trainees to enjoy.
Bambo Nature. If you’re looking for something more natural, hypoallergenic, and safe for your sensitive little one, Bambo Nature is worth a try since they specialize in diapers that do not contain harsh chemicals or allergens. They even have certification for dermatology, asthma, and forest stewardship. This is a true eco-brand that is worth the try.
The Honest Co. Eco-friendly, naturally derived, formulated for your baby’s sensitive skin -if all of these features perk you up, registering with The Honest Co. for free diapers might be a great idea. It’s also worth the effort in signing up with them since their diapers are a bit on the pricey side, and getting some free is such a treat since you and your baby get to enjoy their fancy designs too.
Seventh Generation. If sweet smells are too much for you and you fear your baby will get irritated by the perfumed brands, Seventh Generation offers diapers that are fragrance free. Not only that, other products that they offer such as wipes and baby detergent are free from fragrances as well.
3) From your hospital
Pediatricians and hospitals are primary targets for diaper companies since the majority of babies and young children go through them on a daily basis.
That being said, they usually are supplied with a ton of samples from competing companies in hopes that these samples will get dispensed to patients who will continue to use and purchase their brand thereafter.
On top of that, pediatricians and baby clinic customer front-liners are usually given special instructions by diaper companies on how they can register their patients to get freebies and other baby stuff on top of diapers.
If you could, drop by or give your doctor’s office a call to see if they’ve got any samples to dispense, or if they have promos or coupons that you can try out for your baby.
If you’ve just given birth in a hospital, you can already ask the staff there about promotional opportunities from diaper companies for your newborn to get you started.
4) Coupons plus discounts
Aside from coupons sent by diaper companies, you can also find coupons in ads on your local newspaper or even magazines.
Cut them out and store them properly because they’ll come in good use. Once you already have your diaper coupons on hand, try to also keep an eye out for discounts in your local grocery store where you shop for diapers.
If they have a website or a Facebook page, you can easily track their discounts so you can plan your grocery run and prepare the coupons you’ll use.
Just make sure to be there with your coupons on the first day of the sale since diapers tend to go pretty fast because parent likes to bulk up on sale diapers.
If stores allow the use of coupons for discounted items, which they usually do, this will result in the items being significantly lower in price, and maybe even completely free.
5) National diaper bank network
This organization is set up specifically to help provide free diapers for families who are on low income.
It is actually a non-profit organization with a meaningful mission of ensuring that every child in America has access to enough diapers to remain clean and healthy.
They believe that diapers are essential to every baby since health concerns can easily arise with the scarcity or unavailability of diapers, especially for poor families that are most vulnerable.
It’s headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, but you can pick up diapers locally if you coordinate with their local personnel.
Visit their official website to learn more.
6) Online Amazon Surveys
Amazon is a default go-to for moms who shop online and finding cheap diapers is often a mission.
Joining rewards platforms like Swagbucks can actually get you a free Amazon gift card.
It is free to sign up and collecting enough points by accomplishing surveys or just being rewarded at random can yield to cash bonuses which you can in turn use for free diapers.
It is a platform worth looking into if you’ve got the time and patience to complete surveys.
It is also helpful if both you and your partner can commit to these memberships since this will rake in more points and bonuses that can ultimately result in more freebies like diapers.
7) Go for cloth diapers
They may be a hefty initial purchase, but you’ll never have to buy another diaper for the rest of your babies diapering life.
You can even skimp on it by buying secondhand cloth diapers since these are made durable and can be handed down, provided that they have been properly sanitized.
All you have to do is look for mom groups online and ask around if they have diaper hand-me-downs that you can purchase at a lower price.
Who knows, hey might even volunteer to donate it to you so that completely eradicates any cost on your part!
All you really need are a couple of sets of diapers and you can reuse them until your baby is fully potty trained.
And when you’re done with potty training your toddler, if a new baby comes along, you can hand down your cloth diapers from sibling to sibling just as long as they are in good condition, so it would pay well to keep them well-maintained while in use.
Be prepared with the maintenance the comes with cloth diapering though because you will be doing a lot of washing, especially if you only have a handful of pieces.
Usually, a baby will go through four to eight diaper changes within a 24-hour period, depending on how often they poop (newborns are notorious for pooping at every feed), so you’ll need around that quantity.
If you only have enough to last a day, you might have to wash diapers twice a day. But if it saves you the cost of having to buy diapers, why not?
8) Don’t use them
This idea might sound extreme for many, but it’s actually gaining ground for more and more parents.
In the US, this is called elimination communication. In many other countries, it has no name. It simply is what is done.
What happens is, as early as after birth, babies are “trained” to communicate their need for peeing and pooping by exposing them to the discomforts of a wet nappy.
This is usually done by using pieces of repurposed cloth such as old shirts to substitute for the usual diaper.
Since these pieces of cloth do not absorb wetness more than regular underwear, babies learn to associate the discomfort that comes after elimination and then, later on, communicate in advance that they need to go before they actually do.
Parents who practice this method usually hold their baby over a potty or basin and patiently let them relieve themselves over it a couple of times in a day.
You will most likely still need diapers for situations where the mess and quick changes are not possible or a nearby toilet is not accessible such as on plane rides, long car trips, and attending events.
Many options if diapers are too expensive
All in all, diapering or, whether or not you choose to diaper, takes a lot of resources -money, effort, and patience among others.
As a new parent, you would like to maximize and stretch your resources to better look after your entire family and taking the load of the burden from diapering is already a big help to the family budget.
Tackling one or more of these suggestions above is a great way to cut down on what is tagged as one of the main expenses of having a new baby.
This way, you can focus more on enjoying your new precious bundle of joy without having to worry about the hefty and ongoing price that constant need for diapers brings about.
