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Why are diapers so expensive?

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Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#81

Post by zeth___ »

linkregister wrote: post #36
akira2501 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I think about UBI I worry about responsible spending and wonder if just subsidizing common items food, clothing (diapers) and household goods wouldn't be a smarter solution overall. In relation to the case in the article, I wonder if we couldn't subsidize certain items and allow parents to receive a one month supply at low to no cost? Why should we give disadvantaged people $180 a month just to let several middl…

This has been done in the past, e.g. government cheese. It turns out that letting the market deliver necessities based off of demand is far more efficient than the alternative. That would be a government anticipates how much a community will use, what styles of diapers they'll want, etc.

[[citation needed]]

And I mean a comparison between governments of equally developed nations. That means that you compare the USSR to Brazil and not the USA. Since the difference in HDI between the USSR and Brazil was smaller than that of the USSR to the USA.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#82

Post by s4vi0r »

chrissnell wrote: post #54

This article is so frustrating. The helplessness and dependence are just sad. Cloth diapers cost less than $1.50 each in a 10-pack. If you are poor enough, you can wash them in a bucket with bar soap. That's what virtually everyone did before washers were invented. I'm saddened that this girl didn't figure this out. I know first-hand, when you're poor and desperate, you figure shit out. Unless, of course, you have a…

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 the first place.

I'm not even a communist or anything, but its absolutely insane to me that Americans don't realize how "third world" their country is in some ways. Do you think that back in the 50s and 60s when your parents or grandparents were buying the first mass produced disposable diapers, they would have expected 60 years later people would be forced to go back to washable cloth diapers because they couldn't afford regular diapers? What a stupidly low standard to have for the wealthiest country in the world.

Capitalism is an awesome thing, but it seems conservative pundits and the rich have convinced a lot of people that you can't have both a strong, capitalist free market economy along with a government that actually gives a shit about its citizens and not just the top 10,000 guys with the biggest wallets or whatever.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#83

Post by lulmerchant »

FuckOffNeemo wrote: post #64
adrr wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think thats a poor excuse. Even taking a payday loan out to buy a bulk bag(200 diapers) for $30 is more economical than buying a 10 pack every other day for $5. Pay day loan will cost $10 in fees but its cheaper than paying $75/m for diapers. And you just need do it once and save the $5 that you're spending every other day.

Using a legal loan shark to purchase nappies, we're now robbing Peter to pay Paul, the net gain once the legal loan sharks fees are rolled in would be pittance. How far did society have to fail for us to have to encourage the use of loan sharks so our children can take a shit, seriously? Edit: in an attempt to lighten the conversation which has suddenly became a class dividing conversation on economics and privilege.…

I don't know if the numbers in the comment you're referring to are correct, but let's assume they're close enough and do the math.

If I pay $5 every other day for 10 diapers, then I'm paying ~$75/month for 150 diapers. $0.50/diaper, $2.50/day.

If I take a pay day loan of $30 for a 200 pack of diapers, then I've just brought a 40 day supply of diapers. $0.15/diaper, $0.75/day.

After 16 days I've recouped my original investment of a $30 loan + $10 fee. By the time day 40 rolls around and I run out of diapers, I've saved $60. I can now afford to buy bulk diapers in perpetuity. For every subsequent month, I'll be spending $52.5 less on diapers.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#84

Post by guelo »

chrissnell wrote: post #54

This article is so frustrating. The helplessness and dependence are just sad. Cloth diapers cost less than $1.50 each in a 10-pack. If you are poor enough, you can wash them in a bucket with bar soap. That's what virtually everyone did before washers were invented. I'm saddened that this girl didn't figure this out. I know first-hand, when you're poor and desperate, you figure shit out. Unless, of course, you have a…

"Dependency" doesn't let her figure out that she can't wash cloth diapers in a bucket? I'm sorry, that doesn't make any sense.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#85

Post by dandare »

tytytytytytytyt wrote: post #65
chrissnell wrote: post #54

This article is so frustrating. The helplessness and dependence are just sad. Cloth diapers cost less than $1.50 each in a 10-pack. If you are poor enough, you can wash them in a bucket with bar soap. That's what virtually everyone did before washers were invented. I'm saddened that this girl didn't figure this out. I know first-hand, when you're poor and desperate, you figure shit out. Unless, of course, you have a…

> They are difficult to clean without a washing machine at home Am I the only one who thinks I could manage to clean some cloth diapers in a bucket or tub fairly easily?

Cloth diapers must be washed and boiled throughly to be hygienic.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#86

Post by sleet »

hashgowda wrote: post #67
Nition wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd also add: - If you'd really prefer modern style cloth diapers (prefold, pocket etc) instead of the cheap old-school flat diapers, often you can buy second-hand ones that are hardly used (or not used at all!). - If you have any more children, your cost for buying diapers is now $0 because you already have them.

Please post a link to the modern style diapers...

Just the first one that came up, I'm sure there are cheaper options.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-100-cotton-wat...

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#87

Post by flukus »

nroach wrote: post #44
j4kp07 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct. In your bathroom. Honestly, there is an epidemic of self defeatist in our day and age.

In my area, where relative humidity is often 60-90%, this form of drying would result in moldy cloth, not dry diapers. My guess is Tampa's microclimate is probably similar and line drying isn't an option.

How do you think people washed and dried clothes there 100 years ago? How do you think they do it in more humid and poorer places today? Do you leave your towel on the towel rack and let it dry there or do you throw it in the dryer every time?

Mold thrives in moist, dark places, not most sunny ones.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#88

Post by neumann »

hashgowda wrote: post #67
Nition wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd also add: - If you'd really prefer modern style cloth diapers (prefold, pocket etc) instead of the cheap old-school flat diapers, often you can buy second-hand ones that are hardly used (or not used at all!). - If you have any more children, your cost for buying diapers is now $0 because you already have them.

Please post a link to the modern style diapers...

Here you go: https://www.grovia.com/pages/diapers

Pricey new, we bought 30 of them used for $50 bucks on craigslist and soak/cleaned/sun dried them for a few cycles.

I loved the all-in-ones.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#89

Post by brohoolio »

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…

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.

Re: Why are diapers so expensive?

#90

Post by cm2012 »

chrissnell wrote: post #54

This article is so frustrating. The helplessness and dependence are just sad. Cloth diapers cost less than $1.50 each in a 10-pack. If you are poor enough, you can wash them in a bucket with bar soap. That's what virtually everyone did before washers were invented. I'm saddened that this girl didn't figure this out. I know first-hand, when you're poor and desperate, you figure shit out. Unless, of course, you have a…

Okay, real talk. My time, according to society, is worth $300ish per hour. Hers is probably worth $10 an hour. I didn't do anything special to earn this and I'm a very lazy person. I would much rather have people like me pay more taxes and this lady not have to spend her whole day cleaning diapers.
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