Baby Diaper Usage, Months Three and Four

57 Replies

(I also did this for Month One and Month Two.)

I don’t do it on purpose (that is, I change “when he needs it,” not on a schedule), but we use almost exactly the same number of diapers per day: it’s almost always six diapers. For “cost per month” purposes I like to round that up to 200 diapers per month–just to be on the generous side. So in months three and four (i.e., from the day he turned 2 months old until the day he turned 4 months old), we’ll estimate that Henry used 400 diapers.

I buy Target brand diapers, and Henry is still in size 1 (skinny butt). I can buy a package of 112 size 1 diapers for $10.60.

Math time! Price of $10.60 divided by 112 diapers in the package, is .0946 cents per diaper–approximately 9 and 1/2 cents each. Multiply the per-diaper cost times the 400 diapers used in two months, and we get $37.86 for two months of diapers–or $18.93 per month to put this particular baby in disposables.

And we didn’t spend that much. We used more like 360 diapers, as I mentioned, and I saved about $4 with a store coupon and a freak clearance. With those things figured in, we spent closer to $15 per month.


How ’bout a little changeroo for a certain deserving baby?

57 thoughts on “Baby Diaper Usage, Months Three and Four”

  2. Erin

    Oh. Cute.

    Is Henry still in #1’s? Because my Emmett is growing out of #2’s already. Or at least he keeps blowing them out. I think it’s his chubby bum. Speaking of Fattykins…

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  9. Mommy Daisy

    This is nice to see. I think we spend something close to that in diapers too. Well, at least since I’ve switched to an off-brand. I’m glad I gave them a try again. Before they didn’t work, but now that my son’s a little older they work fine.

    That is my favorite picture of Henry so far! What a smiley, happy boy! Love that!

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  11. LoriD

    You should seriously be making money off that boy. He is a doll. Literally, he’s a doll.

    I need to do some cross-border shopping and get me to a Target… that’s crazy cheap for diapers.

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  12. Misty

    So. Darn. Cute! I was just telling my honey how we need another baby. Maybe not today, but tomorrow perhaps? Well, that scrumptious picture made me want to shorten the wait. ;) Sugar sweet!

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  14. Devan

    Hey, that’s not too bad! O is already in size 3, but we only use them at night. He SOAKS them though. He didn’t do this until I started supplementing with formula. I wonder if that means he’s getting too much to eat?
    Annnnyyyywayyyy, Henry’s a cutie!!!

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  15. donna

    So you like the Target brand? I have always been a Pampers user – I tried Huggies once and was not happy with the results. Since then I’ve been afraid to try any other brand because the Pampers work for us.

    I wish the diaper makers would make a sample size pack you could buy with just maybe five diapers so you can use them for a day and see if you like them. I might very well like a brand but I’m not willing to invest the money to find out.

    But maybe I’ll try the Target brand and see.

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  16. MrsGrumpy

    Oh my gosh. Look at Prince ever so Charming! He is adorable (and fresh looking…I’m sure due to the diaper changes) in that picture. So cute that I am wondering what controversial topic you posted about that you’re trying to distract us all from.

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  22. Christina

    Holy crap, Swistle. I have no desire at all for kids – but you’re slowly squelching that idea with all these damn cute pictures of Henry. I just want to eat him!

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  23. bananafana

    we’re probably going to try cloth diapers on the next baby but if that doesn’t happen we’ll have to try off brands again – we tried on the first go round but everything leaked out of everything we tried except Huggies. Now only the Pampers fit right. ugh stupid expensive diapers.

    and seriously he is too cute. I love babies in onesies and socks or the sleep ‘n play outfits – they look so sweet and squishy

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  33. Jess in Nebraska

    Have to agree….Target brand diapers are AWESOME!!! My little guy got a staph infection on his lower belly 2 weeks after he was born. The doctor said oftentimes the chemicals in ultra-absorbant (i.e.Pampers) diapers can be rough on their skin, and therefore rubbed it and then bacteria from his belly button (stump)got on there. Mu doctor suggested I change to a no-name or cheaper brand and thus I found Target, and have been so happy since.

    P>S> WHAT A CUTIE!!!!!!

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  35. Marie Green

    So those estimates of how much you spend per year on disposables are WAY OFF.

    He is so adorable. He looks vaguely familiar, like I know him from somewhere. Maybe it’s that “old soul”-ish look he sometimes has in his eyes…

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  37. Marie Green

    Speaking of Target brand diapers…

    We usually use them too. We also sometimes buy the White Cloud ones from Walmart. I find the two to be nearly identical.

    BUT. Recently, the package of Target diapers I bought was weirdly different. The print on the diaper was the same as before, but they didn’t seem at all absorbant, and seemed to sag WAYYY down even when they were not wet. I was thinking- WEIRD! Also, maybe she needs a bigger size? (We use size 3). But then, 3 different people said to me, within a week, that their Tbrand diapers were doing the same thing.

    Swistle, have you noticed any difference? Could we have gotten a “bad batch” in our area or something? I’m not really savy about how these things work.

    I haven’t bought another bag recently because I used some coupons for Luvs (don’t like) and then bought Walmart out of convience. But I’m ready for my Target brand back!

    (I wonder if I bought another package and had the same experience if I could return them?)

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  38. Swistle

    Donna- You know what would be an awesome idea? A “diaper sampler” in each size, that would come with 5 each of, say, Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, and the store brand. It would be so neat to try them all! I do like the Target brand. When my first two kids were babies, we didn’t live close to a Target so I bought Walmart brand, which worked for one of the babies and not for the other. I also find that as the kids get older, the Target brand isn’t enough for nights: the twins wear Target brand diapers during the day, but Pampers or Luvs at night (and in a bigger size than their daytime diapers, too).

    MrsGrumpy- You totally caught me! I’m hoping to avoid a “bad things about disposables” debate.

    The New Girl- I like the Target brand, but I’ve found that different brands work different babies. They’re worth a try, I think. Store brands sometimes need to be changed a little more frequently–but still cost less.

    Marie Green- I’ll bet the estimates are based on the most expensive diapers, and on changing as often as daycares do (like, every 1.5 hours). And that is scary about Target diapers maybe changing! I haven’t noticed any changes yet, but it’s the kind of thing that could gradually seep around: I remember when they changed from Care Bear design to little colorful thingies (I guess I haven’t looked closely at what they are + too lazy to check now), I would still get the occasional package of Care Bear ones. I’ll let you know if I start getting weird ones. I’ll bet you COULD get a refund–Target seems really good about returns, at least at the ones near me.

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  42. LeeAnn

    I love Target brand diapers. If diapers were free, I would probably get Huggies, but for the price that I have to pay, Target is a great diaper for a store brand. My son is almost 2 and is still wearing Target diapers…size 4!!

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  43. AndreAnna

    Do you like the Target brand dipaers? I have always been a diaper snob and only used Pampers (first swaddlers, now cruisers) and love how they fit her. I don’t like the fit or rough feel of Huggies. But if you endorse Target, for the reduced price, I may try them.

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  45. Swistle

    Sarah- I liked the newborn size, too. I bought a couple packages of Pampers newborn (sale AND coupon, and STILL more expensive than Target) and liked those even better–but only enough better to hoard them and use them mostly for nights, not enough to buy them instead.

    Andreanna- I agree with what Leeann said (she’s the comment right before yours): if diapers were free, I’d get the brand–but since they’re not, Target is a nice way to save money. I’d say it’s worth a try: the littler ($5.75ish) packs are a good way to sample them without a huge investment, and if you don’t like them you can expense it to Experience. Store brands usually need to be changed more often than brand name, and I don’t use store brand at night for the twins–but I really like store brand overall.

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  49. Omaha Mama

    First of all, I do believe that baby is becoming a Little Man. And is quite Handsome.

    Second of all, you would pass my math course with flying colors. You can figure unit prices and multi-step word problems with ease. Well done Smarty Pants!

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  50. Trena

    Such a cutie!

    We tried Huggies, Pampers, Luvs and White Cloud early on and we’ve stuck with Luvs. I didn’t care for the Pampers (came home from the hospital)–they seemed oddly…moist. Plus Owen is sadly lacking in the junk in the trunk department as well as not that much of a poky outy belly (think stick-like and you’re pretty close) so Luvs seems to fit his *small* skinny rear pretty well.

    The White Cloud as I recall fit okay, I just didn’t like how hard the diaper felt once he had peed a little–I was worried that it was scratchy on the inside as well. However, now you have me curious and I might have to investigate the Target diapers.

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  51. Sleepynita

    We totally use store brand diapers (Size 3 Simply Kind, a Canadian band) during the day and size 4 Huggies overnight. Works well for us, although we were all fancy for a couple months when I had coupons for free huggies, so Emmetts bum was well covered. We also go through 6 a day.

    I never was a Pampers fan either, they feel heavy and wet (yet they are softer).

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  53. CakeHead

    I am sooo sorry, I was truly reading your post until I got to the picture at the end and I forgot everything you said.

    *Seriously. cute. baby. alert!*

    Now what were you saying about the cost of diapers and stuff?

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