Thrifty Mom's Waste Management

Everyone says you cannot overestimate the sticker shock of a baby. I believed them, but I didn't fully understand what they meant. Going to the store for diaper supplies and coming out $80 lighter was a real wake-up call. Combined with the cats' kitty litter and my toilet paper, we hit nearly $100 a month on just poop. It's enough to stimulate your bowels -- in a bad way.

Coupons are now my friends. I'm able to get the same number of diapers at 75 percent of what I had been paying. I'm an expert on when Huggies (the diaper du jour) will be on sale, when coupons are doubled, and which stores will accept store and manufacturer coupons.

I use cloth diapers when we are home. Just plain old prefolds with a diaper cover work like a charm. (And, hey, I think this counts for Mother Earth kudos too.) Now that I'm healed from the c-section and can run up and down the stairs, laundry is easier. These diapers wash very easily, and baby is still breastfeed. When she starts solid foods, I'll let you know if there are horror stories.

The coupons and sales and store policies can be very entertaining. These days, I especially enjoy reeling in a bargain. I'm not one of those who can buy $100 worth of groceries for $.50, but I can knock $20 off the total. It makes me want to dance!

Daycare and Diapers

This week, a discussion with the daycare provider surprised me. She's calm, organized, and flexible -- all good things for children. She's willing to use breast milk. She's willing to use cloth diapers. I couldn't imagine that a person with small children everywhere would be willing to use anything besides disposables.

Even though it means lots of time with the washing machine, cloth diapers are my top choice for environmental and economic reasons. I've been surfing the internet to find out the difference between pre-folds, all-in-ones, pocket diapers, and fitted diapers. The benefits of certain types of diapers is starting to make sense. I'm interested in convenience, so I'll be trying out of the all-in-one diapers. The pre-folds will make sense for evenings and weekends. The price of pre-folds is very good, and I find that attractive.

The little details are starting to work out. I hope they work out prior to baby's arrival!