How to Save Money When Planning a Baby Shower

Shower the mother-to-be with gifts on her special day.

A baby shower is a traditional way to both celebrate the birth of a new member of a family and to help the new parents with the numerous items needed for their new bundle of joy. Without proper planning, however, a baby shower can quickly become expensive. Budgeting, as well as some frugal ideas, can help to ease the cost of the shower on the hostesses and make the day more enjoyable for all.

Instructions

1. Decide on a budget before picking any details for your shower. If possible, ask multiple hostesses to participate in the shower to lessen the burden on any one person. Stick to the budget to avoid adding the stress of extra expenses to your event. Keep all receipts as you purchase items to track your spending.

2. Consider your location. Most restaurants will require you to order off of their menu and other locations require a rental fee. Consider having the shower in one of the hostesses homes to avoid a rental fee and to lower the cost of food.

3. Create a simple menu for your event. Avoid appetizers and dishes with expensive ingredients and long prep times. Make all your own dishes to save money and use coupons to purchase items at lower prices. If there is a long time before your shower, shop the grocery store sales to reduce the price of food further.

4. Use items on the mother-to-be's registry as shower decorations. These items can also double as the hostesses' gift to the mother-to-be. This removes the cost of decorations and gives the hostesses an easy option for the gift.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an online invitation service to send free email invitations to your baby shower. If you are unsure if someone received her invitation, simply place a call to the shower attendee to give a personalized invitation.

• If cooking is not your strong suit, avoid attempting to prepare multiple dishes for the event. Even purchasing party trays of food at the grocery store will be less expensive than catering and will provide your guests with food that they will actually eat.

References

• Family News Articles: Planning a Baby Shower on a Budget
• The Delightful Child: Baby Shower Party Budget Ideas