Bye Bye Baby!

We are somewhere around 12 days into potty training (yes, I am counting) and Kendra has had several accident free days in a row. She is also becoming a poop camel which is a bit concerning however, we are sticking with undies and working on relaxing on the pot. In another bold step of confirmation that we have left the diaper stage forever, Kendra and I sold the changing pad and covers at Lots for Tots today. Feeling unsure about the resale value and worthiness of the items, I stuck a few sure bets in our bag. At this time of year, the resale shops are begging for Halloween costumes so I used Kiera's Mario costume from last year as my ace in the hole. When all was tallied, this small load earned me $15! The buyer (who is the cheaper and more picky of the two) took all but 3 items - I think I am in a resaler's groove at this point.

At a time when living expenses feel out of control I can't help but do some calculations to figure out just how much this potty training is saving us. 13 days ago, Kendra was using about 6 diapers a day at roughly $.30 each. That means we were spending about $54 a month on Pampers. In addition, we were using approximately 2 refill packs of wipes (the messes are BIG by the age of 2) per week which cost us approximately $16 a month. The waste produced increased our household trash exponentially which means we will be using less Blue Portland Trash Bags - which cost us $15 for a pack of 7 (highway robbery)! By my analysis, we will be saving over $70 a month because our little critter has gained control of her bodily functions! To be fair though, the net savings may be slightly less. With each trip to the toilet, Kendra insists on flushing her byproducts - and often does an unnecessary double flush. She also covets the hand washing process and can be found standing at the sink with the water running for several minutes at a time when left unattended. Toilet paper is also fascinating and used in excess - Sheryl Crow would not approve. And, I am certainly doing a bit more laundry thanks to the occasional drips and near misses - not to mention the mess when the poop camel finally unloads.

Perhaps for a few months, we will be just breaking even when I also add in the cost of the multiple potty options that we've purchased (seats for the big toilet, free standing small toilets, travel toilets, etc.) however one thing is for sure - we have ended our use of disposable diapers after spending somewhere around $2000 on wipes and Pampers in Kendra's lifetime. Now to start saving for college...