Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half! with Stephanie Nelson, The Coupon Mom
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Site visitor question:  “I have a one year old and need to save money on diapers, so I am considering joining a wholesale club.  Do you have any suggestions for how to pay the lowest price possible for disposable diapers?”

 

Yes, after having two children in diapers for six consecutive years, I know they can get very expensive!  It is worth taking time to research and compare prices to save hundreds of dollars over the years.  However, shopping at wholesale clubs is not the only way to save money on diapers.  

 

You have three basic options when buying disposable diapers:

1.     Buy name brand diapers (like Huggies or Pampers)

2.     Buy generic or store brands,

3.     Buy large bulk packages (either name brand or store brand) from a wholesale club like BJ's or Costco. 

There are tricks to saving money on each of these options.  Each shopper needs to weigh the pros and cons of each option for their own circumstances.  For example, is the nearest wholesale club an hour’s drive away?  Would stocking up on several months’ worth of diapers that you found on sale at your supermarket challenge your budget’s cash flow?  Can your baby wear any brand of diapers or is he or she sensitive to certain brands?  Also consider factors such as the cost of gasoline required to travel further to stores.

 

You should do a price comparison of various diaper options at a few nearby retail stores (supermarkets, drugstore chains and discount stores), online retailers and a wholesale club if you have one in your area.  Because package sizes may vary, you want to make sure you compare apples to apples by comparing the unit price, not the total package price, of many different brands.  Package sizes will probably vary by store, so simply divide the total price of the package by the diaper quantity to arrive at your unit cost per diaper.  Make sure you are comparing the same size of diaper as well, since there are more diapers per package in the smaller sizes.

 

The cost per diaper is not the only factor to consider in the net cost of diapers.  You may benefit from automatic rebates when you use savings programs like Upromise and store rebate programs (such as the Extra Care program offered by CVS).  You may be able to save even more if you are aware of these programs, learn how to maximize them, and are a loyal user of the rebate program. 

 

Supermarkets may offer additional diaper coupons through programs like baby clubs, which vary by retailer.  In addition to extra diaper and baby product coupons, some baby clubs give automatic rebates into an account based on the purchase price.  For example, my supermarket’s baby club rebate is 5% of the price paid for name brand diapers, and 10% of the price paid for their store brand diapers. 
 

Drugstores frequently offer “buy one, get one free” or 50% off sales on their own brand of diapers.  Stocking up on regular sized packages (rather than larger packages from wholesale clubs) may be more practical because you can always exchange unopened diaper packages for the next size if your baby outgrows the size of diaper you stockpiled.

 

Don’t forget coupons!  If you prefer brand name diapers, watch for coupons in the Sunday newspaper circular, check the diaper company website, and let friends and relatives know that you would be happy to take their unused diaper coupons!

 

You can also buy many brands of diapers from online retailers, and if they offer free shipping, this can be an affordable option.  Amazon.com has offered special promotions on various diaper brands, as well as retailers like drugstore.com and 1800diapers.com. 
 

Finally, if you ruled out store brand diapers in the past because they didn’t work for your baby, consider trying a store brand diaper again as they get older.  As their legs get fatter (fewer leaks) and their skin becomes less sensitive, you may find that the generic diapers work fine, and they are probably much less expensive than name brands.

 

Stephanie Nelson shares her savings tips as a regular contributor on ABC News’ Good Morning America. You can find more of her savings tips in her book  “Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom” and on her website at www.couponmom.com.  Copyright 2006Ó Stephanie Nelson