Why are diapers so expensive? • Hacker News Board

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#281

Post by adrianN » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:13 AM UTC

m_eiman wrote: post #169

mantas wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$30 is big upfront costs? Seriously? Of course, that may be a bigger sum in 3rd world countries. But they don't have Amazon there at all and probably don't use diapers either.

Try one of the poverty simulators, here's one: http://playspent.org/html/

Are there realistic poverty simulators? This one has a catastrophe happen every day, cars breaking down, teeth needing treatment, plumbing problems, traffic fines, credit card bills for expenses that happen before the game starts... You're set up to fail.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#282

Post by robert_foss » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:13 AM UTC

c22 wrote: post #218

brohoolio wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

12 changes a day is not an outlier for a newborn, it’s normal. My son is 18 months and we change him probably 6 times a day at least. Diaper pricing is dependent on how many you buy at once, I buy giant boxes so my unit cost is low. If you don’t have $40 to buy the giant box, but only $10 to buy a small package. You are paying twice the unit cost.

I realized in my thirties that if I had just dropped $1000 on a pallet of razor blades when I turned 18 I'd have saved a couple times that. Way better returns than the actual "investment" that money ended up in.

I switched to a safety razor 10 years ago, and ordered 250 science (not shaving) grade blades.

I still have about 150 blades left. The pack cost me EU.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#283

Post by Amygaz » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:13 AM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #149

djrogers wrote: post #28

There are a couple of ‘facts’ listed here that don’t line up with my current reality and very recent knowledge (3 kids, most recent is 18mo). First off, 12 changes a day is a huge outlier - even for a newborn. 8 would be a more reasonable number, and it drops down to the 4-6 range in the first year, and by now we’re at 3 if we don’t go swimming. Second item that sounds waaay off is $1000/yr for diapers. Again, that h…

I just had a kid 2 months ago, and 12 changes a day doesn't seem all that unreasonable for a newborn. At our one-month checkup he was averaging 9 pees & 5 poops per day - several of the poops were doubled-up where he also peed, so a dozen per day is about right. It's dropped a bit since, but instances where a single changing results in multiple diapers used (eg. he shits the table right as I'm getting the new diaper…

And diapers are just the tip of the iceberg in term of spending. /sigh

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#284

Post by moltar » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:16 AM UTC

Iv wrote: post #267

celticninja wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes but storing a pallet of razor blades isn't easy and from 18 - 28 (when you would be using these razors) you are going to move a lot, due to work, college, just general renting. So moving a pallet each time is probably inefficient.

It costs money to save money. Someone told me that mid-rich people often group together to have a grocery accountant who will do their bulk shopping for them and it ends up costing them less than a supermarket prices for superior products.

Could you please tell more about this grocery accountant? Sounds super interesting. How does it work? Thank you.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#285

Post by KozmoNau7 » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:16 AM UTC

c22 wrote: post #218

brohoolio wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

12 changes a day is not an outlier for a newborn, it’s normal. My son is 18 months and we change him probably 6 times a day at least. Diaper pricing is dependent on how many you buy at once, I buy giant boxes so my unit cost is low. If you don’t have $40 to buy the giant box, but only $10 to buy a small package. You are paying twice the unit cost.

I realized in my thirties that if I had just dropped $1000 on a pallet of razor blades when I turned 18 I'd have saved a couple times that. Way better returns than the actual "investment" that money ended up in.

I bought a $30 corded hair trimmer and switched to a buzz cut (I was starting to bake anyway) and a full beard. I use maybe one double edged razor blade or disposable razor per month for the edges of my beard, that's all.

I haven't calculated the savings over the last 6-7 years, but it has to be a lot, compared to shaving daily and going to the hairdresser.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#286

Post by kejaed » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:18 AM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #149

djrogers wrote: post #28

There are a couple of ‘facts’ listed here that don’t line up with my current reality and very recent knowledge (3 kids, most recent is 18mo). First off, 12 changes a day is a huge outlier - even for a newborn. 8 would be a more reasonable number, and it drops down to the 4-6 range in the first year, and by now we’re at 3 if we don’t go swimming. Second item that sounds waaay off is $1000/yr for diapers. Again, that h…

I just had a kid 2 months ago, and 12 changes a day doesn't seem all that unreasonable for a newborn. At our one-month checkup he was averaging 9 pees & 5 poops per day - several of the poops were doubled-up where he also peed, so a dozen per day is about right. It's dropped a bit since, but instances where a single changing results in multiple diapers used (eg. he shits the table right as I'm getting the new diaper…

I love what I have been calling the "five second diaper"!

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#287

Post by Amygaz » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:19 AM UTC

billyhoffman wrote: post #251

distances wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 12 changes a day is not an outlier for a newborn, it’s normal. My son is 18 months and we change him probably 6 times a day at least. You can start potty training a kid at around one year's age though, which will decrease the need for diapers. That age depends on a kid of course, in my family it has started around when the kids learn to walk so age of 1-1.5.

What? Potty training is dependent on physiological changes around muscle control. It is usually not possible before 18-24 months. I have 3 kids under 5, and 24 months is the earliest that interest to go on the potty started. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/...

Sticker books. Just put books that they can't place and match stickers, always leave near the toilet. If you like sticker books, and who doesn't, you know what to do...

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#288

Post by mantas » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:21 AM UTC

adrianN wrote: post #281

m_eiman wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try one of the poverty simulators, here's one: http://playspent.org/html/

Are there realistic poverty simulators? This one has a catastrophe happen every day, cars breaking down, teeth needing treatment, plumbing problems, traffic fines, credit card bills for expenses that happen before the game starts... You're set up to fail.

It's a stupid asshole, not a poor simulator. Maybe US is different, but in Europe most poors wouldn't get credit card to begin with. Even payday loans are strictly regulated. Many of them will know how to fix common plumbing problems too..

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#289

Post by YouKnowBetter » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:23 AM UTC

rubidium wrote: post #238

tallanvor wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Birth control fails. Approximately 8% of women still end up pregnant during their first year on birth control, and even after the first year the percentage doesn't fall to 0. There are many reasons that it fails, although missing a dose is the largest reason. Other reasons can be improper storage, using certain drugs (prescription or otherwise), or even consuming an unusual amount of some foods or supplements. Even i…

Well, there is one form of birth control that's both free and 100% effective.

Make that 99.9999999999% effective, according to "sources".

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#290

Post by DanBC » Thu, Apr 05, 2018, 11:31 AM UTC

celticninja wrote: post #265

c22 wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I realized in my thirties that if I had just dropped $1000 on a pallet of razor blades when I turned 18 I'd have saved a couple times that. Way better returns than the actual "investment" that money ended up in.

yes but storing a pallet of razor blades isn't easy and from 18 - 28 (when you would be using these razors) you are going to move a lot, due to work, college, just general renting. So moving a pallet each time is probably inefficient.

Razor blades are small. Assuming parent poster shaves every single day of that ten years, and each blade only lasts for two shaves, they'd need about 1830 blades.

That's 19 boxes of these, which probably fit in a shoe box.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derby-100-Extra-Shaving-Blades/dp/B...