Nappy Shock: A Parent’s Guide to the Cost of Diapering

Welcome back to As We Grow! This is a blog written by a parent, for parents, navigating the incredible journey of watching our kids grow up. And let’s be honest, one of the first and most constant realities of that journey is… nappies. Lots of nappies, a mountain of nappies in fact! Seriously, its a lot!

I still remember during the peak of COVID, at some point nappies, like toilet paper, were completely out of stock. That was a really weird period! Luckily, things are back to normal now and it’s not hard to get nappies when required. Still, they can be so expensive sometimes. We’ve all had that moment when you run out unexpectedly and have to grab a box from the nearest shop, only to see the price and jump back in surprise.

Unfortunately, nappies are not one of those things you can do without, unless you are an extremely brave parent, in which case I applaud you! Hats off to those who manage to get by without them.

The Maths Don’t Lie: A Quick Calculation

Nappies are expensive. We all know it, but have you ever actually done the maths? We decided to, and the numbers were eye-opening. Let’s make some conservative assumptions for one child’s nappy journey up to three years old.

• Newborn (0-3 months): 8 nappies/day × 90 days = 720 nappies
• Infant (3-12 months): 6 nappies/day × 275 days ≈ 1,650 nappies
• Toddler (1-3 years): 4 nappies/day × 730 days = 2,920 nappies

Adding that all up, we get a grand total of approximately 5,290 nappies. Assuming an average price of $0.50 per nappy:

5,290 nappies×$0.50/nappy=$2,645

That’s over $2,600 spent on nappies for one child by their third birthday. Keep in mind those are pretty conservative numbers, so its likely you will spend much more than this, but we’ll continue with this conservative number to help demonstrate our point.

A quick note: We are based in Australia, so all prices and brands mentioned are based on our local market. However, the maths and the principles will be very similar everywhere around the world!

Our Personal Nappy Journey

We’re right in the thick of it ourselves. Our six-year-old has thankfully gone off nappies completely. For our eldest, there was a period where we did use reusable nappies, but eventually back to disposables after one too many messy accidents. Our three-year-old, however, is just starting the transition. It’s been a rough exercise, with lots of “happy accidents” and many extra wash cycles. The transition period itself is a whole other story, and perhaps something we will talk about next time. For now, our focus is purely on the nappies and their costs!

So, What Are the Options to Save?

Seeing that $2,600+ figure is enough to make anyone look for alternatives. We explored two main routes.

Option 1: The Reusable Route

For the environmentally friendly folks out there (and the budget-conscious!), reusable nappies are a popular choice. We used these for a period with our first child, as we were genuinely concerned about the sheer number of nappies we were going through, I think the record was 13 nappies in a day! That was honestly not a day I really want to remember…

Reusable nappies are pretty handy. They can often be resized for a better fit and generally use a disposable liner and a washable absorbency layer to soak up the mess. The liner is thrown away, and the absorbent layer can be washed and reused. Stick the nappy and the absorbency layer into the washing machine to wash it thoroughly and its good to go another round, and another round, and another. Be sure to add some sanitising wash into the washing machine just to make sure its all truly clean!

However, if you can handle the cleaning, they are definitely a good option. Just don’t be mistaken into thinking it’s all easy street, a sick child with a tummy ache is not to be underestimated! And definitely keep some disposable nappies as backup just in case.

But what about the cost? Let’s break it down:

• The Nappies: A reusable nappy can cost around $30 – $50. Let’s use an average of $40 per nappy. You’d probably want about 20 sets to cycle them through washing. 20 sets×$40/nappy=$800
• The Liners: These cost about $15 for 100, or $0.15 each. You’d need one for every nappy change. 5,290 changes×$0.15/liner≈$794

The total upfront and ongoing cost for reusables comes to around $1,594.

There are substantial savings of over $1,000 to be made here, and it is indeed much better for the environment, so this is definitely an option worth considering. Just be sure you know what you are getting into with the required washing and sanitising!

Option 2: The Savvy Disposable Nappy Strategy

So, you’ve made the decision to use disposable nappies. Hey, no judgement from us—we went that way too! The choice can be overwhelming with so many different brands and types on the shelf. Perhaps another blog topic later can be a nappy review of sorts, but for now, we’ll focus on the price.

Our calculation of over $2,600 was based on a full-priced average nappy at $0.50 a piece. Some premium brands, whether it’s better quality or just better branding, can cost much more. We’ve seen some Huggies nappies costing almost $1 per nappy when at full price at Woolworths or Coles.

Now, here is our happy little secret: Never buy nappies at full price.

If you are like us and have picked a brand you trust, then just keep an eye on the weekly sales catalogues. When your brand comes up, grab enough to last a while and hopefully till at least the next rounds of discounts.

Here’s one more little tip for you: don’t forget to check Amazon AU. They sell a huge variety of nappy brands and will often automatically price-match Woolworths, Coles, or other stores when specific nappies go on sale. This means you can often nab the same bargain but with the incredible convenience of delivery right to your door (which is free if you have a Prime subscription, or if you purchase over the minimum spend amount, which, let’s be honest, is easy to do when buying nappies in bulk!). Can’t complain about that!

Now, we know some of you might not be fans of Amazon, whether it’s because it’s a mammoth tech-bro company owned by one of the richest man in the world, or for your own valid reasons. We get it. But you really can’t argue with how super convenient it is sometimes. Our advice is to use it at your own discretion, it’s another great tool in the nappy-bargain-hunting arsenal!

The sales can be as high as 50% off, but even if you only ever buy them at 25% off, the savings are substantial. Doing some quick maths on our earlier total:

$2,645 * 25% discount = a saving of over $660!

The only issue is that nappies come in different sizes and are quite bulky, so you need to keep an eye on what size you need, when your child might move up a size, and how much storage room you have. I know this sounds simple, but you wouldn’t believe the number of times I’ve seen people paying full price at the supermarket.

All it takes is a little bit of time, planning, and perhaps some storage space, and you can drastically lower your nappy costs. Those savings can then be “invested” into activities or toys you can enjoy with your child. It’s definitely worth doing!

The Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds?

Of course, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We know many parents who do a combination of Option 1 and 2. They might use reusable nappies during the day when they can keep a close eye on things, and switch to a disposable at night where anything can happen! This absolutely makes sense. Every family will have something different that works for them, so this could be an option worth considering.

In Summary

Nappies are pretty expensive, as we can see, but a little time and effort to plan ahead can help you save a lot of money. At the end of the day, a fresh, clean nappy means a happy baby, and hopefully, a happy parent!

Thanks for reading!