Cloth Diapers, Mother's Day

Time has been flying by, I now have less than 2 weeks before I have to go back to work. It's going to be hard to leave Kairu, especially because I know it's going to be even harder for Yasushi to try and kept him fed and happy. I have a small cheap bottle warmer/cooler for breastmilk to keep by the bedside and a swing I bought used. Just like before Kairu was born and I was worried about how Chinami would take to having a baby brother, I'm hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

Since I took over all the house cleaning and laundry at around a month, I made the switch to cloth diapers. I had bought a pack of prefolds and some good quality covers, a wet/dry bag and reusable wipes with a bag from my favorite local store, and I got a bunch of prefolds from my dear grandmother back on the mainland, but it wasn't quite enough to really be able to go a few days in between laundry loads, and get a proper large load (which is important because we have community laundry and I want to get my money's worth when I use a machine) I had a few of Chinami's old diapers but they were shot and leaked. So I started to keep my eye out for some sales, do work on Amazon mTURK to save up for some more diaper covers, and I got lucky enough to catch someone living by UH moving out at the end of the semester, selling a box full of pocket diapers and covers, and the inserts for the pocket diapers, for $50. All of the diapers were in new or like new condition. It was an incredible deal, considering that even though most of them were cheap brands, there were a few diapers from GroVia and BestBottom which would have cost $50 just to buy them new. 

So now I can comfortably go at least 5 days between laundry if I want to, and I'm thrilled because of all the money I will save. 

The cheapest disposable diapers and wipes would set us back about $80/month, which multiplied by the minimum 2 years is $1920, almost $2000 dollars. Chinami was in diapers until about age 3, so $2800??

My cloth diaper and reusable wipes stash cost about $200 altogether. I spend about $4/week on the extra loads of laundry for a total of $12/month. For two years, this comes out to $288, or almost $300...for three years, $360 or so? Either way, looks like I can put a good amount of money in Kairu's bank account for him. 

On Mother's Day, Yasushi had to work. He got me flowers, and I tried to make the best of the day by taking a walk with Chinami and Kairu, going to a park, eating lunch together at Subway using a BOGO coupon, and then going shopping at Goodwill and eating at Aloha Crepes using a groupon, We watched Wolf Children and ate finger foods for dinner. 

But I really got my treats and started to feel happy a few days later, when I went to Foodland and they were having a sale on Ben and Jerry's for 1.99/pint. Even on a usual sale, they are 3.50 each at the lowest, so I grabbed 5, the limit. I also had a rewards coupon for a free pint of Haagen Daz, which I picked up as well. I stopped at the day old baked goods rack and got a few things that were marked down to $1.00 like a dozen mini red velvet muffins, a loaf of cinnamon pull-apart bread, a package of whole wheat pitas, and I also picked up a bottle of wine that was on special. I also got some vegetables that were on sale that week. My whole order came out to less than $30 dollars, I was so happy as I walked back home with my full shopping bags. 

Of course, being with Kairu always makes me happy. He has been smiling since about 6 weeks and is such a calm and happy baby, much like Chinami was. (Yasushi says he is even calmer than she was...he remembers how she cried in the early months)

There are still lots of days I struggle, but I looks forward to good times like these.