I posted this a year ago.. but I thought it might be a good time to re-post it! So here you go!
You guys have asked for this post for a long time… and I’m so sorry I haven’t put it all into one post until now. I finally feel like I’m getting caught up with everything on the back-end of Freebies2Deals so I can put together these money-saving content posts you guys like so much!
Today’s topic? Saving Money on Baby Diapers, Wipes and Everything Nice! Well, I used that line because it rhymes… LOL. But I think you get the drift.
Babies are super expensive! So lovable and wonderful… but at the same time super-duper expensive. So I’m going to break down all of the ways to save money on it all!
HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY FOR DIAPERS? I get asked this question all of the time. And it is one I am happy to answer! When I was a new Mom, I was stunned at how fast a baby could go through a package of diapers. Typically, a jumbo size package costs anywhere from $8.99-$12.99. DO NOT pay that amount. Here is what you should shoot for:
- For Newborn, Size 1 and Size 2 Diapers, I would tell you to look for $.10- $.13 per diaper deals. Yes, that means you will have to do some math. But I can’t tell you how much to pay per package because each package and each brand has a different amount of diapers inside. So you would ultimately be paying too much.
- For larger sizes like Size 3 and Size 4, I would look for $.13-$.15 per diaper deals.
- For the largest sizes, think Size 5 and Size 6, you are going to pay more. But you can usually find deals making them around $.15- $.18 per diaper.
These are typical STOCK UP prices for Diapers right now. If you do the math and find something that is a cent or two off, still grab it! Compared to $.20-$.30 a diaper?? It’s still a great deal. And it’s an even better deal if you are out of diapers or are close to running out, right?
** To do the math on each package of diapers: Take the cost of the diaper package and divide it by the number of diapers in a package. For example: a 100 Count of Huggies Diapers might be $12.48. That ends up being only $.12 per diaper and just where we want to be!
HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY FOR WIPES? This one is a little easier. And to be honest, you will see “Stock-Up” deals on wipes more than you will on diapers. There really isn’t an excuse to spend more on them. 😉 For baby wipes, you should aim to spend $.01- $.02 per wipe. You will never have to spend more than $.02 a wipe. That is a pretty bold statement from me. But that is how often I see deals on wipes (from all brands)!
HOW DO I FIND THE BABY DIAPER AND WIPE DEALS? Stores like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Target have diaper and wipe deals pop up on a regular basis. So when you see a deal that fits what you need, grab it! If the price per diaper or price per wipe is a “Stock-Up” price, like I listed above, then you will want to purchase as many as you can afford. **Make sure you don’t purchase too many diapers. You don’t want your child to grow out of them before you can use them all up. It’s always a bummer when that happens and you will end up wasting money.
The deals at the stores I just listed are usually a deal with a coupon, in-store promotion, mobile coupon or a stacking of a bunch of different offers. If that overwhelms you, just watch Freebies2Deals.com! I post any great deals that I see on diapers and wipes every single week. On the right hand side of Freebies2Deals, you will also see a cluster of Grocery Store Logos. Those are the stores that I cover each week and put together a “Weekly Deals Matchup” for. If the store has a great deal on diapers or wipes that week, I will list it there and tell you exactly what you need to grab the deal. If you need a coupon, I will link you to it or tell you which Sunday Coupon Insert it came out of so you can take it with you on your shopping trip.
USING AMAZON TO SCORE THE HOTTEST DIAPER AND WIPES DEALS One of the most amazing things launched a couple years back on Amazon called “Subscribe and Save” and “Amazon Mom”. If you haven’t heard of it, you have been missing out and I’m here to tell you why Moms LOVE it!
The Amazon Mom program is something that any caregiver can sign up for. (It’s free) You don’t have to be a Mom…. Dads, Grandparents and basically anyone can sign up for. And you will want to because it will help you save money on the baby essentials you want!
If you have never signed up for Amazon Prime, sign up for Amazon Mom. You will get 3 FREE Months of all the Amazon Prime Benefits (FREE 2- Day Shipping on every order, 20% off diapers and wipes, 30 Days FREE of Prime Instant Videos).
Now that you have that, it is time to watch for the “Subscribe and Save” Deals! These change regularly and pop up all of the time. Basically Amazon will give you a special price if you purchase an item as a subscription. You can have it come every 6 months down to every month. But Amazon is willing to give you a deep discount because you are doing it as a Subscribe and Save order. But the best part is that Amazon is TOTALLY OK with you canceling your Subscribe and Save future shipments! The hard part about S&S is that although you order it at a certain price, by the time your next shipment comes around, the price has probably changed significantly and you are stuck paying whatever price your subscription is at the time it gets sent to you. The way to get around that is to cancel your S&S shipments after Amazon has said they have shipped. That way you can get the deal you want at the price you want and not have to worry about future shipments at a higher price.
I find myself unsubscribing and subscribing to different S&S orders all month long. And if you choose the 6 month option when you do order a S&S item, you will have a while to cancel it–in case you forget!
Here is a page on Amazon with a bunch of different Diaper S&S Deals. ***You can bookmark this page, if you would like. Then you can check it later when you are starting to run low again. Here is the S&S Wipes Deals Page.
With the NEW site design, you can also click on the Grocery Deals Tab in the Menu Bar and click on Amazon to see Amazon Grocery Deals. If you can buy it at a Grocery Store, it will be there– and that includes Diapers and Wipes.
You will want to click on the S&S prices and Amazon will open the product page showing you the actual S&S price–which is always lower! And before you purchase an item using the S&S option, MAKE SURE you check to see if there is an additional coupon to click. I’ve seen them for $.50 up to $3.50 on diapers before! And that price comes off your S&S price that is already 15%-20% cheaper! All Subscribe and Save orders with Amazon Mom ship free too! So you won’t have to pay for shipping costs.
MONEY-SAVING TIP: Don’t assume that the S&S price is a “Stock- Up” Price. You will always want to use your calculator and see what the price per diaper or wipe is before purchasing.
All of this might sound a little overwhelming. If that is the case, you can watch Freebies2Deals.com as well throughout the week. I will post any S&S deals I see on Diapers and Wipes and share it with everyone. So if you are watching Freebies2Deals.com regularly, you won’t miss it. The only tip I will give you is to move fast when you do see those deals pop up! The prices on S&S can change at any time, go up or go down or end altogether. So you always have to move fast.
If you have never done a S&S order before, you will have to adjust a bit. But after you have done a few purchases, you will have it down and know exactly how it works. Then you will love all the money you are saving!!
There are other ways to save money on Diapers and Wipes. But they aren’t as consistent as the ways I have listed above, so I won’t share them in this post. But you can bet that if an incredible deal on Diapers or Wipes pops up, I will share it with you all and tell you exactly how to get it!
Alicia
I cannot tell you how much this was needed! Brilliant timing! We’re expecting #3 any day now and it’s been a while since we’ve had a baby around. I felt so overwhelmed until I read this article. Thank you! Thank you!
Sarah
I also find that even though Sams Club doesn’t use coupons, their diapers and wipes are usually around the same cost or cheaper as the ones at Target, Amazon..etc and you don’t have to clip coupons. I buy for 3 kids under 2 and Sams is on average cheaper (especially if you do their brand of diapers). You can even do their click and pull online, then just show up to the store and your items are ready to go.
Erica
This is awesome! Thank you so much for this post! Thanks for taking the time to write it. You’re awesome!
Carissa
If it’s ok I would also like to share a tip, Homemade baby wipes!!! They have saved me a ton of money one paper towel roll makes two batches of wipe and they are so easy to make! Half of paper towel roll, water (about a cup I believe), baby oil (1 tbsp), and baby wash (2tbsp) mix all liquids together and pour on the paper towels. I found the recipe on Pinterest but I recomend it to any momma!
shae
I do the S&S option on Amazon, but how does it work when there is a bigger discount? If I see a bigger discount on diapers, say on the 10th, and I go to subscribe to it, my shipments automatically come on the 2nd of each month…then I have to wait for 3 weeks, and then there is the potential for a price raise. How do I lock in that lower price?
Melea Johnson
When you order your S&S item, the price you ordered it at is what it will be for your first shipment… even if it doesn’t ship for a few weeks with your S&S monthly date. It is the continuing shipments after that date that can change in price… they will be whatever price they are at the time of shipment. As long as you are canceling and re-subscribing, you will be fine. I do it all the time. 🙂
Julie Barker
Pregnant with my first baby and I can’t tell you how happy I am that you posted this and that there are two other posts to come! This is great information and I can’t wait to get Amazon Mom’s figured out before the baby comes this summer.
Mandy Draper
When Costco has diapers on coupon they hit those price points as well. Huggies and Kirkland Signature spars are the same price right now, and they go on sale at different times.
I got and email a few years back saying that the Amazon Moms discount only works if you have Prime. Maybe I’m remembering wrong, but it seems that I only get the discount now if I have Prime. With Prime going up to $100 for a year it’s not worth it just for diapers. (so bummed, I love my Prime!)
K
Great article. Good tips.
I just want to say that you never know how long your baby/toddler will stay in the same size diaper. So, I always stock up on her current size because I want to pay less per diaper for as long as I can. If you ever buy too many diapers and your child has a growth spurt bumping them up to the next size. Just take the smaller size diapers and exchange them for the bigger size. I have always done this and never had a problem. Sometimes it’s best to keep your original receipt taped to the box. But bc it’s an exchange most store are very accommodating.
Courtney
Yes I have done the exchange thing several times also. One time we got a little carried away with the back stock of size 2’s and my little guy wasn’t in them very long. I think I hauled 8 packs back into the store. 🙂 People looked at me a little funny, but I had no problem exchanging. When you find a good deal, you gotta stock up!
Erin D.
I need some help. In doing the math, a regular size pack of newborn diapers would need to be $3.60 for a 36 pack. That is an unheard of price! I even went to Amazon mom’s subscribe and save plus coupon and at $18.50 for 104 diapers (the cheapest option) t is still coming up way higher than your 10-12 cent price range. Suggestions?
Melea Johnson
Erin,
Prices will change all of the time with Subscribe and Save. If you are’t seeing the prices you want now, you will need to wait a bit until Amazon drops the S&S price–which they always do. I will post about it, if I see it. And as crazy as it sounds, I have purchased diapers for $3.50 before at places like Target and Walgreens before. So it does happen! Ill post about that when I see it too!
Kayleigh
I’ve always gone by this link, but if Melea finds prices cheaper, I usually go with that!
https://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=71&sid=24547954
Anna Newman
The Amazon Mom trial runs out after 3 months. Do you pay the annual price for Amazon Mom to get the discount for diapers?
Jenn
Awesome post! 🙂 I’m excited for the next one. If you ever accidentally stock up on too many diapers in one size, you could also donate them to a diaper bank – they’ll give them to parents who can’t afford diapers. More info here: https://nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org/diapergap.htm
Jenn
I forgot to mention you can also donate diaper/wipes coupons and even donate Huggies Reward Points – there’s more info on that if you click on “How You Can Help” on the left side of the page I linked to.
Tiffany
I have Amazon Prime, does that mean I won’t be eligible for the discounts that are for Amazon mom?