Cloth Pads: Why?

Lets be honest: disposable pads are easy. So why switch to cloth?

There are two reasons: saving money and saving the environment. I will be the first one to say that cloth pads are not for everyone, and unless you care about one of the aforementioned reasons, I'd be hard-pressed to convince you to switch.

For me, both reasons are enough to make using cloth worth the extra effort. Now, first understand that when I say "saving the environment" I don't mean it in a hug-a-tree-save-the-whales type way. I am not an environmentalist. I simply mean that when I think of all the plasticky disposable items covered in human waste that we pile into heaps, it disgusts me. I'm a frugal type person, who doesn't like to waste. I would never pile up that kind of waste in my backyard if I knew of a reusable alternative, so why keep contributing to it in a landfill?

The second reason, saving money, is also very important to me. I love seeing how I can free up money for other purposes--whether it's to give more away or to spend it on something where there really is no alternative or DIY solution. You know, something that I have to keep buying. 

For the sake of easy numbers, lets say you spend $10 a month on disposable pads. It doesn't seem like a lot, but in a year it adds up to $120. 

To get a stash of 20 pads (which is what I'd recommend to make it through a normal cycle), it would cost about $30 to sew them yourself. That would be a savings of $90 in the first year alone!

If you can't sew--buying a stash of 20 pads (anywhere from $70-100) is still well below what you'd spend in a year. 

However, that's only counting the first year's impact. Your reusable pads have the potential to last for many years if properly care for. Each year that you continue using your pads, you can pocket that $120!

I don't know about you, but that sounds good to me.

Now that we've examined the why of cloth pads, stay tuned for part 2 where I'll break down the how-- How do you make using cloth pads work?