Seriously, if you aren't buying diapers online....

...well, then I'd have to argue that you aren't getting the most bang for your buck.

I've mentioned before that I am an avid fan of buying our diapers (and now wipes!) online through Amazon's Mom program via their subscribe and save method.  And before you read any further...I'm not receiving anything for my rave review.  I just love saving money & I love this program!

We started this summer when the program first began and were delighted to see our savings add up.  This week I actually took the time to sit down and do some math on Amazon prices vs. Wal-Mart prices for the products we specifically buy & I was SHOCKED to discover just how much we were saving!  I knew we were saving a few bucks, but never imagined that it added up to OVER $150 a year...just on diapers.

Allow me to demonstrate....

DIAPERS

We purchase Pampers.  (Note: Amazon offers the subscribe and save deals on Huggies, Luvs, Pull-ups, etc..)

Wal-mart offers size 5 diapers in a 136 count box for $35 (pre-tax).  That works out to .26 per diaper

Amazon offers size 5 diapers in a 156 count box for a base price of $40.88  (pre-tax).  That works out to .26  per diaper

If you sign up for the free Amazon Mom program & opt for the subscribe & save delivery, the price drops to $28.62 , or  .18 per diaper.  (Diapers ship for free through subscribe & save.)  Right there you are saving .08 per diaper, or $12.50 for the entire box!

It gets better!  If you receive Parents, Parenting the Early Years, or Fit Pregnancy...you may find an additional 20% off your diaper purchase on amazon.  This coupon can be combined with a subscribe & save purchase.  For us, it takes off about $8.00.  Making our total price for a box of 156 size 5 Pampers, to right around $20.62 (give or take).  Bringing the price per diaper down to .13, saving us .13 per diaper (compared to Wal-Mart) or $20 on the entire box!  :)

(Anddddddddd...if you have any Amazon giftcards through Swagbucks, well...you're really going to save a LOT!)

WIPES

We purchase Huggies wipes.  (Yes, we love our Pampers diapers...but seriously dislike their wipes...) 

Price per package of refill wipes at Wal-mart is $5.97 (pre-tax).  Assuming each package contains 184 wipes, total for three packages is $17.91 (pre-tax), or .03 per wipe.  (yes, we figure per wipe and per diaper prices so we know what the best deal is!)

Amazon offers Huggies Sensitive Wipes at a base price of $16.53 for a box containing three refills.  Similar to Wal-Mart Price.

If you opt for subscribe & save, that price drops to $11.57 for a box containing three refills, saving us $6.34 over Wal-Mart's price...shipped right to our door for free!!

(again, if you have Amazon gift cards earned through Swagbucks, this deal gets sweeter!)

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Go here to preview items available for Subscribe & Save discounts (there are more, just look around.  I searched for breast milk storage bags and found their prices to be cheaper than Babies R' Us).  Compare your brand's prices to Amazon and see if it might save you money as well!

If it does (which I'm pretty confident you'll find some savings...) Go here to sign up for Amazon Mom (you'll also receive free Prime shipping on other eligibile products).  After your first order arrives (should be about two days.)  You can log in and cancel your subscription, if you'd like.  If not, Amazon will continue to ship your diapers/wipes every X amount of months you selected for their current subscribe & save price.  (We choose to cancel our subscription each time & check to see if there is a better deal when need be.  This also allows us to combine 20% off coupons & giftcards if we have them.)

Frugal Fun...

When we returned home for our vacation last month, I was on the hunt for more age appropriate toys and activities for my active toddler. Toy keys and teething rings were just not entertaining the little girl the way they used to! :)

So, I pulled her inflatable baby pool out of the garage from this summer and skipped on over to Target to purchase a $15 bag of balls.

The results of our "homeade" ball pit have been very favorable...both with our little one and her four cousins that came to play this afternoon. The best part? It was WAY cheaper to make our own ball pit than spill the money towards a store bought one.

Stock up on EVERYTHING :)

If you know me at all, you know that I'm a frugal fan. I shop with coupons, compare prices and work to get the best deal always. Our linen closet is full of drugstore freebies, our pantry is stuffed with grocery store deals and our totes are packed with clothes for our daughter to wear...in the future.

When I was pregnant I started stockpiling. I bought diapers when I could get them at amazing prices, wipes when they were almost free (or free), baby wash and, you guessed it, clothes! I love the styles of the brand name stores. Their quality is superior and their clothes, in my opinion, are often cuter! Their prices however are outrageous! We started figuring the approximate size Lucy would be in and bought a season ahead. (Example: I've been filling a tote up this summer for clothes for her to wear next summer. ) I wait for the clothes to go on clearance---then I wait for an additional sale (usually a 30% off everything) and I buy what I think we'll need. The best part is I get the cute clothes---for a much better price---than the store brand styles. Plus, by buying ahead I know what I need and can look for ways to fill those gaps at garage sales and consignment sales.





(Pajamas for next summer. They were $10 for both on clearance---then I got 30% off that---and then an additional 20% off that---and honestly, $5 a piece wasn't bad to begin with!)










Here are some examples of our clothing stockpiles:

(this is a stash of a few of the shirts I bought last fall/winter for lucy. If you can see the price tag it says $5.99---and I got an additional 30% that price)











Now, it doesn't always work out. For example this fall I have several long-sleeve t-shirts ready to go, but our pants collection is pretty sparse. Sometimes clothes are still a little too big or a little snug when it's time to wear them, but when I'm paying a couple of dollars or less for an article of clothing---that's ok to me---and it rarely happens!



So, scour the racks (or online stores)--right now is a perfect time to stock up for next summer.


(Christmas Jammies from last years collection--$3.99 and 20% off)