How Much to Spend on a Baby Shower Gift?

[littlelysser]

Hello there folks...

Just wanted to get your take on something...

I''m going to TWO baby showers in the next few weeks...neither of the moms-to-be are super close friends of mine...

When my close friends have baby showers, I usually spend between $100-200 on stuff...

Is it alright to spend less on someone that isn''t as close?

What do you normally spend on a shower for a friend...but not a close friend?

 

[steph72276]

Absolutely! If it were not a close friend, there is no way I would spend that much! Are they registerd somewhere? What I do a lot of times is get a cute basket and put a towel, baby lotions, shampoo, powder etc. in it. It is cute and not too expensive and has all the necessities a new mom needs for her baby.

 

[curlygirl]

Yes, if it's someone you're not that close to, you don't have to spend as much. I would probably give a $50 gift to someone who wasn't a dear friend or family. And honestly, you can get away with less--I just live in NYC where everything is at least that expensive!!! If the person is registered, she probably has a range of price points so you should be able to find something that she wants at the amount you feel comfortable spending.

 

[FireGoddess]

I definitely scale depending on the relationship...for my best friend, I got her the carseat they registered for. For acquaintances, I probably spend $30-50 off the registry.

 

[Skippy123]

Usually $40-$50 for a friend I have known a year or year and half. If it is an acquaintence then $20-$30's. I meet so many people get invited to stuff and then hardly ever see them again so it really depends.

 

[VegasAngel]

Wow, I''m the cheap one

I spend $25 maybe $30 bucks on aquaintences. I''ll either get a giftcard or go to Marshall''s where I can pick up baby items for a lot less than Babiesrus, etc.

 

[laine]

I'm with VegasAngel on this one, acquaintances would probably get $25 bucks, friends I'd spend $50, maybe $100 if I knew they really needed stuff or couldn't afford it. Then again, I'm a grad student with a very tiny salary, so its sort of proportional, if I made more, I'm sure I'd spend more.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I''d spend about $25-30 for a person who was just a general acquaintance. That is the norm and acceptable. Plus, you have to factor in gift wrap and ribbons, cards, etc., which also add to your costs.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 11/9/2007 1:54:50 PM
Author: MC
I''d spend about $25-30 for a person who was just a general acquaintance. That is the norm and acceptable. Plus, you have to factor in gift wrap and ribbons, cards, etc., which also add to your costs.

me too. or i try to find someone else or a few someone else''s to go in a joint big ticket item. so 4 of us buy a $100 swing or something.

 

[blueyes157]

Vegasangel brought up a good point. Go to a Marshall''s or TJMaxx. They have a lot of nice stuff at great prices. You walk away with some nice items that LOOK exepensive and you may have only spent $20-$30 for the lot.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 11/9/2007 2:46:41 PM
Author: mrssalvo

me too. or i try to find someone else or a few someone else''s to go in a joint big ticket item. so 4 of us buy a $100 swing or something.

This is one of my favorite options too....a coworker was preggo and the lab chipped in and got her the stroller. It was a nice gift instead of all of us just getting a few small items.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I spend around $30-$40 for the shower gift but usually also buy another gift when the baby is born.

 

[monarch64]

I really like to do books for shower gifts...you can get a nice hardcover for around $15-20, and then supplement with some inexpensive accessories like teethers or rattles or whatever, put it all in a solid color gift bag and pretty coordinated tissue and you''re all set.

 

[diamondsrock]

I agree that $25 -$30 or so is a good amount for an acquaintance. If it''s a family member (cousin, etc.) I would spend about $50. One of my good friends is having a baby and I spent close to $100 on her shower gift recently. I gave her a boppy, extra boppy cover, towels, cap, bib, toy and 2 books. It adds up fast!
I agree that books are a great item to give. Most people don''t think of giving them, but to me, reading to a young child is so important. I gave her Goodnight Moon and The Going to Bed Book. Two of my faves! There were only two of us who gave books at the shower, so it''s not like she had too many of them. I think she got something like 10 blankets, though, which is why I didn''t give a blanket. I knew she''d get a lot since they are so soft, who wouldn''t want to give one?

 

[divergrrl]

I spend $20 to $30 on not so close friends.

Vegas: The only problem with getting stuff from Marshalls, etc...is unless you know what the mom needs, you run the risk of wasting your money. My aunt & SIL do this all the time & both sent me some odd items that I can''t use & wound up putting in the goodwill bag because the fit/sizing was wierd and there was no way I could exchange it. (the onesies were sooo wide & short...I don''t know what baby could wear it...unless if was truly a canteloupe) I mean if you pull a registry and see some Sassy toys or a Bundle me & then go to TJMaxx or Marshalls & see the same item half off (which I have & have snapped up) then go for it, but I''ve found a lot of the baby stuff at discount stores is irregular & weird. You are better off giving them a small gift card or books, etc....then something that just gets tossed & your time & money was wasted.

(this is on my mind because I have a HUGE bag of stuff like this going to Goodwill today & it breaks my heart).

 

[Mara]

definitely spend what you feel is appropriate for the shower, for close friends i typically do $100-150 and for acquaintances i might go in with a few other people (aka coworkers) to get something larger that is on the registry OR just do like 2-3 small things in a bag or basket from the registry that is more like $40-50.

however, i LOVE buying baby stuff so i can go overboard even when i don''t know the person very well. there is just so much cute stuff out there! my cousin is pregnant with the first child for our generation of girls and i already have spent something like $300 on her baby girl and she''s still got a month to go hahaha. i attended both her showers, went in on the stroller with my parents and got her this $50 snuggle nest thing that my neighbors have that their new baby LOVES. and then i was at the mall and janie and jack was having a big sale so i got 3 outfits for 3-9 months for $50 so that is her xmas gift. i am such a baby gift whore! our neighbors have a boy and i already have gotten him 3-4 things since he was born (he''s 3 months old) and i want to get him this wheelybug riding toy thing for xmas even though he won''t be able to ride it for oh...another year. hehehe.

 

[divergrrl]

Date: 11/13/2007 2:20:52 PM
Author: Mara
definitely spend what you feel is appropriate for the shower, for close friends i typically do $100-150 and for acquaintances i might go in with a few other people (aka coworkers) to get something larger that is on the registry OR just do like 2-3 small things in a bag or basket from the registry that is more like $40-50.

however, i LOVE buying baby stuff so i can go overboard even when i don''t know the person very well. there is just so much cute stuff out there! my cousin is pregnant with the first child for our generation of girls and i already have spent something like $300 on her baby girl and she''s still got a month to go hahaha. i attended both her showers, went in on the stroller with my parents and got her this $50 snuggle nest thing that my neighbors have that their new baby LOVES. and then i was at the mall and janie and jack was having a big sale so i got 3 outfits for 3-9 months for $50 so that is her xmas gift. i am such a baby gift whore! our neighbors have a boy and i already have gotten him 3-4 things since he was born (he''s 3 months old) and i want to get him this wheelybug riding toy thing for xmas even though he won''t be able to ride it for oh...another year. hehehe.

Ummm Mara...where''s my gift for my new baby girl Delaney? I''ve got a cute one you can spoil..j''adore Janie & Jack. LOL!

 

[Mara]

Date: 11/13/2007 2:29:44 PM
Author: divergrrl

Date: 11/13/2007 2:20:52 PM
Author: Mara
definitely spend what you feel is appropriate for the shower, for close friends i typically do $100-150 and for acquaintances i might go in with a few other people (aka coworkers) to get something larger that is on the registry OR just do like 2-3 small things in a bag or basket from the registry that is more like $40-50.

however, i LOVE buying baby stuff so i can go overboard even when i don''t know the person very well. there is just so much cute stuff out there! my cousin is pregnant with the first child for our generation of girls and i already have spent something like $300 on her baby girl and she''s still got a month to go hahaha. i attended both her showers, went in on the stroller with my parents and got her this $50 snuggle nest thing that my neighbors have that their new baby LOVES. and then i was at the mall and janie and jack was having a big sale so i got 3 outfits for 3-9 months for $50 so that is her xmas gift. i am such a baby gift whore! our neighbors have a boy and i already have gotten him 3-4 things since he was born (he''s 3 months old) and i want to get him this wheelybug riding toy thing for xmas even though he won''t be able to ride it for oh...another year. hehehe.

Ummm Mara...where''s my gift for my new baby girl Delaney? I''ve got a cute one you can spoil..j''adore Janie & Jack. LOL!

lol if i had your address...!!! Delaney would be like ''who''s ''auntie mara''!

 

[VegasAngel]

Date: 11/13/2007 11:32:35 AM
Author: divergrrl
I spend $20 to $30 on not so close friends.

Vegas: The only problem with getting stuff from Marshalls, etc...is unless you know what the mom needs, you run the risk of wasting your money. My aunt & SIL do this all the time & both sent me some odd items that I can''t use & wound up putting in the goodwill bag because the fit/sizing was wierd and there was no way I could exchange it. (the onesies were sooo wide & short...I don''t know what baby could wear it...unless if was truly a canteloupe) I mean if you pull a registry and see some Sassy toys or a Bundle me & then go to TJMaxx or Marshalls & see the same item half off (which I have & have snapped up) then go for it, but I''ve found a lot of the baby stuff at discount stores is irregular & weird. You are better off giving them a small gift card or books, etc....then something that just gets tossed & your time & money was wasted.

(this is on my mind because I have a HUGE bag of stuff like this going to Goodwill today & it breaks my heart).

I dont buy clothes as babyshower gifts so I havent run into any problems plus I buy for my daughter so I know what to look out for. A lot of times first time mothers register for a bunch of things they dont really need. I buy shopping cart covers, carriers, book sets, bouncers, bath items stuff like that.

 

[gailrmv]

Maybe I am cheap but I usually spend $20-30 on an acquantaince and $50 on a good friend. Sometimes I get them something additional when they have the baby and/or knit a hat or blanket. Until recently a lot of friends (plus myself) were students so maybe I would spend more now that I am working again.