Babies go through thousands of diapers a year and they’re about to get more expensive.
Kimberly-Clark, KMB, +2.38% Huggies’ parent company, said Wednesday that prices for Huggies diapers, Pull-Ups training pants and GoodNites pants, will increase in the “mid-to-high single digits percentage range” in early 2019. (A box of 132 “Huggies Little Snugglers” for babies weighing up to 10 pounds costs $31 in Walmart.)
Earlier this month, Procter & Gamble PG, +0.19% Pampers’ parent company, announced this week that prices for Pampers products will increase by an average of 4%, though it depends on the size and type of diaper as well as the retailer. Target TGT, -3.19% sells a 100-count pack of Pampers Swaddlers diapers for $24.99, which, with the increase, would rise to almost $26.
The company cited increased costs of pulp — a raw material used for diapers — plus transportation and freight costs. The new prices for Pampers will roll out between October and December, a P&G spokesman said. In 2011, P&G, as well as Kimberly-Clark Corp., the makers of Huggies diapers, increased the cost of their diapers for similar reasons.
All those diaper expenses add up. In its first year, a baby can go through 2,500 to 3,000 diapers, costing parents between $500 and $1,000, said Jen Dicks Burg, blogger at the The Suburban Mom and mother to three girls. BabyCenter, an online media company for parents and expectant parents, estimates that disposable diapers cost $72 per month for the first year (or $864 a year), based on a survey of more than 1,000 new moms.
See: American women are having babies later -- and in 2017 are still conflicted about it
Jessie Alonzo, a mom of four and blogger behind Moola Saving Mom, planned ahead to save money, mapping out how many diapers she would need and buying them in advance. Her method worked for her and her sister, a mom of twins.
Her plan estimates that newborns need eight to 10 diapers a day, and that babies go down to about five to eight diapers a day as they get older and begin sleeping through the night. As the size of the diaper increases, the number of diapers in the pack will decrease, she added.
There are numerous ways parents can save money on diapers. Instead of using Huggies, Pampers or other name brands, parents can opt for store brands, Alonzo said. “My oldest is now 15. Fifteen years ago, store brand diapers were thin and cheap but I think as time went on we have seen a great increase in quality,” she said.
Also see: Number of babies born in the U.S. drops to 30-year low
Some stores, like Aldi and Giant Food, may even offer return policies or free replacements if the customer isn’t satisfied. Aldi doesn’t share the price of its diapers online but personal finance blog The Penny Hoarder tested Aldi diapers, and said a pack of 82 diapers costs $12.50. Another savings blog called that price “ridiculously cheap.”
Expectant parents should plan ahead and buy diapers in the months before the mother’s due date if or when they’re on sale, Burg said. But she said parents shouldn’t stock up on newborn sizes, because babies quickly outgrow them.
Of course, diapers are just one of the many expenses parents incur by raising a child; parents can spend up to $24,000 in the first year alone. Subscription services for diapers can seem convenient, but aren’t the most economical, Burg added. “Those who coupon and deal hunt are able to significantly reduce that number, but that takes dedication,” she said.
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