There are many reasons to switch to cloth pads. One of the most rewarding can be the savings. Depending on how many cloth pads you buy, how often you are willing to wash them and how early in your life you start using them, you could save $700 or more. Here are some ways I’ve thought up that you could save even more.

1)Buy pads that have been pre loved. Yes, I said it. There are Facebook groups that are dedicated to allowing people to sell cloth pads that still have life in them but the seller just needs to “down size” or wants different patterns/fabrics. This definitely helps you to save money, especially if they are close by and the shipping is low.

2)Try to buy sets or kits to decrease the cost. When I make up cloth pad sets or kits with laundry bags, I usually take a small percentage off to thank you for buying a larger than usual order. Even if you don’t need a laundry bag and you buy a set that includes one, you can sell or give it to a friend, or sell it on Facebook!

3)Buy all heavy or moderate pads. This one might not occur to some people, but if you buy a heavy pad you could technically use it for heavy, moderate and light flow needs. This eliminates the need for three pads. If you bought long pads in heavy or moderate flows, you could cover your needs for overnight, heavy, moderate and light flow days. The only down side to this is that longer pads are more expensive and that it means you might be washing your stash more often that you should, which slightly decrease the lifetime.

4)Combine your cloth pads with menstrual cups or discs. This means less flow actually gets into your cloth pads. This would reduce the need for a large stash, and would mean less wash frequency which helps extend the lifetime of each pad.

5)Look for discounted pads. Sometimes cloth pads will get sewn up and have some cosmetic flaws. These are slight errors in stitching or pattern placement that do not affect their function but only their beauty. If you can overlook these flaws, you can get a discount!

There you go, five awesome ways to help stretch that dollar! Not to mention the amount of trash that you are diverting from landfills and oceans. Add some posh to your period today!