What Is A Diaper Stockpile And Why Do I Need One?

An average baby goes through 6-10 diapers per day. According to the National Diaper Bank Network, this will set you back $70 to $80 per month, or approximately $900 a year. Diapers will likely be your biggest baby product expense, so the purpose of a diaper stockpile is to save money by buy diapers whenever you find diaper sales.

By planning ahead and buying diapers and wipes whenever you see diaper sales, you will never need to pay full price.

The Benefits Of A Diaper Stockpile

• When you are creating a diaper stockpile, and you are using coupons whenever possible, you are buying diapers and wipes at rock bottom prices, thereby saving a lot of money.
• You will almost always have diapers on hand.

The Drawbacks Of Stockpiling Diapers

• If you are not planning ahead, you could be buying diapers that your baby won’t need.
• Diaper stockpiling requires storage space.  If your home is small, diaper stockpiling may be difficult for you.
• Diapers must be stored in a dry place. If diapers are stored in a damp room, they can get moldy and therefore ruined. To prevent this, keep your stockpiled diapers in their original packaging and store them in a dry place.

How To Build A Diaper Stockpile

How Many Diapers Should You Get?

There are several well-intentioned diaper stockpile charts on the internet. If you take just a few minutes to research it, you will quickly see that they are all different. There is absolutely no consistency between any of them. Why? Because all babies are different! It is, therefore, impossible to accurately predict any baby’s diaper usage, (as evidenced by the real-life diaper usage examples below.)

Knowing this, how do you build a wipes and diaper stockpile, without wasting money on diapers you may not actually need? 

• Buy at least one box for each diaper size. Regardless of your baby’s growth rate, he/she will go through all the diaper sizes at some point. It would, therefore, make sense to buy at least one box of diapers for each size as you find them on sale. However, one box of diapers for each size will not be enough.
• Buy extra diapers for sizes 1, 2 and 3. If you are going to invest money in a diaper stockpile, the bulk of your diaper stockpile collection should be in these sizes. Your baby will spend most of the time here. These diaper sizes generally fit babies from 8 to 28 pounds, depending on the brand you choose.
• Plan to continue building your diaper stockpile after your baby is born. Once your baby is here, keep a record of his/her weight percentile. If your baby is on the higher end of the weight percentile curve, this is usually an indicator that you will need to buy more of the bigger diaper sizes. If your baby is on the lower end of the percentile curve, he/she will spend more time in the smaller diaper sizes. Therefore, buy the diaper sizes you think you will need most, as you see them on sale.
• Buy wipes whenever you see them on sale. No matter your baby’s growth rate, he/she will need a lot of wipes. It will, therefore, make sense to stock up on wipes.

Below is a helpful guideline on how many diapers per day a typical baby will need.

Real Life Diaper Usage – Birth To Potty Training

Diaper usage differs from baby to baby.  Here are a few real-life examples to prove that point.

Baby A –  Birth Weight: 8lb. 5 oz.

• Newborn: approximately 215 diapers
• Size 1: approximately 162 diapers
• Size 2: approximately 640 diapers
• Size 3: approximately 1268 diapers
• Size 4: approximately 868 diapers

Baby B – Birth Weight: 7lb. 12 oz. 

• Newborn: approximately. 252 diapers
• Size 1: approximately 280 diapers
• Size 2: approximately 560 diapers
• Size 3: approximately 1368 diapers
• Size 4: approximately 1035 diapers

Baby C – Birth Weight: 8lb. 12 oz. 

• Newborn: approximately. 188 diapers
• Size 1: approximately 423 diapers
• Size 2: approximately 529 diapers
• Size 3: approximately 1204 diapers
• Size 4: approximately 1400 diapers

Baby D – Birth Weight: 6lb. 15 oz. 

• Newborn: approximately. 286 diapers
• Size 1: approximately 540 diapers
• Size 2: approximately 588 diapers
• Size 3: approximately 900 diapers
• Size 4: approximately 680 diapers

When Should I Start Stockpiling Diapers?

Typically, you will start stockpiling diapers as soon as you start your second trimester. This gives you enough time to build up your diaper stash.

Helpful Diaper Stockpiling Tips

• Don’t stockpile too many newborn diapers. If you are having a baby shower, you will probably get lots of newborn diapers at your baby shower. Also, the nurses are likely to give you a bunch of newborn diapers once you leave the hospital.
• According to many moms, Huggies Little Snugglers diapers tend to run smaller than the Huggies Snug & Dry diapers. If you have any of the Little Snugglers, use them first.
• While a baby can wear a newborn diaper up to 10lbs, many moms will switch to size 1 well before they hit 10lbs because diapers start to leak as you get closer to the maximum weight.  As you encounter leaks, this is usually a good time to switch to a bigger size diaper.
• Target has really great deals when you combine Cartwheel deals, sales, and coupons on top of your 5% Redcard savings.
• Keep receipts! You will not know what brand or style of diapers will work best for your baby until you start using the diapers. The last thing that you want to do is stock up on diapers that you don’t end up using. The good news is that places like Walmart and Target have great long-term exchange policies. Get into the habit of taping your receipts to the boxes. That way, you will know where the diapers came from in case you need to exchange them.
• The Huggies Little Snugglers and the Pampers Swaddlers have fewer diapers per pack when compared to the Huggies Snug & Dry or the Pampers Baby Dry. Try to get the Huggies Snug & Dry and the Pampers Baby Dry diapers because you’re getting more diapers per box.
• If it seems like two different brands have similar prices, check the number of diapers in the box. Buy the brand that gives you more diapers per box.
• Diaper prices are different depending on where you live. Take the time and figure out what a good deal is in your area. Once you know, stick to it and only buy when you can get diapers and wipes at or below that price.
• Check the Amazon coupons page regularly for deals on diapers and wipes.
• Drug stores are often good places to get diaper deals. Drug stores like Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid often have programs that give you money back via store rewards when you buy certain items. If you can combine a sale and a rewards deal, you can often get really great prices.
• The bulk of your diaper stockpile collection should be for sizes 1, 2 and 3. These are the sizes your baby will spend most of the time in. They generally fit babies from 8 to 28 pounds, depending on the brand you choose.

---