Diaper dandy, part II

5/3/10 Around thirty cloth diapers and covers, sold for $213

There are many great reasons to use cloth diapers: better for the planet, reduce waste, healthier for your child, save money.

Here's one of the best reasons: when you're done you can downsize them to someone else, helping to usher others into this growing community of cloth diaper disciples.

Joanna's friend and colleague Lori visited today. In addition to giving Joanna some much-needed company and Chase some always-appreciated attention, she also bought all of the diapers that the Brilliant Boy has outgrown. She got them at a great price, we made some money, and the REUSE part of the famous Mobius triangle wins again.

I must acknowledge that almost all of our first round of cloth diapers were given to us as gifts by friends and family. While cloth diapering can save parents thousands of dollars (click here for a cool analysis), it does require an initial investment, since a dozen cloth diapers sure cost a lot more than a box of Pampers. (Trust me, you want to click on that Pampers link.)

As the beneficiaries of so many gift diapers, not only did we save a ton of money, but we also had the opportunity to try out many different styles and designs. Now, as Chase grows and we need to buy our own new cloth diapers, we can make better decisions about the "systems" that work best for him and us.

I like to think that Lori will have the same advantage now that she's got our diapers as a starter set and Joanna's knowledge and advice to get her going.

Plus, when we're ready to downsize his next set of diapers, we've got her squarely in our sights.