Heh, what a day on Hacker News. I read comments about bidets, where people go into intimate detail about how they poop -- and now comments about diapers, where parents go into intimate detail about how their babies poop and pee. :)
Why are diapers so expensive?
521–530 of 563 posts
Re: Why are diapers so expensive?
#522Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the latter is the bigger of the issues. 360 nappies will generally last for 2 months. If you can't afford a mere $30 for that, then it's a case of your priorities being wrong (e.g. buying alcohol, tobacco, Netflix etc before thinking about your kids' needs) - in which case you should probably give serious consideration over whether you should bring kids into the world.
Did you read the article before writing this presumptive and judgmental comment? She had a difficult pregnancy and thought this would be her only chance to have a child. She left her job to avoid being exposed to harsh chemicals that could jeopardize her pregnancy. On welfare, she was allotted only $180/mo for necessities beside food. When her partner got a job, she was disqualified for the assistance—he had to work…
> Did you read the article before writing this presumptive and judgmental comment?
Yes, I read it, but I was talking generally, and not passing judgement on this specific case... but since you mention it, this mother chose to have her child - it's her responsibility to ensure that she has the financial means to provide for it.
> The article notes that the average diaper is $0.25, so your 360 would cost $90 on average
So... don't buy the average-priced nappies - buy cheaper ones, such as those that one of the parent posters mentioned (the 360 for $30). Or (especially if she isn't working) , cloth nappies are a cheap option too.
> assuming she only needs 6 diapers per day, which sounds like a low estimate
I've got kids. 6 nappies a day is actually a high estimate. They need 6-8 for the first few weeks, sure, but then it goes down. My 1 year old needs 2-4 nappies a day.
> When her partner got a job, she was disqualified for the assistance—he had to work 18 hours a month just to make up the aid they no longer received. She struggled to find a job herself but ultimately got one.
> The article is about the plight of a mother who faced adversity in providing for her son, but persevered the best she could. I defy you to justify your claim that her priorities were wrong, or that she was unfit to be a parent.
As I explained, I was talking generally, not about this specific case. I do feel for this woman - it sounds like a really shitty situation (no pun intended!). Also, the benefits system (just as in the UK) can sometimes hurt, such as when her partner got a job. Also shitty.
> Perhaps the only disqualifying attribute for parenthood is the utter lack of empathy for another human being.
I don't lack empathy; I just don't like parents that don't prioritise their kids, and those that make the conscious decision to bring children into the world without thinking of whether they can actually provide for them, emotionally and financially - oh, and apologists for them.
Re: Why are diapers so expensive?
#523Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not $30/ day , it's $30 for 360 nappies that will last around 2 months. Even if you're making minimum wage, you can afford that if you've got your priorities right.
But when you are bringing in $50 / day, you have a lot less money to work with. That's the point I was trying to make. $30 is inconsequential to me, but 4 hours of pay is .
I get what you mean, and when bringing in $50 a day $30 is definately not inconsequential - but it's still perfectly manageable.
Re: Why are diapers so expensive?
#524Earlier quoted context omitted.
It was a huge relief to get the children weaned, and off the giant vats of Similac ... I feel that was probably even more expensive than the diapers.
Oh man, diapers pale in comparison to formula costs. My daughter gets changed ~8 times per day, but she eats up to 36oz of formula. That's about $1.76 in diapers and up to $6.79 worth of formula. Add in DI water (since we make it from powder) and the obscene cost of bottles, and it gets even worse.
We use kirkland brand formula from costco. It's repackaged Similac. Exactly the same thing and it is less than half the cost. It even comes in the same plastic containers. They just change the stickers. All the other off-brands are likely just as good as any brand name and usually just repackaged brand name stuff anyway.
Filtered water is fine unless you live in an area with lead problems.
And what obscene cost for bottles? We have exactly 4 bottles so far for our 4 month old and they were less than $5 each. And new nipples are about $2 each when we needed to change the flow.
Re: Why are diapers so expensive?
#525Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why would people bring a child into the world if they can't even afford diapers, will always blow my mind.
Some things/ideas/comments are best kept in our thoughts. Your comment qualifies; I mean it as a feedback.
Yeah, lets not talk about icky things like people not being responsible.
Re: Why are diapers so expensive?
#526Earlier quoted context omitted.
Right but each step required to convert a food stamp dollar to something you arne't supposed to buy with foods stamps adds friction and inefficacy. By handing out food stamps that can be used for X you make X the default for that thing and require user to go out of their way to use the food stamp money for something else. If people are using food stamps to buy food to sell to a bodega at 50% value and then using that…
I think we're making the same point, but I see removing that friction as a good thing, while you don't. In your example, the bodega is getting a 50% cut of the aid that it shouldn't. Instead, we can give the recipient 50% of the current amount in cash, and let them buy the drugs directly. The extra 50% can be used in several ways... pumped into rehab or education, reducing tax burden on others, whatever we decide. In…
In the current scenario there's an incentive to not spend your welfare money (taxpayer money) on drugs. I think that's worth letting the middle man take a cut of.
You seem to be under the assumption that welfare is supposed to be income. It's not. It's aid, financial assistance for near-necessities. If you want drug money without hurting your eligibility it's not that hard to work under the table.
Re: Why are diapers so expensive?
#527Earlier quoted context omitted.
Oh man, diapers pale in comparison to formula costs. My daughter gets changed ~8 times per day, but she eats up to 36oz of formula. That's about $1.76 in diapers and up to $6.79 worth of formula. Add in DI water (since we make it from powder) and the obscene cost of bottles, and it gets even worse.
We managed to save about 50% off the cost of formula by making our own. A can of goat milk powder (Myenberg) costs ~ $10 and makes 3 quarts. Before 6 months we made sure the formula matched breast milk, using a spreadsheet--I'm working on a web app!--but let's say after 6 months it's fine to feed straight goat milk. Assuming a quart (32 fl oz) per day, that's about $3.33 per day, compared to $6/day for Enfamil ($27 f…
We buy kirkland brand formula (same as similac). Costs us about $1.67 per day for a 4 month old.
Re: Why are diapers so expensive?
#528Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is one of the reasons why I am happy with Kraamzorg [1]. I learned from them that if you got a boy the first thing you do when you change a boy's diaper is put something on their penis (such as a burp cloth) so that they can't pee you in the face (or on the carpet/wall/door or w/e). I remembered that even though we don't have a boy; we had a girl about 2 months ago. :-) FWIW, we're changing diapers roughly every…
That blue strip on newborn diapers must be generating billions of revenue. Newborns pee so little and diapers absorb so much that one diaper would be enough for the whole day. But with the strip, people switch them every few hours :)
If you rely exclusively on the blue stripe you're gonna develop a skin rash. I would love to see the data on your one diaper a day newborn test.
Re: Why are diapers so expensive?
#529Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think we're making the same point, but I see removing that friction as a good thing, while you don't. In your example, the bodega is getting a 50% cut of the aid that it shouldn't. Instead, we can give the recipient 50% of the current amount in cash, and let them buy the drugs directly. The extra 50% can be used in several ways... pumped into rehab or education, reducing tax burden on others, whatever we decide. In…
In the current scenario there's an incentive to not spend your welfare money (taxpayer money) on drugs. I think that's worth letting the middle man take a cut of. You seem to be under the assumption that welfare is supposed to be income. It's not. It's aid, financial assistance for near-necessities. If you want drug money without hurting your eligibility it's not that hard to work under the table.
In the case of the drug abuser, I'm not sure that incentive to spend appropriately applies. They're a drug addict after all - they really don't have a choice (other than rehab, but that also costs money).
Regardless, I'm much more concerned about the average recipient, who may need more gas than bread some weeks, or some other completely reasonable situation. As noted in a sibling, it's been proven that the poor aren't any worse at budgeting/spending than the not-poor.
Re: Why are diapers so expensive?
#530Earlier quoted context omitted.
Some things/ideas/comments are best kept in our thoughts. Your comment qualifies; I mean it as a feedback.
Yeah, lets not talk about icky things like people not being responsible.
I work in Family Law and these type of statements can be said about any group: wealthy, middle class, poor.
Middle class: "That people who work all the time and never spend time with their kids are allowed to have children will always blow my mind. What is the point of having a child if you never see them."
Rich: "That people who will rob their kids of their self reliance, by buying them everything they want, are allowed to have children will always blow my mind. What is the point of having child if they just end up leeching on their parents."
I mean we can come with all sorts of irrational and judgmental comments.