Saturday, January 16, 2010

Budgeting for Baby Shower Gifts

I currently have three close friends that are expecting right now and so I will be attending at least three baby showers during the course of 2010. It’s only January, so I could feasibly have other friends with “special announcements” as the year goes on. So now comes the question, How much I should budget for each baby gift? I’m thinking of setting a limit of $25-$35 per gift. I'd love to spend more, but I think that limit is what I can reasonably afford right now with the other goals I am saving for this year. As a twenty-something, I expect to have to allot money for wedding and baby shower gifts pretty regularly for the next several years, so I'd better get used to it!

I like giving a variety of things and usually use gift bags but this time, I plan to look for inexpensive baskets to put the gifts in which is “greener” anyway because they can be reused. I won’t actually go into detail on what gifts I plan to give because I believe some of my friends occasionally read this blog (and I’ll also make the final decisions after looking at their registries), but here are some items I’ve given as baby gifts in the past that have fit in my targeted price range:

  • Bath toys
  • Bath tubs
  • Diaper bags
  • Baby bath towels and wash cloths
  • Lotions, soaps, shampoo
  • Diapers
  • Onesies (6 months or older)
  • Clothing (6 months or older)
  • First Aid Kits for babies
  • Spa gift certificate for Mom-to-be

How do you decide what price-limits to set on gifts for special occasions like baby showers?

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

For these types of gifts, I try not to spend more than $20. My goal is to get things that have a bigger value. I go to stores like Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, Filiens Basement, TJMaxx to shop. I don't have a set list and I don't buy off of gift registries. Even though I only spend $20 the perception is that I spent more and I don't feel cheap.

For example, I had several friends have lingerie showers. I went into Ross, picked up 2-3 sets at $6 each. They were all a brand that was sold in Kohl's for $20-30 a set. The bride-to-be was satisfied and greatful and I didn't break the bank.

Good luck