My Pregnancy Money-Saving Diary

larissa156_2

MacksGirl wrote:

But being something of a nappy addict I have tried a few different types and have finally found the one that I wish I had invested in at the beginning. Then I was given 4 Fuzzi Bunz that are just fantastic and I wish I'd had them from the beginning. They dry in no time at all. For the absorbent bit I use a terry, so that also dries in no time at all. And best of all for the non-real nappy person, they are like a disposable with only 2 side fastening and no confusing layers.
Individually they are not cheap (£8-10 I think) , and you need to buy different sizes. But you wouldn't need to buy as many as other types of nappies because they dry so quick - as quick as fleece dries.

Just to say that I'm a bit of a nappy addict too - I use Tots Bots, Motherease, Bumbles, Bamboozles etc etc (see what I mean!!). I have tried Fuzzi Bunz, but I didn't get on with them, which is why I'm posting. Just wanted to reiterate what someone else said, that if your nappies are leaking, you are probably not using the best type for your child. I know some people swear by Fuzzi Bunz (and they do dry very quickly), but they leaked on my daughter so I stopped using them and moved on to something that is shaped differently. If you are thinking of using cloth nappies, it is so important to get advice so you don't make a costly mistake. Have a look on nappyfinder (link not working above - try http://www.realnappycampaign.com/nappyfinder/ ) and https://www.thenappylady.co.uk.

Oh, and about the 'environmentally friendly' disposables. It is right that they don't break down in landfill any better than regular disposables, but they are produced in a more environmental way (i.e. have to comply with certain standards) - it is this that makes them more environmentally friendly than regular dispos. (When I need to, I use Moltex Oko, because of their production methods, and because they don't stink like Huggies etc!!).

Happy nappying!

SusanCarter

Don't want to double post but I've started a thread in the Green/ethical moneysaving forum about an alternative to nappies and thought people may be interested in reading/commenting etc.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=204749

Katgoddess

Congratulations to all the M2Bs and new mums. A friend of mine is pregnant and as it looks like she will be a single mum, I am looking forward to being able to pass on any tips from here.

PS I think this thread should be a sticky on the Family board so more people will see it.

jo_b_2

Katgoddess wrote:

I think this thread should be a sticky on the Family board so more people will see it.

To be honest, I started this thread over on this board deliberately as I wanted to use it to keep a log of how much I save thanks to this site, over the course of the pregnancy.

I thought that a diary entry per week would encourage me to keep a record of my savings and I would be able to see exactly how much MSE has saved me over the course of 9 months! :T

Lots of the saving s that I hope to make probably won't be specific to babies or the pregnancy itself but should all go towards keeping me financially solvent during my maternity leave.

There are lots of really useful threads that are specific to saving money with your first baby and nappies etc over on the Families board already. These include:

Nappy Moneysaving Discussion thread

What do I need for a New Baby?

I need a Cot

Good luck for your friend too.

jumb1e

to follow on from larissa156's post, IMO the Moltex Oko's are the best disposable nappies as far as the green issue is concerned, but from a money-saving point of view they're certainly not! From what I recall they're twice the price of the Nature Boy and Girl ones - and this post is about the savings that can be made...

Aside from nappies (which can get very heated so I'll leave well alone now) I recommend NCT sales for grabbing a bargain or two. It's always worth finding out if your branch needs help with the sale as depending on their rules you may be able to get into the preview sale if you help out, which is fantastic.

greenefingers

I would really like to use reusable nappies but just couldn't get on with them. I spent £240 on 20 one life nappies at the baby show as they seemed to be the best, but I'm now thinking they just had the best salesperson.
I tried them on my new born but hated the way they held the wet on her skin and they were really big and bulky for her skinny little legs.
I tried again when she was a few months old but for the same reasons didn't get on with them.
I know many people have said try different ones but how can this be cost effectively done? What do you do with the nappies you don't get on with?

rubix_76

greenefingers wrote:

I know many people have said try different ones but how can this be cost effectively done? What do you do with the nappies you don't get on with?

We have tried Babino Mio on our Son, and so far couldn't get on with them, mainly because of his lack of bulk in his nappies (still being breast-fed, if you know what I mean) and DW decided it was best to wait till he has been weaned.

As for trying other nappies, you can get trial packs (still spending, I know) but I have heard you can "hire" trial packs of nappies and if you don't like them you gat approx 75% of your money back. The problem with this is you need to try them out for a good week or so to get an idea if they are going to work, so you need quite a few.

The best thing is to speak to other Mums to see how they got on with them, but everyone is still different, and the same with babies, afterall we are all shaped differently.

Good luck in your decision.

Rubix (The proad Dad of a 10 week and 5 day old)

lynneinjapan

SusanCarter wrote:

Don't want to double post but I've started a thread in the Green/ethical moneysaving forum about an alternative to nappies and thought people may be interested in reading/commenting etc.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=204749

You seem to have got more response on your other thread than I got when I posted on the same topic on page 2 of this thread! It's also mentioned on the Nappy Lady website, if you look at the "Not nappies" section.

jo_b_2

Week 7

Had my initial appointment with the midwife so pregnancy seems more real now. Have even got a date for my first scan.

As far as moneysaving goes this week, I've received £50 worth of Boots coupons courtesy of www.pigsback.com which is a site that I heard of thanks to this site. Ryanski posted the details originally over on the Freebies board and I've been clicking ever since!

Also managed to find an NHS dentist and book in for a check-up to make the most of free dental care for the next 18 months. :T

Dormouse

Congratulations Jo, how exciting! :j :j :j And what a brilliant idea for a thread, I'll definitely start following this now (:shhh: psst - am hoping to join the second-time expectant mums club in a few months' time!)

Good luck to everyone and happy moneysaving!