Five Ways To Deal With the Diaper Price Hike

We knew it was coming. Now it's here. Last October diaper manufacturers Procter & Gamble (Pampers) and Kimberly-Clark (Huggies) announced that they'd be raising prices 3 to 12% in early 2008, citing higher materials and energy costs. Commodity prices may be up, but so are profits at both companies. Both P&G and K-C recently announced increased quarterly profits, with K-C reporting record sales and "double digit volume gains" on sales of Huggies diapers and wipes. Both companies have upped forecasted profits for 2008.

Last week we started seeing higher shelf prices on both Huggies and Pampers, and today we're seeing a "sale"price of $9.99 per jumbo that used to be $8.99. For size 3, that dollar increase amounts to an increase of just less than three cents per diaper--about 13%! Most families will need to add between $5 and $10 per month to their diaper budgets, or $60 to $100 for the year. Don't let that make you bitter, though! Here are five ways to beat higher diaper prices:

Try Harder. Don't ever pay more than you have to. Become shockingly efficient at calcluating per-diaper prices, and use manny and store coupons to get the per-diaper price down. When you find a geat deal, stock up more than you used to. Join a coupon trading group to make sure you always have the q's you need. Check the weekly Top Diaper Deals posts here at BC to make sure you know where to shop. When you buy Huggies save your receipts and send them in to Caregivers' Marketplace for a dollar back on each jumbo (it's open to everyone).

Save somewhere else. Cut out a latte a week. Eat out less. Share magazine subscriptions with a friend. Use you local library more. Pick up clothes and gear for free at Freepeats or for super cheap at your local thrift store. Hit the consignment sales instead of the mall. With some creative thinking, you should be able to come up with an extra $10 per month to cover the increased diaper costs.

Ask for diapers as baby shower and baby gifts. No, diapers aren't cute or fun, but there's something mighty satisfying about having a closet full of them. They make great birthday gifts for one-year-olds, too!

Go store brand. There's one out there that will work for you. Even if you've tried store brands and been disappointed, try them again. Babies who couldn't use them at one age can at another, as body shapes and elimination patterns change month to month. Target and WalMart, who carry some of the cheapest store brands, charge less than fifteen cents per diaper. Using them during the day, even if you switch to premiums at night, will neutralize the extra cost of premiums. Check out our store brand reviews here (and please contact me if you're interested in being a reviewer).

Use cloth. They're just plain cheaper. Cloth diapering start up costs are around $300, equivalent to around six months of disposables. The younger your baby is, the more you'll save, but it's never too late. It's not all or nothing, either. You can use cloth when you're at home and disposables when you go out. Or try cloth during the day and disposables at night. To find out more about getting started with clother diapering, try The Diaper Pin's How To page and forums.