DEAR STEPHANIE: I have a 1 year old and need to save money on diapers, so I am considering joining a wholesale club. Do you have any suggestions for how to pay the lowest price possible for disposable diapers?

DEAR READER: Yes, after having two children myself I know that diapers can be very expensive! It’s worth taking time to research and compare prices to save hundreds of dollars over the years. However, shopping at wholesale clubs is not the only way to save money on diapers.

You have three basic options when buying disposable diapers: name brands (like Huggies or Pampers), generic or store brands, or large bulk packages (either name brand or store brand) from a wholesale club like Costco or Sam’s Club. There are tricks to saving money on each of these options. Each shopper needs to weigh the pros and cons of each option for their own circumstances. For example, is the nearest wholesale club an hour’s drive away? Would stocking up on several months’ worth of diapers that you found on sale at your supermarket challenge your budget’s cash flow? Can your baby wear any brand of diapers or is he or she sensitive to certain brands? Also consider factors such as the cost of gasoline required to travel further to stores.

Begin your price comparison by identifying a few nearby retail stores (supermarkets, drugstore chains and discount stores), online retailers and a wholesale club if you have one in your area. Realize that package sizes may vary, so to be sure you are comparing apples to apples by noting prices for the same size diaper of many different brands. Package sizes will probably vary by store, so simply divide the total price of the package by the diaper quantity to arrive at your unit cost per diaper.

In calculating the per-diaper price of each option, the package price is not the only factor to consider. Savings programs like baby clubs, Upromise and store rebate programs can save you even more if you are loyal to a particular diaper brand or retail store.

Supermarkets may offer programs like baby clubs, which vary by retailer. Many clubs offer extra baby product coupons, and some give automatic rebates into an account based on the purchase price. For example, my supermarket’s baby club rebate is 5 percent of the price paid for name brand diapers, and 10 percent of the price paid for their store brand diapers.

The Upromise program, available at many supermarkets and drugstores, gives members 3 percent rebates on the purchase price of Huggies diapers into a college savings account. If you prefer the Huggies brand, be sure you are taking advantage of the Upromise program during the several years you’ll be buying diapers. Get more details at www.upromise.com.

Drugstores frequently offer “buy one, get one free” or 50 percent off sales on their own brand of diapers. Stocking up on regular sized packages (rather than larger packages from wholesale clubs) may be more practical because you can always exchange unopened diaper packages for the next size if your baby outgrows the size of diaper you stockpiled.

Don’t forget coupons! If you prefer brand name diapers, watch for coupons in the Sunday newspaper circular, check the diaper company Web site, and let friends and relatives know that you would be happy to take their unused diaper coupons!

You can also buy many brands of diapers from online retailers, and if they offer free shipping, this can be an affordable option. Amazon.com has offered special promotions on various diaper brands, as well as retailers like drugstore.com and 1800diapers.com. Drugstore.com also offers a 5 percent rebate program on diaper purchases. To find more online diaper retailers and to compare prices easily, search diaper prices at a shopping comparison site like www.shopzilla.com.

Finally, if you ruled out store brand diapers in the past because they didn’t work for your baby, consider trying a store brand diaper again as they get older. As their legs get fatter (fewer leaks) and their skin becomes less sensitive, you may find that the generic diapers work fine, and they are probably much less expensive than name brands.