Everyone knows that life gets more expensive when you have kids. But not everyone knows how to rearrange their spending to ensure they have enough room in the budget for a baby. There are two ways to combat this extra expense; make more money or spend less and find ways to save money. Or, you can do both! Whatever you decide to do, it’s always nice to save money on the essentials, like diapers! Luckily, there are a lot of different ways you can get free diapers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics did a study and concluded that the average family spends about $936 on disposable diapers in the first year (source). That’s only the first year! Most children are in diapers for at least the first two years of their life. So whether you’re looking to use disposable diapers or cloth diapers, these resources will help you save money on diapers.
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11 Ways to Get Free Disposable Diapers
1. Stock Up at the Hospital & Doctor Appointments
When you have your baby, the hospital will generally provide you with many things you will need, including diapers and other baby basics. Don’t be afraid to get as many as you can! They charge an arm and a leg when you give birth, so the least they can do is give you your money’s worth as much as possible.
Hospitals provide a lot of things for you, not just diapers! So make sure you don’t waste money on something that they already provide for you. Check out this list of things you do and don’t need to pack in your hospital bag.
Doctor’s offices also receive tons of samples from diaper companies. When you go to your well-baby check-up appointments, don’t be afraid to ask them if they have any diapers you could have.
2. Ask Companies for Diaper Samples
Diaper companies love to give out samples! They want you to use and love their diapers so that you will buy more. You don’t have to tell them that you likely have no intention of buying more, and you are just looking to score some free diapers!
There are many brands out there that offer free sample packs of diapers. Here are a few to get you started:
- Earth Baby
- Abby & Finn
- The Honest Company
- Dypers (They will also send you a free diaper bag just for trying them out!)
- Seventh Generation
- Everyday Happy
- Dollar Diaper Club
- Simply Right
3. Reach Out to Local Women’s and Family Shelters
Contact your local shelters, specifically ones that cater to women and families. They will have some diapers on hand and possibly help you find other resources to help you get more. They might also be able to help you get other necessities you’re struggling to afford.
4. Find a Diaper Bank (Or Two!)
There are typically local diaper banks, as well as state diaper banks. And there is even a national program called the National Diaper Bank Network. They will also be able to help you find diaper banks close to you. You can reach out to all of the diaper banks and see what they can give you.
The National Diaper Bank Network website says that 1 in 3 families experience diaper need, so know that you are not alone (source). Having a baby can be very expensive.
5. Join Diaper Company Rewards Programs
Many different diaper brands offer rewards programs that allow you to earn points by purchasing diapers that will help you earn free diapers. Odds are you will have to buy diapers at some point, so be sure to take advantage of these rewards programs so you can at least be working towards getting some diapers for free.
A lot of the more popular diaper companies offer this, but here are two popular ones to check out first:
6. Sign Up for Baby Registries and Get Baby Freebies
There are a ton of places that you can sign up for a baby registry, but some of them are better than others because they offer freebies when you use their registry.
Each company has different freebies options when signing up for their baby registry. Most come with various baby items, including diapers and wipes! Here are a few for you to check out:
- Walmart
- Amazon
- Target
- Buy Buy Baby
- Babies R Us
7. Don’t Forget to Add Lots of Diapers to Your Baby Registry
If you’re planning to have a baby shower, diapers are just one of the many things you need to add to your registry. But, it’s one of the most important ones. Be sure to add tons of diapers to your registry in all different sizes!
You don’t want everyone to get you newborn diapers because your baby will outgrow those very quickly, and then you’ll have a ton of diapers you can’t use anymore.
If you are not planning to have a baby shower, you can consider having a “sprinkle,” like a mini baby shower. Or you can have a diaper party, where everyone brings diapers. These are great options if you’ve already had a baby and already have many baby products.
8. Join Mom Groups On Facebook
If you’re not a part of any mom groups on Facebook, find some! Especially local groups, and there are TONS of groups to join. Even if you live in a tiny town, you will find something. These groups are a great way to get free stuff!
There are often a lot of people giving away baby items for free, including diapers. You can also ask to trade things you no longer need or try to start a diaper exchange.
A diaper exchange is fantastic because it helps everyone save money on diapers. You can always post to the group asking if anyone has any extra diapers or diapers their kids have outgrown that they would be willing to give to you. I see this all the time, and tons of moms are more than happy to help out! They’ve been there, so they know how expensive diapers can get.
9. Enter Contests Held By the Diaper Companies
A lot of diaper companies offer contests that you can enter to win a year of free diapers! That’s A LOT of diapers and will save you hundreds of dollars. While the odds of winning are low, you can continue to enter every time they have one.
Check popular diaper companies, such as Luvs, social media accounts. They will often post about current and upcoming contests, and it’s usually easy to enter and doesn’t require much work. So you might as well enter to win!
10. Check Local Resources
There are likely a TON of local resources that would be willing to help you get some free diapers and other baby products, like baby formula, that you might need. You can do a google search to help you find some resources near you, but here are a few places to look first:
- Churches
- Women’s centers
- Pregnancy centers
- Food banks
- Social services offices
- Family/women’s Shelters
- Pediatric offices
11. Check Out “Need Help Paying Bills”
Need Help Paying Bills is an online resource that will help you see if you qualify for assistance. And they don’t just help you with diapers; they can also help with rent, food, medical, housing, and so much more!
While they are an online resource, they can also help you contact local resources that can help.
5 Ways to Get Free Cloth Diapers
1. Sign Up to Be A Diaper Tester With Cutey Baby
Cutey Baby is a cloth diaper company that is always coming out with new styles. You can sign up on their website by taking their Market survey, and you will be gifted their latest diapers to try out before they start officially selling them. Free diapers AND you get to be the first to try them!
2. Find Mom Forums Online
There are a lot of forums out there that moms join and are willing to mail you the baby stuff you need. It’s also great for answering any questions you have about motherhood. You can also find diaper covers, diaper inserts, wet bags, and liners on these forums. Two great ones are Mothering.com Forums and Carseat.org Forums. There’s also a Diaper Swappers – Cloth Diapering Community Page on Facebook!
3. Find Cloth Diaper Banks Online
Cloth diaper banks are so cool! They work by seeing if you qualify for free cloth diapers, and if you do, they will send you the size you currently need. You use them until your baby outgrows them and then send them back so that another family can use them as well!
They will continue to provide each size as your baby grows. Two great cloth diaper banks are The Cloth Option and Share the Love.
4. Join Nicki’s Diapers Rewards Program
Nicki’s diapers is a great cloth diapering company that offers tons of helpful products and resources to help you succeed with cloth diapering. They also have a generous rewards program that allows you to earn free diapers after purchasing diapers and other items from them.
5. Find Cloth Diapering Groups On Facebook
We talked about mom groups above, but finding some groups specifically for cloth diapering can help you find some contacts, whether they’re local or nationwide!
You can post about wanting to swap or trade for diapers or see if anyone wants to get rid of some diapers and would be willing to gift them to you.
5 Effective Tips for Saving Money On Diapers
1. Sign Up for Coupons
Most diaper companies give away coupons, and if you sign up for their mailing list, you will receive coupons regularly. You can also look for manufacturer coupons for diapers that you can use at stores like Walmart, Target, or your local grocery store.
The Krazy Coupon Lady is the master at couponing. She has a list of current diaper coupons and deals and teaches you how to stack coupons to get your diapers cheap and sometimes free!
2. Use Amazon Subscribe and Save
A feature that Amazon has added to their program is the subscribe and save feature. By signing up for a subscription, say diapers, they will send you diapers every month, and you will receive a discount for using the subscription feature. This feature is a great way to save on things you always need, such as diapers, wipes, certain food items, paper towels, etc. They have everything!
Using subscribe and save also helps you track how much you’re spending on certain items each month, which is great if you’re trying to have a baby on a budget!
3. Shop In Bulk
Stores that offer products in bulk, such as Costco, Sams Club, BJ’s, etc., usually have cheaper products, especially if you buy the store brand. For instance, Costco’s store brand is Kirkland. Kirkland products are generally more affordable than any name brand, and people seem to love their brand just as much or more than the others they offer!
4. Consider Cloth Diapers
Cloth diapers themselves aren’t cheap, but you’re not buying them over and over again. You buy just enough to get you through the size you need, and don’t buy more until you size up.
The best thing about cloth diapers is that you can buy them used because they are washable and reusable. It’s a pretty common practice, and that’s why they have cloth diaper banks, like the ones mentioned above!
Many moms also say that using cloth diapers is better than using disposable diapers because they have fewer leaks, blowouts, and skin sensitivities.
5. Use Generic Brands
Generic brand diapers are usually a bit cheaper than popular name brand diapers like Huggies and Pampers. Walmart has its Great Value brand, and Target has Up & Up, and so on.
Take your time in the diaper aisle and look over the prices to see which diaper brand saves you the most money. If you’re wary about buying cheaper brands, read reviews online. You can also try purchasing a small pack at first and making sure they work well with your baby before you buy a massive box of them.
In Summary
It’s not a secret that having a baby is expensive, and most parents have to rework their budget when they add another member to the family. It’s a great idea to find as many resources as possible to help you save some money. We hope you found these resources helpful in finding free diapers as well as saving money on diapers.
This post originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.
