Why I Use Cloth Diapers

I use cloth diapers for two reasons:
1. Cloth diapers are cheaper in the long run.
2. You can store three years' worth of cloth diapers in two 18-gallon Rubbermaid totes.

The first reason is, I think, pretty straightforward and comprehensible. The second probably requires some explanation.

I'm one of those wacky people who really can't sleep at night unless she knows that, should an earthquake hit suddenly or a terrorist attack turn the country upside down, that she'll still be able to take care of her family. So we have lots of food stored in our house, etc. I also am a creature of habit who hates having to run to the store to pick something essential up, so I keep stocks of essential things in the house and replenish them when things run low. I have, for example, about half a dozen jars of peanut butter. When I use a jar of peanut butter I put peanut butter on the shopping list, and next time I'm out I buy a new one and put it in the cupboard. This takes up a lot of space (which is at a premium in our 1000 sq.ft. home) but it's worth it to me because then I know that if terrorists attack, at least my kids won't be crying for peanut butter on a spoon. It's pathetic, I know, but it's one less thing for a worrywart like me to worry about.

So, back to diapers. Disposable diapers are bulky to store. One cloth diaper is bulkier than one disposable, but twenty-four cloth diapers take up much less space than a year's worth of disposable diapers.

I also, by the way, make my own wipes. Out of cloth.