Elimination communication can save on diapers.
And perhaps money as well.
Then one starts to look into the topic.
- Potty for EC.
- EC diaper.
- Washable inserts.
- EC pants.
And suddenly a very legitimate question arises:
If I have to buy new things first – do I even save money with elimination communication?
The short answer is:
Yes, elimination communication can be financially worthwhile. But it heavily depends on how you start, what you really need, and how many disposable diapers are actually no longer required.
And perhaps the most important news first:
You don't need to buy a complete set of equipment for elimination communication at all.
Things you already have are often sufficient for trying it out.
What does elimination communication really cost?
Elimination communication can cost almost nothing.
Or you can gradually assemble a comfortable reusable set of equipment.
Both are possible.
Because elimination communication does not begin with a product.
It begins with a small moment between you and your baby.
You give your baby the opportunity to eliminate outside the diaper.
For example, over:
- a sink
- a toilet
- an existing potty
The existing diaper system can simply remain as a backup.
The first attempt can therefore actually cost 0 Euros.
Do I need special products for elimination communication?
No.
Not for getting started.
Perhaps your baby wakes up tomorrow morning.
You open their backup.
Hold them briefly over the sink.
And see what happens.
Perhaps a pee comes.
Perhaps not.
Both are perfectly fine.
Only when you eventually realize:
This actually works quite well for us.
can you consider what would make your everyday life easier.
Perhaps a small potty.
Perhaps washable inserts.
Perhaps an EC diaper.
Or clothes that open more quickly.
The equipment can grow with you.
What costs can arise from elimination communication?
A basic elimination communication set can consist of, for example:
- a small EC potty
- washable diaper inserts
- a reusable EC diaper
- EC-friendly clothing
But here too, the rule applies:
You don't need all of it.
A potty can be practical.
An EC diaper can be a comfortable backup.
EC pants can help you react faster.
These are possibilities.
Not a shopping list that must be completed.
When is elimination communication financially worthwhile?
The calculation is actually quite simple.
You compare:
What does your additional EC equipment cost?
with:
How much money do you save on disposable diapers that are actually not needed?
Let's take a disposable diaper at 30 cents for a simple model calculation.
Then:
- 100 avoided diapers equals approximately 30 €
- 200 avoided diapers equals approximately 60 €
- 500 avoided diapers equals approximately 150 €
- 1,000 avoided diapers equals approximately 300 €
- 2,0nl-->00 avoided diapers equals approximately 600 €
If, for example, you invest a total of 100 Euros extra in reusable equipment, this acquisition amount for a 30-cent diaper would be financially balanced after approximately:
330 disposable diapers actually not needed
This is just an example.
If your diapers are cheaper, it takes longer.
If they are more expensive, it goes faster.
For washable products, there are also costs for water, energy, and detergent.
If you don't want to do this calculation in your head, you can enter your own values into our diaper cost calculator and get a personal estimate.
The more expensive the disposable diaper, the greater the potential savings
The principle is easy to understand.
A diaper not needed for 15 cents saves 15 cents.
A diaper not needed for 30 cents saves 30 cents.
A diaper not needed for 40 cents saves 40 cents.
Therefore, the financial impact of elimination communication strongly depends on which disposable diapers a family would otherwise use.
Those who use very cheap diapers save less per avoided diaper.
Those who use more expensive branded diapers or pull-ups save correspondingly more.
Therefore, there is no universally applicable sum that every family saves with elimination communication.
How much can one less diaper save per day?
If, on average, one disposable diaper per day is actually not needed, we are talking simplified over the entire diapering period about:
around 1,000 fewer diapers.
Then a simple model calculation looks like this:
| Example price per diaper | Savings for approx. 1,000 diapers |
|---|---|
| €0.15 | approx. €150 |
| €0.20 | approx. €200 |
| €0.30 | approx. €300 |
| €0.40 | approx. €400 |
But of course, no family is a model calculation.
Perhaps your diaper costs 18 cents. Perhaps 32. Perhaps your baby currently needs six diapers a day – and in a few months only four.
Therefore, your own number is much more interesting than any average.
With our diaper cost calculator you can enter your actual unit price, your diaper consumption, and your diapering period.
And if you are already practicing elimination communication or just want to try it out, you can also see what even individual disposable diapers that are actually not needed can financially change over time.
→ Calculate your personal diaper costs
The amounts mentioned are deliberately examples and not price indications for specific diaper brands.
One less diaper per day: How much money does that really save?
Elimination communication can also start without a big investment
And that's why the calculation is so interesting.
No one has to buy a complete set of elimination communication equipment first.
Let's take the simplest option:
You continue to use your current diapers as a backup.
Elimination communication is done over the sink.
Additional acquisition costs:
0 Euros.
If this means fewer disposable diapers are actually needed in the long term, you save their respective purchase price.
Perhaps you'll realize later:
A small potty would be practical.
Or EC pants would make many things easier in the morning.
Then you can add specific items.
You don't have to know at the beginning what equipment you will eventually need.
Why an EC potty can still be useful
You don't need a special potty to practice elimination communication with your baby.
But it can make everyday life more pleasant.
Especially:
- at night
- next to the bed
- on the go
- when the sink is inconvenient
An EC potty can be used repeatedly for many months.
Perhaps it will even accompany a sibling later.
This fundamentally distinguishes it from a disposable diaper:
It is not disposed of after a single use.
Why an EC diaper can change the equation
Many parents don't want to leave their baby without a backup.
They don't have to.
An EC diaper from Mata Origin is designed exactly for this combination.
It provides security when an EC moment is not possible.
And when you notice:
Now my baby might need to go.
it can be opened quickly.
If it stays clean, it can continue to be worn.
This makes part-time elimination communication much simpler.
And if it means disposable diapers are actually not needed more often, that naturally also changes the financial calculation.
EC pants are not just an additional expense for elimination communication
It's also worth taking a closer look at clothing.
Your baby needs clothes anyway.
If you choose EC pants instead of normal baby pants, you are not just buying an "elimination communication product".
You are still buying pants.
Only ones that also make elimination communication easier.
And that can be crucial in everyday life.
You notice:
Now my baby needs to go.
Then you don't want to first:
Open body suit.
Take off pants.
Pull down tights.
And then open the backup.
By then, the pee might have been faster.
With EC pants, it's much simpler.
Sometimes a few simple actions decide whether a recognized moment actually becomes an elimination communication moment.
What do washable diaper inserts really cost?
Washable inserts are reused repeatedly.
This makes them fundamentally interesting compared to disposable products.
But of course, they are not free either.
They must be:
- washed
- dried
- and eventually perhaps replaced
This incurs costs for water, detergent, and energy.
How high these costs are depends heavily on how a family washes.
A few inserts washed with an already running machine are different from many small separate washes.
Therefore, we also do not want to claim here:
Washable means free.
But a durable product can spread its acquisition cost over many uses.
Discover washable diaper inserts
What does part-time elimination communication save?
Perhaps not a single diaper is saved every day in your household.
That doesn't have to be the case either.
Three disposable diapers actually not needed per week roughly translates over the diapering period to:
around 400 fewer diapers.
For five diapers per week, it's approximately:
around 650 fewer diapers.
At an exemplary unit price of 30 cents, that would be approximately:
- 400 fewer diapers = approximately €120
- 650 fewer diapers = approximately €195
- 1,000 fewer diapers = approximately €300
Perhaps that's less than the big savings promises you sometimes read.
But it's a calculation that feels much more realistic in actual family life.
With two fewer diapers a day, the calculation gets bigger
If elimination communication works well for you more often and, on average, two disposable diapers are actually not needed per day, we are talking, simplified, about:
around 2,000 fewer diapers over the entire diapering period.
For an exemplary 30-cent diaper:
around 600 Euros less in diaper costs.
For a 40-cent diaper:
around 800 Euros.
Then a more extensive reusable equipment can also make a significant financial difference.
However:
Two fewer diapers a day is not a task you have to fulfill.
Elimination communication should not become a savings challenge.
Not every successful elimination communication saves money
That also belongs to an honest calculation.
Your baby may already be wearing a wet diaper.
You open it.
You hold them for elimination.
Afterwards, they get a new diaper.
The elimination communication was still a beautiful moment.
But financially, no additional diaper was saved as a result.
A disposable diaper is actually eliminated primarily when:
- the backup is still clean
- your baby eliminates outside of it
- the backup remains clean
- and can subsequently be worn again
Only then does this diaper truly count in our savings calculation.
For siblings, reusing becomes particularly interesting
A major advantage of reusable equipment often only becomes apparent with the second or third child.
A potty can continue to be used.
Washable inserts can be passed on.
EC diapers can accompany a sibling.
And high-quality clothing can be worn again.
This means many acquisition costs do not arise anew with each child.
If we simply calculate with around 1,000 fewer disposable diapers per child, that would be:
- 1 child: around 1,000 fewer diapers
- 2 children: around 2,000 fewer diapers
- 3 children: around 3,000 fewer diapers
For an exemplary 30-cent diaper, this corresponds to:
- 1 child: around €300
- 2 children: around €600
- 3 children: around €900
The reusable equipment, on the other hand, may not need to be purchased three times.
When is elimination communication financially particularly worthwhile?
Purely financially, elimination communication becomes particularly interesting when:
- you start with little additional equipment
- disposable diapers are regularly not needed
- your otherwise used diapers are rather expensive
- reusable products are used for a long time
- the equipment can later accompany siblings
But money doesn't have to be the most important reason for elimination communication.
And please don't start calculating how many cents you just saved with every pee.
That would be a rather exhausting way to live with a baby.
When might elimination communication hardly pay off financially?
That can also happen.
Perhaps you buy extensive equipment.
You also use very cheap disposable diapers.
And in the end, only a few of them are actually not needed.
Then the financial savings can be small.
Perhaps there are even none at all.
This is entirely possible – and is part of an honest consideration.
Elimination Communication (EC) is not a financial product with a guaranteed return.
It is a way to handle your baby's excretions differently.
That it can save money is a nice additional effect.
How to start EC as cheaply as possible?
If you just want to try out whether EC suits you, keep it simple.
- Continue to use your current backup.
- Try a simple moment after waking up.
- Initially use the sink or toilet.
- Only later buy what truly makes your everyday life easier.
Perhaps after some time, you'll realize:
A small potty next to the bed would be practical.
Then a potty might make sense.
Perhaps you'll realize:
Actually, our biggest hurdle is the clothing.
Then EC-friendly trousers can make a big difference.
However, what you already have might also be enough for you.
There is no minimum shopping cart for EC.
The cheapest EC equipment is what you actually use
This applies to almost all baby products.
An inexpensive product that lies unused in the cupboard was ultimately expensive.
A high-quality product that is used every day and later passed on, however, can be worth its price.
Therefore, we would not judge EC equipment by how many items it contains.
But rather by:
What actually makes your everyday life easier?
Perhaps it's just a potty.
Perhaps an EC diaper.
Perhaps trousers that open quickly enough.
Not necessarily more is needed.
Can you save 2,500 Euros with EC?
This figure certainly sounds large.
And it is theoretically possible under certain conditions.
But it needs an honest classification.
You can only save on diaper costs that would have actually been incurred without EC.
Anyone who would have spent only 700 or 1,000 Euros on disposable diapers throughout the entire diapering period obviously cannot save 2,500 Euros in diaper costs.
With a long diapering period, high consumption, and expensive diapers or pull-ups, the total expenses can be significantly higher.
However, a very large saving would only be possible if a correspondingly large portion of these disposable diapers is actually not needed.
For part-time EC, therefore:
a saving of a few hundred Euros
is the more realistic magnitude for many families.
And even that is quite a lot of money.
Is EC cheaper than cloth diapers?
There is no general answer to this.
Cloth diapers have initial costs and need to be washed and dried.
EC, in turn, can be combined with both cloth diapers and disposable diapers as a backup.
Many families combine both:
reusable backup and EC.
How cheap it ultimately is depends, among other things, on:
- Acquisition costs
- Washing costs
- Service life
- Number of children
- and actual diaper consumption
from.
Therefore, there isn't one calculation here that is valid for every family.
Is EC free?
EC itself can be almost free.
You generally don't need any special products for it.
If you buy potties, reusable backups, inserts, or special clothing, acquisition costs will naturally arise.
Perhaps therefore the better question is not:
Is EC free?
But:
What things help us so much that we really use them regularly?
Frequent questions about the costs of Elimination Communication
What does EC cost?
EC can initially be tried out with almost no additional costs. You can continue to use your current backup and hold your baby over a sink or toilet, for example. Additional costs only arise if you want to buy equipment such as potties, EC diapers, washable inserts, or special clothing.
Is EC financially worthwhile?
It can be. The crucial factors are the additional acquisition costs, the price of the disposable diapers otherwise used, and the number of diapers that are actually no longer needed.
How much can you save with EC?
If, simplified, about 1,000 disposable diapers are not needed over the entire diapering period, that would be about 300 Euros less in diaper costs at an exemplary unit price of 30 cents. With more expensive diapers, the possible savings are higher, with cheaper ones correspondingly lower.
With our diaper cost calculator, you can do this calculation with your own figures.
Do I need an EC diaper for EC?
No. For trying it out, you can use your current backup. An EC diaper can make everyday life easier later because it is specifically designed for quick opening during EC.
Do I need an EC potty?
No. You can also hold your baby over a sink or toilet. A small potty can be practical, especially at night and when on the go.
What is the cheapest way to start EC?
First, continue to use your existing backup and try a simple EC moment over the sink or toilet. This way, you can find out if EC suits you before buying additional equipment.
When does EC equipment pay for itself?
This depends on the purchase price and the unit price of the actually avoided disposable diapers. The simple calculation is: cost of equipment divided by the price per diaper. Washing and care costs of reusable products should also be considered.
Does every EC session save money?
No. Money is only directly saved on diapers if no new disposable diaper is actually needed. If an already used diaper is changed, additional EC does not automatically save another diaper.
Is EC worthwhile even with inexpensive disposable diapers?
It can be worthwhile, but the financial saving per avoided diaper is smaller. Those who buy little additional equipment and use it for a long time can still reduce diaper costs.
Conclusion: EC can save money – but you don't have to buy anything to start
Perhaps the most beautiful number in this article is:
0 Euros.
That's how much your first EC moment can cost.
Your baby wakes up.
You open their backup.
Hold them briefly over the sink.
Perhaps a pee comes out.
Perhaps the backup stays clean.
And perhaps this will eventually create a familiar little moment.
Then you might realize:
A potty would help us.
Or an EC diaper.
Or trousers that open faster.
Then your equipment can grow with you.
Not because EC needs a shopping list.
But because some things actually make your everyday life easier.
And if, over the years, several hundred or perhaps even several thousand disposable diapers are no longer needed as a result, this can also be financially noticeable.
But the beginning can be very small: your baby, a sink, and a quiet moment.
Read more
- Diaper Cost Calculator: Calculate your personal diaper costs
- One Diaper Less Per Day: How much money does that really save?
- How many diapers does a baby really use?
- EC Starter Set: What do I really need?
- What is Elimination Communication? EC explained simply
Try it first. Then see what really helps you.
You don't have to buy a complete set of equipment for EC right away.
Our free starter guide first shows you how to begin easily.
And if you then realize that EC suits you well, you'll find things at Mata Origin that make these small moments easier: an EC potty, EC diapers, washable inserts, and EC trousers that open quickly.
