Want to win free cloth diapers? Angie at Baby Cheapskate is giving away 12 Bum Genius 3.0.

I mentioned in the last update that I was looking for some covers. Here's a lesson in thriftiness I have now learned.

From a local store that I frequent:
1 new small Bummis Super Brite (blue) +
1 new small Bummis Super Whisper Wrap (frogs) +
1 new medium Bummis Super Whisper Wrap (white) = $35.08
I can't find my receipt and thus don't have the exact itemized break-down. I did save on shipping by getting them at the store and saved 10% by placing a special order.

From a mom at a diaper chat I attended last week:
1 used medium Bummis Super Whisper Wrap (white) =$7.00
You can't even tell it's been used other than the tag is a little faded and it's no longer bright white. Guess who won't be buying new covers in the future.

Up to date cost of cloth = $461.84

It's Cloth Diapering Week over at Baby Cheapskate. Go check out my Guest Post. (He he, it's my 1st!)

An interesting article in the most recent Business Week examines the increasingly-circumspect relationship between colleges (and alumni associations) and banks or credit card companies.

Not only do financial institutions use free food and gifts to lure 18-year-old students into signing up for a credit card, the banks and credit card companies are using gifts (high-dollar contracts) to form partnerships with colleges. Here is a chart showing some contracts colleges signed to sell out their students to credit card issuers.

States are now starting to look into this practice, including an investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. According to an aide for Mr. Cuomo:

It seems that the schools are simply selecting the university credit card based on who pays the school the most, and that may not be best for students, especially in these hard economic times.
As an undergrad, I singed up for a credit card and received a free t-shirt. However, that card still sits in my wallet and is my usual means of payment (paid off monthly, of course). At the time, it offered 5 percent back on all gas and grocery purchases, and 1 percent on everything else. It recently dropped to 1 percent on all purchases, which is good enough for me.

I admit that when I signed up for the card, I was probably more concerned with the free shirt than the terms of the credit card. That is what usually happens with 18-21 year old kids. I lucked out and got a decent card. That isn't always the case, however.

Baby Boy begins day care in a little over a month (sniff sniff). When we signed him up, we were 7 months pregnant and not sure how the whole cloth diaper scenario would work out. So, I called the day care last week to check-in with a few questions. Turns out, they only allow cloth diapers for those who are allergic to disposables. I suppose I could fib a smidgen and say he's allergic, but then I hear echos of my father... "Character is all about what you're doing when you think no one is looking..." (Sigh). So, that means we will be buying disposables for BB to use 9 hrs a day, 5 days a week. We've figured to an average of a Jumbo pack per week. That's roughly $40/month on diapers. We chose to do cloth diapers for the environmental impact with the bonus of saving a little money, so I'm bummed on both accounts.

Baby Boy is now 10 weeks old (13 lbs., 26 in.). He is beginning to outgrow his newborn Bummis Whisper Pant, so we're in the market for some more covers. Otherwise, he can still wear his Kissaluv size 0 and all that we've bought in larger sizes except the Blueberry. We still have a tiny bit of growing to do before we get into that one.

When we last looked at the Cloth Diaper Ledger, the cost of cloth was at $384.94. I have since bought:

From Diaper Swappers:
1 washed, but unworn Green Acre Diaper = $16.53
= $401.47

From Young & Restless:
1 used, good condition, soccer print, fitted diaper = $3 +
5 fleece doublers to be used as cloth wipes* = $3
= $6
= $407.47

From Diaper Swappers:
1 custom, fleece soaker with baseball embroidery = $12.29**
= $419.76

So, $419.76 is our up-to-date cost of cloth.

* We have not yet begun to use cloth wipes. I'm working on easing into that one. I think I'm going to cut up some old flannel PJs to use as cloth wipes as well. Look out for updates.

** The original price for this soaker was $12 plus shipping from Canada. The WAHM who made it for me was trying out a new pattern and it went a little funny in 1 spot, so she offered to make me a new one or give me this one sans cost of embroidery. Hello?! Who's going to notice? I went for the $12 soaker with character. :)

When we last looked at the Cloth Diaper Ledger, the cost of cloth was at $284.26. I have since bought:

From Diaper Swappers:
1 new Blueberry medium side snap = $12
= $296.26

From Diaper Daisy
1 new Large 14"x14" wet bag $22.95 +
1 new Baby BeeHinds wool wrap $22.95
= $52.68
= $348.94

So, $348.94 is our up-to-date cost of cloth.

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