Saving Money With A Baby

What are those, you ask? They're my cloth diapers! And yes, they've saved me money.

When my husband and I found out we were expecting, we started to research various ways we could save money. There's a big debate about whether or not the initial investment, extra loads of laundry, detergent, water use, etc. really added up to savings (or a more earth-friendly alternative). I did a lot of shopping around, and my husband figured we could save over $2000 in the first year alone!

I use BumGenius 3.0 cloth diapers (I don't get any money from them; I truly love their products!). They are adjustable, and should fit until my daughter is potty trained. They're easy to use, just like disposables. I only have to do one load of diapers a day (that's one cycle on cold, one on hot, and an extra rinse cycle), and they require less detergent (I end up using 1/2 the amount I would use for a regular load). I also hang them up to dry instead of the dryer to prolong their life expectancy. We haven't noticed a difference in our water bill either (it's normally less than $15/month anyways).

I bought 24 diapers, which is BumGenius' minimum recommendation; by using a coupon (from Mothering Magazine) and buying all at once, I got them for $14 on Nicki's Diapers. Normally they cost $18; more if you want organic. So, my diapers cost me under $340! I love them, and so does my husband. We've only had one minor bout of diaper rash, and it was gone in a day. And it isn't disgusting to wash them, which was my biggest worry. If you have a baby in diapers, consider switching to cloth. You could even look on ebay or craigslist for some used diapers and save even more.

What are you thoughts on cloth diapering? Does anyone else have a brand they recommend?

A Simple Step

While doing a lot of reading on living simply, as well as going green, a certain tip kept appearing: get rid of or reduce your use of paper products. For some reason, our culture has decided we need a multitude of various kinds of paper for all the different jobs around our homes.

Tissues (there are tissues with lotion, colored tissues, boxes, individual packs for our purses...whatever happened to using tp or a hankie?)

TP (Some of the blogs I read promote using homemade cloth tp and washing it. Sorry folks, I'm not that frugal!)

Paper towels (different absorbency's, various prints, sizes, etc.)

Paper napkins

Paper plates & cups

Keeping your household in constant supply of all these products might be costing you more than you know. As I began to strive to create less waste and save money, I simply stopped buying things when I ran out (other than tp!) And you know what? It was a small adjustment, but I don't miss them! We use rags to clean up messes, real plates and cups when company comes over - after all, that's what the dishwasher is for - and cloth napkins. Cloth napkins can usually stand up to more than one use, just have everyone sit in the same spot at the table and reuse their napkin at the next meal. My cousin even made cloth napkins for her wedding by getting the cloth in bulk at a discount; she saved the cost of renting them and the waste of paper.

So try it and tell me what you think: it's a simple, small step to saving money, but it all those small changes add up!

Quite possibly my next mode of transportation?

In case you're new to this blog, my family is without a car, and our goal is to save up enough cash in the next four months to buy a reliable one without going into debt or taking out a loan.

I'd love to be able to bike instead of drive, but my daughter isn't quite old enough to ride in a bugger or seat on the back. (Plus the 115 temps here in the desert are a bit discouraging!)

The Goal

Hello!

This is officially my first attempt at blogging. I'm a new stay-at-home mom with a three month old daughter. Once my husband and I decided I'd be quitting my job to stay at home full-time, we had some changes to make as we learned to live on one income. So far, I've been learning a lot, and we've been doing ok.

Until last week...

We only have one car, and it's paid off. While hoping that it would last another couple of years, reality hit and it completely died last week, leaving me stranded on the side of the road. Since we've already rebuilt the engine once, I don't think it's going to last as long as we hoped.

Hence, The Goal.

Thankfully, God has provided us with a car for the next four months (a friend who is out of the country is letting us drive his). During that time, it is our goal to save enough to pay cash for a reliable car. The purpose of this blog is to track how we're doing at achieving our Goal, and for me as I learn new ways of saving money, living simply, and being satisfied with a life of less.

Any tips or advice as we begin this challenge? Let's see how the next four months progress!