Debunking a flawed hypothesis! Using diapers may be more cost effective than using the toilet!

[EcoIncon]

Reader beware… this science experiment gets a little nerdy.

So… I have limited and continuously decreasing continence. If I give in and use pads when I don’t have to, I seem to lose it faster and struggle getting control back. A key part of my choice to continue fighting the good fight was my hypothesis “I save money by using less pads/diapers”. The obvious observation… if I use the toilet whenever I can, I will use on average 1 overnight brief and 2 pull-ups a day. This costs me about $2.50/day. If I just pee in a diaper all the time, I’ll go through 4 briefs and 1 overnight brief a day. This costs me $5.50/day. So it seemed obvious that I was saving $90/month.

Then I remembered the old adage “time is money”…

I measured the time required to use the toilet or change at home or in public spaces for about 3 weeks. I came up with two averages… It takes me about on average 4 minutes and 8 seconds (I’ve gotten pretty quick) to find a place to take off my disposable, change it, wipe, add cream or powder if needed, put on a clean incontinence product, wash my hands and return to what I was doing. Conversely, it takes on average 3 minutes and 36 seconds for me to find a toilet, use it, wash my hands and return to my prior activity. On the surface, it appears even considering time is money my hypothesis “I save money by using less pads/diapers” is safe.

Then I considered the number of times I have to change or visit the toilet. OAB sucks. On an average day if I try to use the toilet as often as possible, I’ll make 22 trips to the restroom… of those, three will be to change a wet pull-up or overnight diaper and 19 will be to pee. That means I spend 80.8 minutes out of the day associated with relieving myself (this was a sobering realization)!!! Using a diaper all the time, I’ll spend 20 minutes and 40 seconds in the restroom changing 5 times a day. That’s a difference of almost an hour a day!!!

How do I value my time? Well, I have 15 discretionary hours a day. I have a good job so spreading my average earnings over 5,475 hours of time a year means an hour is $32.90 to me and if I have more time in the day, I can work more and make more money. Now I am freaked out... my hypothesis is totally wrong. By spending the extra $3/day and using diapers full time, I net $30/day in additional time back.

So… using diapers all the time will actually maximize my utility… Now why will I continue to try to fight incontinence? I need a reason. Pride in being able to hold it occasionally, yes… but is that enough?

Clearly your situation will vary based on many factors… Taxes (ignored in this model), cost of accessories for diapering, #2, the value of an hour of your time, the number of times and how urgently nature calls to you, how far you are willing to push a diaper on capacity (not very far for me), how often you are out of the house (and therefore how long it takes to get to the bathroom), whether you use pull-ups or diapers, cloth or disposables, are among a slew of variables…

I worked through a lot more scenarios using different types of diapers (cloth, pull-ups, etc.) thinking about it from this perspective… If you’d like me to share some of those I will upon request. I thought the results of this scenario were the most surprising and thought provoking.

 

[SparkyDog]

Haha cool thought experiment definitely gets a little nerdy but I like it.
I typically use 4x diapers per day at 2.50 each so 10 dollars a day
300 a month way more than my water bill. I still use the toilet for #2 so I'm i think I am in the camp where diapers cost me more than using toilet.
That's not even counting wipes, creams & powder etc or extra laundry if an accident

 

[BabyCorry]

If you're willing to stay in a wet diaper longer by using something with more absorbance, you would save more time and spend the same or less on diapers. If you're changing/using 4 diapers through the day (not counting your overnight diaper), stepping up to a higher absorbency would eliminate two changes, or at least one for sure. If we split the difference and say 1.5 less diapers and changes, over the coarse of a week that's 10 less diapers and diaper changes.

You would be spending roughly the same on diapers, maybe a bit more. For the same of simplicity lets call that a wash.

BUT...

You'd be spending 45 minutes less a week changing. Using your same time value, that's roughly $27 in time savings.

TL/DR version. Spend more on higher quality diapers, and you'll save more time having to change and might even find an overall net savings on diapers too.

 

[Joediaper]

Spend more on higher quality diapers, and you'll save more time having to change and might even find an overall net savings on diapers too.

I was thinking this very same thing while reading Eco's post.

 

[TheGazelle]

If I used diapers full time I would spend anywhere from $5-7.50 on diapers a day. I can work a 12 hour day without stopping for a bathroom in a mega max. So based on your calculations I’m probably making more than I’m spending due to the fact that I get paid by the job.

The other thing to take into account is money saved on water bill or septic care. Where I live I don’t have a water bill but have to maintain a septic and by using diapers there is a decent bit less maintenance

 

[Diaperman95]

Reader beware… this science experiment gets a little nerdy.

So… I have limited and continuously decreasing continence. If I give in and use pads when I don’t have to, I seem to lose it faster and struggle getting control back. A key part of my choice to continue fighting the good fight was my hypothesis “I save money by using less pads/diapers”. The obvious observation… if I use the toilet whenever I can, I will use on average 1 overnight brief and 2 pull-ups a day. This costs me about $2.50/day. If I just pee in a diaper all the time, I’ll go through 4 briefs and 1 overnight brief a day. This costs me $5.50/day. So it seemed obvious that I was saving $90/month.

Then I remembered the old adage “time is money”…

I measured the time required to use the toilet or change at home or in public spaces for about 3 weeks. I came up with two averages… It takes me about on average 4 minutes and 8 seconds (I’ve gotten pretty quick) to find a place to take off my disposable, change it, wipe, add cream or powder if needed, put on a clean incontinence product, wash my hands and return to what I was doing. Conversely, it takes on average 3 minutes and 36 seconds for me to find a toilet, use it, wash my hands and return to my prior activity. On the surface, it appears even considering time is money my hypothesis “I save money by using less pads/diapers” is safe.

Then I considered the number of times I have to change or visit the toilet. OAB sucks. On an average day if I try to use the toilet as often as possible, I’ll make 22 trips to the restroom… of those, three will be to change a wet pull-up or overnight diaper and 19 will be to pee. That means I spend 80.8 minutes out of the day associated with relieving myself (this was a sobering realization)!!! Using a diaper all the time, I’ll spend 20 minutes and 40 seconds in the restroom changing 5 times a day. That’s a difference of almost an hour a day!!!

How do I value my time? Well, I have 15 discretionary hours a day. I have a good job so spreading my average earnings over 5,475 hours of time a year means an hour is $32.90 to me and if I have more time in the day, I can work more and make more money. Now I am freaked out... my hypothesis is totally wrong. By spending the extra $3/day and using diapers full time, I net $30/day in additional time back.

So… using diapers all the time will actually maximize my utility… Now why will I continue to try to fight incontinence? I need a reason. Pride in being able to hold it occasionally, yes… but is that enough?

Clearly your situation will vary based on many factors… Taxes (ignored in this model), cost of accessories for diapering, #2, the value of an hour of your time, the number of times and how urgently nature calls to you, how far you are willing to push a diaper on capacity (not very far for me), how often you are out of the house (and therefore how long it takes to get to the bathroom), whether you use pull-ups or diapers, cloth or disposables, are among a slew of variables…

I worked through a lot more scenarios using different types of diapers (cloth, pull-ups, etc.) thinking about it from this perspective… If you’d like me to share some of those I will upon request. I thought the results of this scenario were the most surprising and thought provoking.

Wow. I can certainly understand the multiple trip to the restroom as a person with interstitial cystitis. To much time running to the restroom is why I went 24/7 many many years ago. Now I have hardly any control if I tried.

But my real question is what products are you using that cheap that can catch a entire day of urine for less than 6 bucks? I use 2 or 3 and sometimes 4 mega max a day if the poop gets to me. I use pullups during the day some times and they are cheaper but they hold far less and I have to change them several times. I am now on Disability and not working with increasing prices I have started using condom catheters in the evening and night. They are only 2 bucks and I can use them at home and in bed and get by with one mega max a day when doing so. But I will not use a leg bag and they are a pain in the ass when real active. Pluss I still wear a diaper over incase they leak. But if they don't I remove the condom catheter and wear it the next day. I finally found one that rarely leaks.
But the Mega max are almost 3 bucks each. And having worn my entire adult life from the 90's to now I use to use 7 or 8 cheap diapers a day. I finally got smart and decided the high cap diapers pay for them selves. Just not price wise but not having to change so often in public or work. All the high cap diapers are all so expensive now and I cant think of any diapers under 2 bucks that would give me 8 hours. So I was just wondering how you are getting by less than 6 bucks a day using only absorbent products?

 

[SparkyDog]

If you're willing to stay in a wet diaper longer by using something with more absorbance, you would save more time and spend the same or less on diapers. If you're changing/using 4 diapers through the day (not counting your overnight diaper), stepping up to a higher absorbency would eliminate two changes, or at least one for sure. If we split the difference and say 1.5 less diapers and changes, over the coarse of a week that's 10 less diapers and diaper changes.

You would be spending roughly the same on diapers, maybe a bit more. For the same of simplicity lets call that a wash.

BUT...

You'd be spending 45 minutes less a week changing. Using your same time value, that's roughly $27 in time savings.

TL/DR version. Spend more on higher quality diapers, and you'll save more time having to change and might even find an overall net savings on diapers too.

I already have decent quality diapers
Abena L4
iam not willing to stay in a wet diaper longer to save a few bucks and have to live with the smell & damage to my skin

 

[EcoIncon]

If you're willing to stay in a wet diaper longer by using something with more absorbance, you would save more time and spend the same or less on diapers. If you're changing/using 4 diapers through the day (not counting your overnight diaper), stepping up to a higher absorbency would eliminate two changes, or at least one for sure. If we split the difference and say 1.5 less diapers and changes, over the coarse of a week that's 10 less diapers and diaper changes.

You would be spending roughly the same on diapers, maybe a bit more. For the same of simplicity lets call that a wash.

BUT...

You'd be spending 45 minutes less a week changing. Using your same time value, that's roughly $27 in time savings.

TL/DR version. Spend more on higher quality diapers, and you'll save more time having to change and might even find an overall net savings on diapers too.

@BabyCorry and @Joediaper ... I hear ya and totally appreciate that may be a great solution for some... But I have to be in diapers all the time and I don't like to wear a wet one more than a couple hours... Once it feels wet it has to come off...
1. I have gotten a rash from Candida before and creams don't work on those very well. They seriously are a hazard to my health so I prefer to change more often
2. I really don't like people noting my diaper use if I can avoid it and the products I tend to use are a fair bit thinner and I think more discreet than the ones you're talking about.
3. The smell seems to not get noticeable for a couple hours but after that...

Thanks for the thoughts! Agree generally with the sentiment.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Ah, but "what would YOU pay?" for a method of bodily waste control that was cleaner, faster to use, required less things to lug with you, performed better odor control, led to far less lost time & money due to chronic dermatoses and saved time in your workaday lost to frequent diaper changes? Plus, who'd want to change another adult's diaper, even if paid? It's enough that babies must use diapers because their still-under-construction brains cannot process or fathom the idea of biological process & controls...and even if they could understand, they could not physically address it. One could argue that diapers are far cheaper, and I have my reasons for disagreeing with your view...but what price Paradise (by the by, take an "a" out of paradise and you get "diapers" )? People would--and do--pay for these things. Because they feel that some things have more value than their cost, be that value monetary, social, health and so on. And then again...you'd be stunned to see how much money is spent on vanity with no purpose.

 

[EcoIncon]

So I was just wondering how you are getting by less than 6 bucks a day using only absorbent products?

I use BetterDry at night. I get them on subscription from LL Medico for $1.50/each and then a mix of Molicare 6D and 8D (depending on how long I can go between changes) purchased on autoship through carewell for either $0.83 or $1.17/each. I use a washable underpad at night 'cause I do still have some leaks at night but never have leaks by day. So 4 x average $1 + $1.50 = $5.50.

 

[blaincorrous]

(by the by, take an "a" out of paradise and you get "diapers" )

In other words, you can’t spell “paradise” without “diapers”?

 

[Kayleigh]

“Time is money” when you can directly attribute some type of benefit that can be financially calculated to the time. In the case where you are working and take a few minutes to go to the bathroom, you do not lose money because you went to the bathroom. If you forsake all your trips to the bathroom, can you leave work early and still be paid for the entire day? Will you truly get in another hour of productive work by reducing your bathroom trips, and, if so, will you receive additional compensation for that more productive day?

IMHO I believe the analysis should stick to the costs of diapers and diaper related materials because they are definitive costs.

 

[SparkyDog]

“Time is money” when you can directly attribute some type of benefit that can be financially calculated to the time. In the case where you are working and take a few minutes to go to the bathroom, you do not lose money because you went to the bathroom. If you forsake all your trips to the bathroom, can you leave work early and still be paid for the entire day? Will you truly get in another hour of productive work by reducing your bathroom trips, and, if so, will you receive additional compensation for that more productive day?

IMHO I believe the analysis should stick to the costs of diapers and diaper related materials because they are definitive costs.

Do employees offer this option? Don't use bathrooms / breaks get off early? Never heard of that

 

[EcoIncon]

“Time is money” when you can directly attribute some type of benefit that can be financially calculated to the time. In the case where you are working and take a few minutes to go to the bathroom, you do not lose money because you went to the bathroom. If you forsake all your trips to the bathroom, can you leave work early and still be paid for the entire day? Will you truly get in another hour of productive work by reducing your bathroom trips, and, if so, will you receive additional compensation for that more productive day?

IMHO I believe the analysis should stick to the costs of diapers and diaper related materials because they are definitive costs.

Good questions. Yes. I get paid by the hour for actual work performed. So for me, there is an opportunity cost associated with time I don't work. No. If I'm not actively working, I don't get paid.

I understand your opinion and it's fair. But different ways of looking at things sometimes reveal unexpected results and this was a case like that. This logic applies, I think, to a small segment of the population. I'm not even sure it will change my behavior because of so many other intangibles (the impact to the environment of using so many diapers for example).

 

[EcoIncon]

Do employees offer this option? Don't use bathrooms / breaks get off early? Never heard of that

I am guessing more people would be buying Depends!

 

[SparkyDog]

I am guessing more people would be buying Depends!

haha I doubt it for most of people diapers are for babies

I understand your post. Doesn't work for me but glad it works for you
we have to do what works best for each person

 

[fleckothefennec]

I get paid by the hour and work for myself. This means when I stop working to visit the bathroom I'm basically being paid to relieve myself

Works for me

On top of that I would not feel comfortable wearing diapers while I work for others, it's something I do in the privacy of my own space

 

[CptKirk]

I too am paid by the job. Thankfully all of the education (never ending in the automotive-truck technology/diagnostic/repair field) paid off handsomely for me, though I wouldn't recommend younger people get into the field as I've EASILY spent well over $150k on education/training/classes + tools, tool boxes, equipment, certifications etc etc etc.
Being a Disabled Vet I no longer HAVE to work, but I DETEST sitting still/doing nothing when I'm able to. I wind up unable to do much of anything enough all winter long.
Outside of doing CASH jobs for former customers, family & friends I've been building "resto-mods" with one of my best friends for the past few years with each vehicle worth over $6000/profit each although that's an average of $1000/month. In the end it works out to be just over $60/hour-each as both of us being disabled means we're only able to work an avg of 2 days/week for as few as 3 hours or as long as 6, but we'll both pay dearly for that the following days.
I'm fortunate as alongside of all of the medical professionals who've ever treated me knowing of my issues so does my entire family & roughly 20 honest to God true friends...so wearing isn't a problem.

 

[EcoIncon]

Being a Disabled Vet I no longer HAVE to work, but I DETEST sitting still/doing nothing when I'm able to.

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. It's such a small thing to just say thanks for such a price but I appreciate you.

I am really glad you get to make a little extra cash doing something that sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[CptKirk]

@EcoIncon I don't know if you are also on the "FETLIFE" web group, but I am under the handle "Pamper-Man". I have pics of my own "toy" (the car badly obscured by tire smoke in my profile pic here) more than 95% complete on its' 2nd total restoration/upgrades/body/paint etc etc. The drive train has been done since '08 (604 HP @ 7200 RPM, 383 stroker, FULL roller, Brodix headed (aluminum) forged /lightened crank etc etc) with a TH375B (oddball, uni-bellhousing that fit Buick-Olds-Pontiac & Chevy engines plus has upgraded components over a stock TH350) though I will be going to a 700R4 eventually so I can run a much more aggressive rear gear ratio. I run a 3.73:1 ratio now as that allows the car to be driven at highway speeds (going to car shows, Chevy's @ Carlisle etc) while keeping my RPMs under 3000 (2750-ish@65mph) but I give up a full second in the 1/4 mile running a long gear and really "tight" 9" torque converter as again, my days of track racing more than every once in a blue moon are long gone and driveability matters most know (along with making this the best handling "lead sled" on earth with the same size tires...full tubular suspension, MASSIVE sway bars, KYB ultra stiff (75/25) shocks & massive brakes) but with an overdrive trans with lock-up torque converter I can get away with a 4.10:1, 4.30:1 or even 4.56:1 rear gear.
This car, on street tires, through the exhaust pipes (3" stainless "X" pipe direct out of the headers with illegal "dump pipes" (flip a switch and run open headers essentially) into a pair of Flowmaster 40's into 3" stainless tailpipes with 4" ultra gorgeous exhaust tips making the large pipes look HUGE) ran an 11.19 @ 122.4mph. With slicks, a torque converter better matched to the ridiculous camshaft (full roller) I'm running (4500 RPM race converter) and a 4.10:1 rear gear this 3700lb beast that's comfortable to drive, has a gorgeous interior and 7 channels of amplified stereo (MUST ENSURE I NEVER hear (C)rap!!!) this car would be in the lower 10 second range. Being I refuse to cut this car up for a roll cage & rear tubs ("back" half the car) it's illegal to race as it is now anyway unless I slow it down to run 12.00 seconds or slower as NHRA rules demand a full cage in anything quicker than 11.99 1/4 mile time.
I'll NEVER have the fastest car around no matter what as I've built cars for guys who spent 10x what I have into my entire car on the engine alone! It is possible to spend well over $50,000.00 for a CNC machined water jacketed billet aluminum engine block alone with engine build into the $150k range not at all unheard of. I just read an article about a diesel race builder who DE-TUNED his engine to "ONLY" make 3300 HP for a drag & drive event. These are events where you must drive the car, make several passes/races at 2-5 different tracks without being allowed to do much of anything to the vehicle the entire day sans adjust air pressure etc. He had his trans develop an issue halfway through but he still made the day complete and the sick part is he was far from the quickest vehicle in this competition!
I liked it better in the late 80s/early 90s when a 13 second car on the street would blow the doors off of 97/100 avg vehicles also on the street (I do NOT advocate street racing unless in the middle of nowhere) and any 16 year old kid with some knowledge, the ability to learn could learn LOADS by volunteering to work for an engine builder, small garage, trans builder etc. Those days are LONG GONE. I literally am more educated than 99.5% of my peers and I still only know a miniscule amount of what I WANT TO KNOW! Anyone who claims they know everything about this industry is an idiot and lying through their teeth. I read tech articles an avg of 6 hours/week, attend classes/updates regularly and again, know very little of what I want to know.
On Fetlife there's also pics of a '73 Cuda I built for one of my best friends that has 500+ HP (estimate is 525 due to iron heads and a flat tappet camshaft) though it's exotic in its' own right as it is a 360 Chrysler small block stroked out to 416 C.I. .... I've built 2 Corvettes this year, one was a COMPLETE build (made 1 car out of 3, literally) while the other was already built body/frame wise but had stock suspension/brakes/carbureted 350 and now has tubular suspension up from with coil-over shocks & 475 lb (is adjustable within a small window) front spring rate, a 375 lb spring rate in the rear (composite single leaf not only much lighter than numerous steel leaves but far more capable) I fabricated triangulated frame braces in both the front & rear & had custom made 1 steel crossmember made (trans crossmember) & 1 Aluminum crossmember made (the rear differential bolts to this member) with aluminum bushings attaching this member to the chassis which MUST be greased. Went with Aluminum here as there is literally minimal movement. Went with a complete Brembo brake system...already had 4 wheel disc brakes but they were HEAVY (unsprung weight destroys handling therefore the less unsprung weight you can carry the more accurate your jounce/rebound control will be. UNSPRUNG weight is ALL weight NOT supported by the springs (front/rear) such as tire/wheel assy's, brake rotors/drums/calipers ,lower control arms (in all but a very few vehicles where front springs were mounted on top of upper control arms)... The "Filet Mignon" of this is a Port injected 454 making over 750 naturally aspirated HP with the build able to handle a supercharger when/IF he decides to get crazier with this. I don't think there is a single original wire in this entire Vette, front to rear! Spent at least 40 hours wiring alone but this includes tearing complete interior out of car from the dash on back as he had the original interior totally restored in GORGEOUS dark brown leather with gold Chevy "Bow-Tie" emblems on the upright part of each seat. Guy who did the leather work IS an ARTIST!

Sorry to get carried away and bore you guys/gals.

Thank you for thanking me for the service! I sincerely appreciate that! I didn't have much of an option personally as that was pretty much the only option I had that made attending a top tier technical college possible. I was 11b (infantry) when I joined then 63N (tank mechanic on the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank) once in the Pa National Guard. Aside from far too many health issues (lead by NON STOP PAIN) I don't regret serving even a little.

I honestly feel that if you are not willing to fight and maybe die for what you have & what you believe in then you deserve NONE OF THOSE THINGS!! The sad fact that the military, despite paying far better today compared to 25 short years ago can't come close to their recruiting needs while I know loads of 18-25 year old guys who are struggling BADLY but refuse to consider the military. I know these guys cause i coached them in either football or wrestling, many in both sports. SHOCKED is where I'll leave that.