It’s pretty fascinating. Despite hearing in the media about couples choosing not to have kids and declining birth rates, I keep finding myself invited to baby showers. In fact, I have another one in July, marking my eighth baby shower in less than a year. If you’re also attending a lot of baby showers, here are some practical tips to save money on gifts that will actually be appreciated rather than gathering dust or ending up as duplicates.
Use Sales and Coupons: I wasn’t expecting to attend eight baby showers in a year, but I had a feeling a few were coming up. So, I prepared in advance. I targeted sales events at Kohl’s and combined their 30% discount with $10 off on $30 kids apparel. During the winter, I found discounted summer baby clothes on clearance. Since new parents tend to get plenty of newborn clothes, I focused on buying larger sizes, like 9-12 months. Also, I used coupons for baby essentials like Aveeno Baby lotions, managing to get them for about $1.50 each by leveraging Target gift cards, manufacturer’s coupons, Cartwheel, and Target coupons. I used similar strategies to score great deals on crib sheets. If you know a baby shower is coming up, look out for similar deals and stock up when prices are low.
Check Out Facebook Marketplace: While I haven’t specifically used this for gifts, it’s worth considering. I belong to several local baby and children’s item selling groups on Facebook, which allows me to sell items I don’t need and buy used items at a fraction of their original cost. Often, new moms sell brand new baby items they don’t need at discounted prices. If you’re part of such groups, you can post an ISO (In Search Of) for NWT (New With Tags) baby items and keep an eye out for updates.
Consider Bonds: This might be an underrated but practical gift idea. Sure, bonds aren’t as flashy as toys or clothes, but they appreciate over time. A $25 bond today could be worth $50 or more when the child gets older.
Most new moms will tell you that baby showers often result in a flood of unnecessary or duplicate gifts. Attending multiple baby showers doesn’t have to strain your budget. It’s actually smarter to give small, practical gifts rather than splurge on something that might never be used.