Hey Baby Shop

I have just returned to the shop having been to do today's post run. Of course today is the day that the much talked about postal rate increase has been implemented. It is quite an increase! It got me thinking about the (also much talked about) current financial crisis. It seems that the majority of people we speak to have either been made redundant, taken a pay cut, pay freeze or at the very least not had a pay rise for a very long time. Combine this with cuts in child tax credit, working families tax credit and child benefit and it is a bleak picture. Even worse is that every day essentials are getting more expensive....petrol, bread, pasta, milk, electricity/gas and now postage!

So, we have been thinking about tips for saving money, or spending wisely when you have a family to provide for. We have a few ideas and we will be blogging about them one at a time!

Today is a no brainer for me. I know a lot of families do not want to even think about it but it seems so obvious to me that I can't comprehend why families would choose not to do it....washable nappies!

Using washables saves on the expense of buying nappies, nappy bags and bin liners (watch your rubbish halve overnight!) before you even factor in the environmental benefits. To be completely fair I guess you need to consider the cost of washing (detergent and electricity) and drying but if you sit down and work it out over 2 and a half years (for one child, free for second, and third in our house!) you are definitely going to save money.

I have just had a quick look online and disposable nappies are on average 15p each. If you change your baby an average of 6 times a day (more when they are newborn, less as they get older) that makes it 90p a day x 7 days in a week = £6.30 x 130 weeks (assuming most children toilet train around 2 and a half, some will be earlier, some later and most will still be wearing night time nappies at this age but I am trying to keep it simple) = £819.00 for 1 child, and I think I have been quite conservative with my estimates.

Washables, including wraps, liners, bucket, mesh, wet nappy bag etc will cost you no more than £350.00 even for the 'top of the range' brands and can be done much cheaper if you are happy to do a bit of folding!! Washing costs are hard to estimate but even if we say an extra £100 you are still quids in and that is just for one child. Don't forget with number 2 you only pay for the laundering.

Give it some serious thought. Have a good think about what is stopping you switching. If you have any questions or would like to talk about it, call us or email. We love a good natter. And remember, the sooner you switch the more you save!