Cloth Diapers...how much cheaper are they really? My 1st day experiment

Ok...so you all know I have been checking into the world of cloth diapering.  And one thing I have seen is how much people rave about how much money you could be saving if you switched to cloth.  I have done some extended calculations and you will be saving money not spending extra...but it is definitely NOT a TON as I thought it would be.  I have just come to realize that disposables really are very cheap!  Well..unless of course you have to use some special name brand (and i understand some people must do to diaper rash issues and such).  Here are some of those calculations (all estimated from my 2 kiddos) -
  

Disposable Diapers per day Diaper Price Unit  Unit Price Daily Price Annual Price Molly 4.5 14.39 82 0.175487805 0.789695122 288.2387195 Micah 10 14.39 96 0.149895833 1.498958333 547.1197917

Ok here you can gather I estimated that Molly goes thru about 4.5 diapers a day and Micah 10.  This estimation is actually on the higher side...but I was trying to see what the MOST expensive scenario with disposables for me could be.  Using this annual price for them I estimate in 2 years of a childs life you could spend around $835 on disposable diapers.  That is my estimate for 1 child.

Now lets say you receive ALL your supplies for cloth diapering as gifts.  You think wow I will save $835 in 2 years.  Which would be $35 a month.  Well thats not totally true.  Your water bill would increase and you would have to buy more detergent.  If your water bill increase $6 a month/$72 a yr (this is estimated at 3 loads a week of diapers) and you spent around $30 a year on detergent (which is $0.21 a load).  Then your savings end up being $26 dollars a month.  ($835 2yr disposables - $204 water/detergent 2 yr = $631/2 = $315.5yr/12 = $26 month).  Don't get me wrong $26 a month is nice...but I was kinda disappointed to see it wouldn't be more after everything I was reading online about all the savings I would have!

Still even if you invest some money into different diapering systems you shouldn't be spending more than disposables in 2 years.   Here were some of the diapers I was considering and my calculations for savings.

System	1st year	2nd year	Total	Savings	Monthly Savings
Disposables	$547	$288	$835
g Diapers	$343	$102	$445	$390	$16.25
pocket diapers	$550	$102	$652	$183	$7.63
Flip/Prefolds	$316.40	$102	$418.40	$416.60	$17.36

Well ok with all that said.  If you have multiple children in diapers (as I do right now) your savings go up.  Hence the monthly savings are practically doubled.  And the longer duration that you are using diapers (like my 2.5yr old not being potty trained yet) the more savings increase, as the calculations were done using 2 yrs.

ALL THAT SAID:
Today I have been trying out the Flip cover system on Molly.  We used the microfiber stay dry insert this mornings and it worked great.  (pee only though)  And for her nap we are using the organic insert (it fits her a bit bulkier...hoping it absorbs more though since using it for naptime :) 

Molly in her first Flip cloth diaper

And I decided to cut up an old flannel receiving blanket for wipes.  Figured if you are going to do laundry anyhow might as well go to cloth wipes too.  So here is a pic of that.  And I made a solution in a squirt bottle of Dr. Bronners soap and water.  Just going to spray and wipe as I go.
Well that is it for today on my cloth diapering experimentation.  I will be trying out the Flip diaper on Micah next time and I will let you know how it goes.  One thing I would add about Molly is this is a one size diaper and she is in the large setting.  And there is not much more room left.  So...if you have a child bigger than her it probably wouldn't fit.   Okdoky!  I am enjoying this experimentation :)  who knew it could be so fun :) Ta ta!