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Why are diapers so expensive?

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Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#271

Post by ada1981 »

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.

In Park Slope we have our food coop, which is co-owned by 16,000 of us and does just bulk buys of everything we need. We also voulenteer to work 3 hrs a month (I do childcare).

Our groceries are the freshest, localist, most responsibily sourced and affordable in NYC 20-50% off other stores.

FoodCoop.com

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#272

Post by ada1981 »

briandear wrote: post #166
egypturnash wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Condoms break, and it’s pretty damn hard to have an abortion if the only place you can get it done is halfway across the state.

Adoption? And, there are abortion clinics in Tampa Bay, where this story took place.

The article did mention she has a rare condition meaning she might never be able to get pregnant and so this was may have been her only opportunity, so she choose it.

I don't think she was complaining here, rather sharing vulnerably the truth of what life is like for her.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#273

Post by bkovacev »

rusk wrote: post #231
bkovacev wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First of, you're not the crazy one here. We are just simply discussing things - I apologize if you felt like I thought you were crazy, because that's a tough word. Whether we disagree - sure :) OT: To my eyes - there is a big difference in a sign "WILL WORK FOR FOOD/MONEY/ETC" and "PLEASE GIVE ME 100$ I NEED IT". Should the USA be like Mother Theresa, lend their helping hand to everyone in need? I can tell you for a…

I threw up a little bit in my mouth reading this.

I am glad you did, now you can freely eat it.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#274

Post by aninhumer »

rukittenme wrote: post #118
s4vi0r wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Jesus, your comment and the other replies just straight up reek of privilege/ignorance. What you're suggesting is obviously the pragmatic choice - obviously, if she's poor as shit and can't afford regular diapers, using reusable cloth ones is a great solution. But that's not the fucking point of the article - its $CURRENT_YEAR in the richest country in the world, this absolutely shouldn't be a thing that happens in t…

I'm really tired of hearing the argument "we're the richest country on Earth and "X" still happens!" Of course "X" still happens. "X" is lower on our priorities list than other more pressing issues. Are diapers really the cross we're going to die on now? We spend ~$3tn helping people every year (federal, state, and local). I think its safe to assume the "richest country on Earth" is trying.

More pressing issues like building yachts for rich people to make sure they're still "incentivised" to produce wealth?

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#275

Post by rusk »

bkovacev wrote: post #273
rusk wrote: post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I threw up a little bit in my mouth reading this.

I am glad you did, now you can freely eat it.

Is that what you do? Eat your own puke?

For me it was straightforward enough to just quickly swallow it again as it emerged. No need for any additional ceremony.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#276

Post by rusk »

avar wrote: post #253
rusk wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... their grandchildren are going to live in a country where disposable diapers are as cheap as cloth diapers. That doesn't sound so bad. I'm going to regret sticking my head over the parapet on this one but ... You're making the argument that it's great that diapers are a quarter of the price that they were, and isn't that great. But we're speaking in the context of how the poor can't even afford them at that price.…

No, I'm not trying to make that argument. There's certainly people today that have kids and can't afford diapers in first-world countries even if they were say 1/4 of current prices. I'm specifically responding to a part of the GPs comment that seems to be claiming that things have been getting worse since the 50s. Which is not to say that anyone being unable to afford diapers can't be considered unacceptable, or tha…

I would have to seriously question your assertion that poverty has been on the decline since the 50s .. I've seen the stats you present, but also stats to the contrary so the case is far from closed.

What I do know is that the average industrial wage relative to the cost of living has been steadily declining with a marked plunge from the 80s onwards.

I will concede that the 50s is a poor comparison, as much of the western world was in the midst of a post-war economic boom at that time.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#277

Post by hennsen »

pas wrote: post #191
hennsen wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are right about consumption and throwaway society issues. At the same time, i dont believe the reason people can’t afford diapers is that they are expensive to protect the environment... plus creating lots of trash shouldn’t be a privilege for some - it should be prohibited for all.

It should be priced. If you are full vegan, and recyle everything for years, and never travel, so your environmental load is minimal, you should be able to afford a year of time saving with a baby, by using disposable diapers. And maybe it could be price adjusted for income, so everyone should do the same effort for the environment.

There definitely should a price system that also encompasses the health/environmental/social damage a product brings over its full production and lifecycle!

That would generally reward people so much for the good things you mentioned that they still could afgord the one bad thing...

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#278

Post by ada1981 »

I was expecting to see people brainstorming technical solutions...

Anyone interested in brainstorming some solutions to this?

What do the component parts cost of the best diaper?

Are there ways to bring those costs down by an order of magnitude?

How about an X Prize for Diaper Design?

What questions should be asked around this problem?

I'd be up for hosting a video virtual brainstorm of this topic if anyone is interested, let me know.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#279

Post by gjm11 »

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.

In the same way, although cooking doesn't always make food safe to eat, there is a form of cooking that's simple and 100% effective: not eating.

And although the various safety measures rock climbers use sometimes fail, there is a method of rock-climbing safety that's 100% effective: not going rock-climbing in the first place.

And I have a perfectly safe car: that is, I never leave my house.

I take it you can see how ridiculous these are. The point (well, one point) of cooking is to be able to eat food and not get food poisoning. The point of all the ropes and things is to be able to climb rocks and not fall to your death. The point of seatbelts and crumple zones and antilock braking is to be able to drive from place to place and not get killed in a car crash.

Not having sex -- which I assume is what you are referring to here -- isn't a form of birth control, because it doesn't accomplish the objective of having sex and not making babies.

It might still be a good idea, of course. Just as it might be a good idea never to go rock climbing (maybe it's just too dangerous to be really worth it for anyone who's thinking clearly) or never to drive a car (it's bad for the environment in lots of ways, after all). But that's a separate argument, and the case needs to be made honestly (cost/benefit on failure rates, appeals to alleged rules handed down by alleged gods, etc.) rather than by snarky one-liners like the one above.

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