Cloth vs. Disposables - Worth it?

During my time of research on cloth diapering {which is still going on today because I find it so fascinating} I couldn't help but notice what people everywhere are saying about the cost savings. According to most, cloth diapering could save you thousands in only a few years per child; but there have been some naysayers out there claiming that the savings you acquire aren't worth the time and effort you must put in to rinsing, washing, and assembling all of those diapers. Now, I understand there are an inordinate amount of options for cloth and disposable diapering which will change each individual's cost analysis {not to mention number of changes per day, cost of living, etc}. 
I have concluded that I cannot go around telling people about the wonderful savings available for parents who cloth diaper without doing the math myself.

So without further ado - here is my cost analysis disposable vs cloth diapers.

Diaper Cost Analysis
*Assuming 8 diaper changes per day using disposables*
*Assuming 10 diapers per day for cloth {Pocket, AIO and Hybrid}*
*Assuming 12 diapers per day for prefolds*
*Assuming 2.5 years in diapers*

Disposables

{Cost for disposables were determined according to pricing at a big-box store such as Sam's Club - and not including the amount of a membership. A variety of sizes was used to help acquire a more accurate average}

Brand                    Count     Size     Price Per Box       Price Per Diaper
Pampers                186           3              $42.98                 $0.23
Pampers                204           2              $42.98                 $0.21
Pampers                192           4              $42.98                 $0.22
Store Brand           176           5              $35.38                 $0.20
Huggies                 184          2               $38.98                 $0.21
Huggies                 200          4               $42.98                 $0.21
                                                               Average Price Per Diaper $0.21

Cloth Pocket/Hybrid/AIO

{Cloth diaper costs were determined by general online pricing for popular brands}

Brand               Size/Type                Price Per Diaper                  
Blueberry         One Size Pocket        $19.95
BumGenius      One Size Pocket        $17.95
Fuzzibunz        One Size Pocket         $19.95
Kiwi Pie           One Size Pocket        $24.95
GroVia             One Size AIO               $22.95
GroVia             One Size Hybrid        $16.95*
                                                           Average Price Per Diaper $21.63
*The GroVia Hybrid diaper does not come with inserts due to the fact that you can choose to use flushable or cloth. I have added the cost of a cloth insert into the cost of this diaper.

Econo Cloth

{Cloth diaper costs were determined by general online pricing for brands. For a Prefold/Cover the cost of the prefold is included in the overall diaper price, for a Prefold Cover the prefold must be purchased separately and is not included in the cover cost}

Brand               Size/Type                            Price            Price Per Diaper
Swaddlebees    One Size Prefold (flat)        $15.95/6       $2.66
Econobum        One Size Prefold/Cover        $11.95/3        $3.98
Blueberry         One Size Prefold Cover         $16.97
Thirsties            One Size Prefold Cover        $12.00
Flip                   One Size Prefold/Cover          $19.95
                                                                                  Average Price Per Diaper $4.63

Avg. cost for disposables     $1534.05
Avg. cost for cloth $519.12 + $30.88 (for extra inserts) = $550.00
 {assuming a stash of 24 diapers}
Avg. cost for econo cloth $138.90 + $50.00 (for extra prefolds) = $188.90
 {assuming a stash of 30 prefolds}

Cost Savings

Cloth vs disposables                              $984.05
Econo cloth vs disposables                    $1345.15

Whew! I know that's a lot of numbers, but I wanted to make sure everyone could see where I was coming from and that I didn't just pull numbers out of thin air. Keep in mind that these are {very} conservative numbers...not everyone will spend $0.21 on disposables because they won't shop at a big box store - and to be fair, the price of membership should be included in the price per diaper. Some people will also want to have a larger cloth stash on hand so they don't have to do laundry as much.  They might also have fewer diaper covers and more inserts which will make the cost for cloth smaller.

To get a more accurate analysis of the cost of cloth diapering - one has to factor in the cost of washing all of those diapers! {Electric, water, and detergent}. Personally, I like to wash diapers every other day - that is on average what the diaper manufacturers suggest for the amount of time you leave the diapers in the pail. With my diaper estimates you should be able to have 2 days worth of diapers plus a few more {just in case there are *issues*}. Here goes...


Laundry Cost Analysis
*Assuming 2 Cold/Cold rinses and 1 Hot/Cold wash*
*Assuming washes every other day*
*Assuming electric {gas is cheaper}*

Laundry Setting     Heater Type     Cost Per Load
Cold/Cold               Electric                $0.26
Cold/Cold                Gas                     $0.26
Hot/Cold                 Electric                $0.65
Hot/Cold                  Gas                     $0.43

Detergent                        Loads Per Pack     Cost Per Pack     Cost Per Load
Rockin Green Classic       135                        $26.95                  $0.20
Tide Total Care                 60                          $17.99                  $0.30
Method                               50                           $14.99                 $0.30
                                                                     Average Per Load $0.27

Average cost per wash session     $1.44
Average total laundry cost           $657.00

So...if we factor the cost of doing the laundry $657 into the cost of the actual diapers $188.90 - $550...
Econo Cloth + Laundry Costs     $188.90 + $657.00 = $842.90
Cloth + Laundry Costs                $550.00 + $657.00 = $1207.00
Disposable Costs                                                            $1899.05

Econo Cloth vs Disposable     $1056.15
Cloth vs Disposable                $692.05

For my family, these are significant savings...but, I will not be the one to tell you that the work of cloth diapering is so totally worth the money you'll save. I, honestly, love everything about cloth diapering {how soft and fluffy they are, how they bop around when my little man walks, how - with all of the adorable fabrics out there - they are like little outfit accessories, the money they save my family, the wonders they do for little man's booty, how good they are for the environment, and the list goes on...}. However, I am not so naive to think that every mother and father in the world feel the same way that I do about it. You have to decide for yourself if cloth diapering is worth it for you - I am a wholehearted believer that one person alone cannot make the decision to cloth diaper - it has to be a family commitment.

I would suggest that you go to your favorite store and determine the cost of disposables there to get a better idea of your savings. Here's how...
{Get information for at least 4 diaper brands/types and sizes. Make sure you write down the diaper count and price per box}

-Divide the cost of the box by the diaper count to get the price per diaper. Add all of the individual diaper costs together and divide by the number of boxes you got information for - this will give you the average price per diaper.
-Multiply the average price per diaper by 913.125 {number of days} then multiply that number by 8 {changes per day}. This will give you your total cost of using disposables.
-Take your total disposables cost and subtract $550 {if you're planning on using pockets, AIOs, or hybrids} or $188.90 {if you're planning on using prefolds/econo cloth}.  Then subtract $657 {laundry costs} - and there you have your total cloth diaper savings!

Tomorrow, I will do a cost-analysis of cloth wipes vs disposables - that's where the real savings are!

Until tomorrow,
Have a whimsical {spontaneously fanciful and playful} day!
Sam