Diapers: What is a good deal?

I get emails every so often from readers asking me how to know if they're getting a good deal on diapers.

One good comparison I like to use is Costco prices, because they're basically the lowest regular price around. However, they don't accept manufacturer's coupons -- they only accept Costco coupons put out in their circular -- so the price at Costco usually is what it is for diapers. That is why I don't actually buy my diapers at Costco, I just use them as a reference.

Costco Prices:

• Huggies Size 2 (258ct) - $41.69 ($0.162/diaper)
• Huggies Size 3 (228ct) - $41.69 ($0.183/diaper)
• Huggies Size 4 (200ct) - $41.69 ($0.208/diaper)
• Huggies Size 5 (176ct) - $41.69 ($0.237/diaper)
• Huggies Size 6 (144ct) - $41.69 ($0.290/diaper)

On average, this is cheaper than the regular per diaper price at Rite Aid, Walgreens or even Target. However, once you combine a manufacturer's coupon with a sale price and possibly a store coupon -- you can usually beat these Costco prices by quite a bit.

Here's an example, using a sale price at Rite Aid this week:

$19.99 Huggies Big Box (Little Movers, Size 3, 76 ct)
-$4/20 Rite Aid Coupon
-$3 Manufacturer's Coupon
-$2 +UP Reward
= $10.99 ($0.14/diaper)

So you can see from this example, that buying Huggies at Rite Aid this week is about 20% cheaper per diaper than you would pay at Costco. And that's just an okay sale, by Rite Aid standards. We can often get Huggies completely free at Rite Aid! That's considerably cheaper than Costco, and all it takes is a little forethought...which as we all know is the key to saving with coupons!


Note: If you ever happen to be low on diapers and without a great sale -- before you run to Costco, make sure you check Amazon.com. They often have prices similar to Costco or slightly lower, and since they don't have sales tax and they ship free to your house), it's often a better deal, and a little more convenient!