Saturday, April 11, 2009

Homemade Baby Wipes to Save You Money

I just wanted to share something that has saved me a lot of money. I use homemade baby wipes, and I've used them since my oldest was born. The only time I didn't use them was when we lived in Virginia last spring; it's far too hot and humid there, and the wipes went moldy after just a few days. In Utah, however, these were perfect and almost never went moldy.

I buy an eight pack of regular sized Viva papertowels and saw them in half. I usually saw four rolls at a time so they are ready for me when I need them. I can usually go about two months before sawing more rolls.

Wal-Mart used to sell four-packs of nesting tupperware (the kind perfect for flour, and the three sugars), and the size I use is size 2. I put about one or two tablespoons of baby wash in them and add two cups of cool water (warm water makes things moldy). Then I put a half-roll in the tupperware, put the lid on, and turn it upside down until it's soaked through. When it is, I remove the cardboard tubing and voila! I have some inexpensive, convenient baby wipes!

1 regular sized Viva roll = 100 papertowels
1 Viva roll sawed in half = 200 wipes
You can even go so far as to cut each wipe in half again, making up to 400 wipes out of one roll.
One 8-pack of Viva costs about $7 - $9.
8-pack package = 800 papertowels = 1,600 wipes (3,200 if you cut the wipes in half)
You will pay only .005 cents per wipe that way. That's a pretty good deal, I think.

Compare: Kirtland brand baby wipes from Costco cost $15.49 for 704 wipes. Even if you cut those in half, that's still only 1,408 wipes for $15.49, which translates to about .011 cents per wipe.

I am definitely saving money by making my own wipes!

Now, what types of things do you use or do to save you money?
Do you have any special products or tricks?
Let me know!


11 comments:

Jared and Delia said...

That is so clever! I am going to have to try that. Why do you use Viva? Does it hold up the best?

Some of my money savers are:

Garage sales. I garage sale for almost all of my kids' clothes. Especially baby stuff because it doesn't see as much wear as the older kid's stuff. Can you say baby Gap jeans for $.25-.50?

I haven't done this in a while, it being winter and all, but I make homemade popsicles. The plastic molds at the store always gave me such trouble. Instead, I just use an ice cube tray and fill it with juice. I then put in little sticks (popsicle sticks or lollipop sticks). They freeze a little skewed but work just fine. They are inexpensive, all juice, and the perfect size for a toddler. He thinks he is getting a treat and I know better. ;)

For babies those fruit puffs are fun but even the generic ones get pricey once they start really eating a lot of them. Kix cereal is puffed corn and dissolves much the same way. It is also comparatively less expensive. I also use sugar free applesauce in the jar or the snack cups (they have fun different flavors too) instead of wasting money on the apple baby food. Just make sure there is no sugar added. The only difference I have noticed is they use a different (but it is basically the same and serves the same purpose) preservative "acid" to maintain color.

I am excited to see how other moms cut corners!

Spring said...

Thanks for the good tips Delia and Jeri Lynn! I need to try making those wipes!

Megan said...

I also buy the regular, sugar free applesauce. It was way more bang for your buck! Also, baby formula is much cheaper at Sam's Club. If you buy their generic brand, you can get just over 3 lbs. for $20.00 and it is comparable to Enfamil. The Popsicle are a great idea Delia!

Ruby in the Rough said...

Yes, Viva paper towels are the softest and strongest I know. If anyone knows of a better brand, let me know.

The one negative aspect of using Viva is that the paper is untextured, unlike regular baby wipes. However, the price makes up for it.

Tannie Datwyler said...

Can we go bargain shopping together Delia? :) Will you take me to garage sales.... I'm so horrible at getting good deals. :( I don't have ANY tips here, because I don't save enough money!!! (Don't get me wrong, I'm good with a budget and we live within our means, I just can't seem to save those extra pennies though).

Erin said...

I'm not the best at trying to save money... I am going to try this for wipes though! What a great idea! I do make homemade baby food, which saves a lot of money. If you want to learn how, go to wholesomebabyfood.com

Anonymous said...

-I love the wipes idea! I buy wipes at Sam's Club b/c you get about 700 for $14 but I had never thought of that being .11 cents a piece!
-I buy walmart formula b/c you get a a pound and a half can for $11.88but the Sam's club deal is apparently better!
-I try & buy my kid's clothes at Shopko b/c they have this guarantee that says if your child wears it out before they outgrow it, Shopko will replace the clothing item!
-Spray & Wash has saved a lot of my clothes from a lot of stains I didn't think would come out. Dumping peroxide on blood on your clothes gets the blood right out too.
-My girlfriends & sisters & I all share our kid's clothes so the hand-me-downs get passed around a ton & they are a great money saver!
-We have a soft water system. I know, that's a lot of money. However, I have super bad eczema & it's supposed to be great for that. On the other hand, I am using much less laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent/liquid, shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, lotion & cleaners (ajax, etc.). I think this system will actually be a money saver down the road b/c of how much less I am using of these things.

Jared and Delia said...

Sure Tannie. Anytime! I have to warn you. You have to not be afraid to touch people's used stuff, and to take the time to look at stuff other people don't take time to. That is where the good stuff usually is. Also...don't get disappointed if you don't find anything at your first sale or 10th sale. When garage sale season heats up and school is out we can go!

Heather said...

When I am doing laundry, I have saved a TON on detergent. I only put in half of what is recommended of the liquid laundry detergent. I tried this out starting late last summer (the time my family does the most camping, so our clothes were still quite dirty.) and I have noticed absolutely NO difference in the cleanliness of our clothing. But, I am buying detergent half as often, which is fabulous! I also rip my dryer sheets in half and only use half a sheet per load unless it's towels because I want them to stay softer in the cupboard longer.

Courtney said...

Kids Clothes - We buy our kids clothes at a used kids store, somewhat of a step up from the Salvation Army or DI.

They are cheaper than buying brand new and are usually top brands like Carters, A Children's Place, or Baby Gap.

A few stores I have found are "Kid to Kid" in AZ and "Once Upon a Child" in MI.

They have clothes, shoes, coats, strollers, maternity wear...

We bought a jumperoo for $10 and our son's last Halloween costume for $2 they both looked brand new!

Kaylyn said...

I don't have very many ideas for saving money with kids, but a few others.
We always buy meat in bulk and then take it home and divide it up into sizes that your family would use for 1 meal. Then freeze it. It saves a ton of money if you can get it on sale especially chicken. When chicken it on sale I get a lot, to save time first boiling a couple of lbs with a few simple seasoning. After it is cooked chop it up how you like it. Then also put it in small freezer bags and freeze. I then defrost and warm it the cooked pieces up to put on salads, pasta and other things. You can get the already cooked chicken for about $4 a lbs but make it for a lot less. That day I also cut some of the chicken into chucks because a lot of our meals take chucks or strips. If I do it that day it saves a lot of time down the road.
I hope that all made sense. Thanks for all the other tips.