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| Saving money with washable nappies. | |||||||||
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Take me straight to the savings! Babies are such tiny things, you wouldn't think that having one could be so expensive! Yet, recent statistics have estimated that parents spend between £3,000 and £4,000 on their first baby in its first year. An article in the Independent on Sunday on 29 October 2000 estimated that £1,100 of this would be spent on disposable nappies! It is estimated that about 85% of families use disposable nappies. Recent research by WEN (March 2005) indicates that the cost of using disposable nappies for a 2.5 year period will be around £792, based on the average cost of disposables.* However as 92% of the market is branded disposables, for a sizeable number of families who stick to using the branded nappies, the cost will be closer to £972. This assumes 6 changes a day over the 2.5 year period. Using washable nappies rather than disposables can save you money, even taking into account the costs of using your washing machine and tumble drier. The amount of money you save will depend on the type of reusable cloth nappies you buy, and how often you wash them. The same Independent article reckoned you would spend around £900 (in the first year) on a nappy laundry service, or £260 (birth to potty) if you do your own laundry. Any savings you make will be even greater if you use the same set of washable cloth nappies for subsequent children.
How much you will save will depend on many factors, but these are some of the things that might influence the final amount saved:
Re-using your cloth nappies for your next baby will save even more money, as you will not have to buy a fresh set. On the other hand, selling your real cloth nappies once your baby is potty-trained will allow you to get back some of the money you have spent.
How much money are you going to save with washable cloth nappies? This will depend on the type of cloth nappy you buy, but here are some examples: I calculate that at current prices, you could nappy a baby from birth to potty in terry nappies for a touch over £150, including wraps; or in shaped to fit, sized nappies for around £380**, including wraps. This amount will vary slightly according to the type of nappy and wrap you choose, and how many of each you decide you need. Washing costs could be as little as £40 per year if you wash every third day and line dry. If you wash every day and use a tumble drier then washing costs could be as high as £150 per year. Your own laundry costs will probably fall somewhere between these two figures. So, based on the figures I've already quoted, you would expect to save between £262 and £782 from birth to potty.*** Then, if you pass the reusable nappies on to your next child, the savings are even greater still. You can save even more money by using washable nappy liners and wipes. Disposable wipes cost between 2-4p each - you can buy washable wipes, or make your own by cutting a muslin into six or eight pieces, and roughly hemming it. You can make your own wipe solution using any of the recipes on the recipes page. * source: WEN. Visit the WEN website for more information. **£150 is based on 18 terries and 5 of each size of Popolini Vento wrap; £380 is based on 18 each of size 1 and size 2 Totsbots Aplix and 5 of each size of Popolini Vento wrap. ***£262 saving based on switching from average priced disposables to the more expensive cloth nappies, with highest laundry costs. £782 saving based on switching from premium brand disposables to lower priced variety of cloth nappies, with lowest laundry costs. Your own savings will probably fall somewhere between the two.
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