Every woman looks forward to their baby shower with excitement and some apprehension. You may have some questions like, will anyone show up? Will the weather hold up, will my dress still fit me?
One question I had was how I could save the most money on my baby shower. I wanted a lovely baby shower but on a budget.
As a parent, I believe that most of your money should go into buying baby items instead of planning a baby shower. In this article, I’ve listed multiple ways you can save money on your baby shower so that you can spend more money on your baby when it arrives.
Before we dive in, let’s answer some common questions you may have about your baby shower.
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What is a reasonable budget for a baby shower?
A reasonable budget for a baby shower is between $1000 to $2000 dollars. The budget for a baby shower depends on the number of guests you invite and the venue you choose.
If you invite a lot of guests to your baby shower, then you’ll need a larger venue. You’ll also need more food and drinks to feed them. You’ll also spend more on party favors as well. All of which will cost you more money.
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Who typically pays for a baby shower?
Anyone who is planning the baby shower for the mother-to-be is the one responsible for paying for the baby shower. Although the mother-to-be may decide to contribute to the cost as well.
Now that we’ve answered some common questions about baby showers, let’s hear some advice from other moms on how to plan a baby shower on a budget.
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How to plan a baby shower on a budget – Advice from real moms
I spoke to 4 moms who planned their baby showers on a small budget of under $200 dollars. Here’s what each one had to say.
Lindsay
“Have it at your house or your church so it’s a free venue. Use dollar store decor. Have little sandwiches or sliders. You can also serve pasta salad and fruit punch”.
Chelsea
“Use dollar tree for decorations, and supplies like plates, cups, napkins, etc. Do bbq chicken (pork if it’s cheaper ) sandwiches! And buy a few bags of chips (store brand is cheaper). Boxed cake (if you want cake)”
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Patricia
Don’t do a full meal but just have snacks/appetizers available. Instead of bottled water, juice, or soda cans, get a few jugs and fill them and have cups available. For decorations, get a couple of sets of onesie packs and hang them on a string across the windows and door jams. Get some balloons filled up at the dollar store the morning of the shower. If possible, have it at your house or a park shelter so there isn’t a rental fee.
Anna
Don’t do it at mealtime so you can serve small cheap snacks. Get some bags of chips, popcorn, candy, etc to set out as snacks. If you do it after lunch and before dinner, then people won’t arrive looking for a full meal. Snacks will be just fine.
Let’s break down each mom’s advice and look at other ways to save money on a baby shower.
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How to save money on a baby shower
Don’t rent a venue
Venues are one of the most expensive parts of planning a party. You can cut down on that cost by having your baby shower at home or at a park.
You may have a state park near you with a pavilion. Most state park pavilions can be rented for a relatively small fee.
If that isn’t an option then throwing a baby shower at home will be the best option. You won’t have to rent a venue.
Make it a potluck
I once went to a potluck baby shower, and it was honestly one of the best I’ve ever had. The guests each brought over small trays of food for the event.
We all got to sample a variety of food. The best part was that the parents didn’t have to pay for any of it. A potluck baby shower is better in a house because it’ll be easier to reheat each food with a Sterno can.
I recommend this food-warming set from Amazon. It comes with Sterno cans, serving utensils, aluminum pans, and stands.
Serve finger foods
Finger foods like hotdogs, chicken fingers, french fries, sandwiches, and pulled pork burgers are simple meals you can serve at a baby shower.
They will also cost less than a traditional sit-down meal. Another benefit is that finger foods are easy to prepare, which will save you some time as well.
I like to get Costco sandwiches for parties because they’re so convenient and cheap. You can get a sandwich platter that’s enough to feed 20 people for about $33 dollars (source).
So if you don’t invite too many people, all you’ll need is two of those party platters. This is why finger foods are a good way to save on costs for baby showers.
Don’t have your baby shower at meal-time
Having a baby shower at breakfast time means, serving guests a full breakfast. The same goes for having your baby shower at lunchtime.
What if you could have your baby shower somewhere between breakfast and lunch? This way your guest will still be full from their previous meal, and won’t expect a full meal from you.
All you’ll need to do is serve your guest simple snacks for the event. When done right, snacks won’t cost you a lot. Serve snacks like popcorn, chips n dip, cheese, crackers, etc.
Don’t serve alcohol
Skip the champagne at your baby shower, and you’ll save money. Wine will cost you money depending on how many guests you invite.
The more guests you have, the more alcohol you’ll need to buy. At the end of the day, the cost of alcohol will be as much as the cost of food. So it’s best to just skip it.
Make homemade drinks
I’m a big fan of making things at home. One easy way to save money on your baby shower is to make homemade drinks.
Get a large pitcher like this 5-gallon beverage dispenser on Amazon. Fill it up with lemonade packets, water, and ice. Guests can drink with paper cups and have their fill.
You don’t need to spend too much on drinks when throwing a baby shower. Keep it simple.
Use a virtual invitation
One cool thing about the internet age is that paper invitations are now going out of style. You can now send virtual invites to people’s emails and texts.
They’re actually more reliable than paper format.
One of my favorite sites to send paper invites is evites.com. You can create custom invites for a small fee or choose a free theme.
When you’re done, simply send them to a list of email addresses for your guests. You can also add custom notes and a link to your baby registry as well.
A virtual invite is a great way to save money on a baby shower.
Bake your own cake or skip the cake entirely
Many moms think that the cake is the most special part of a baby shower. I don’t believe this to be true. At my baby shower, I had a diaper cake rather than a real cake.
I gave everyone cookies instead of cake and they were perfectly satisfied. If you want to save money on the cake at your baby shower, then I suggest you bake your own.
Get a cake mix from your local store, and use it to make a sheet cake or muffins. You can add icing to it and write some words if you’d like. You can also do what I did and skip the cake entirely. Just serve cheap cookies and tea for dessert.
Use dollar store decorations
People go all out for baby shower decorations, and this can cost a few hundred dollars if we’re not careful.
You can save money on decorations by getting them from the dollar store. All you’ll need are balloons and streamers.
A mom I spoke to said she hung different colored onesies on a string across her windows. That and some balloons were all she needed as decorations.
If you want a banner for your baby shower, then consider getting a white fabric (1 yard) and painting the words “Welcome to the baby shower of ___” on it.
You can paint whatever you want on the fabric to decorate it to your liking.
You’ll need acrylic paint like this one on Amazon, some paint brushes, and the 1-yard white cotton fabric.
Get cheap party favors
If you want to save money on your baby shower, then a simple party favor is what you need.
Something cheap like mini candles, key chains, mini soaps, cookies, and even a jar of candies can be used as party favors.
You can get all these items for cheap on amazon. As for the cookies and candies, get a large container at the supermarket, and split them into small portions in a to-go bag.
Other ideas include chapsticks, keychains, cactus plants, and hand sanitizer.
Now that we have a list of ways to plan a baby shower on a budget, let’s take a look at some of the frequently asked questions about baby showers.
Try Adobe’s Free Baby Shower Invitation Maker
Another way to have a baby shower on a budget is to use a free invitation maker. One of my favorites is the free Adobe Baby Shower Invitation Maker.
It’s included in Adobe Express, which you can download on the App Store and customize from your phone.
They have tons of templates to choose from to help get your baby shower invites started. You can also choose to create an invite from scratch.
The best part about all this is that you can download your completed baby shower invite directly to your phone and send it out to guests.
Click here to get started in creating your free baby shower invitation now.
Frequently Asked Questions About Baby Showers
Does the host of a baby shower buy a gift?
The host of a baby shower isn’t obligated to buy a gift because it’s assumed that he/she already spent their time and money to plan the shower. If the host feels like it, then they can go ahead and buy a gift as well.
Is it OK to host your own baby shower?
There is no rule that states you can’t host your own baby shower. If you don’t have friends or family members to help you host, then it’s okay to host a baby shower yourself.
Traditionally, it’s expected that the mother-in-law is responsible for hosting the baby shower. Although in recent years, people have had their friends and other close family members as host their showers for them.
Does the mother-in-law pay for the baby shower?
The mother-in-law is only responsible for paying for the baby shower if she is the host. She shouldn’t be held responsible for payments if she wasn’t invited to host the shower. Whoever hosts the shower gets to pay the expenses.
If your host feels like the cost of throwing you a shower is too much of a burden for them, then you’ll need to step in to cover some of the cost.
Are party favors necessary at a baby shower?
Party favors aren’t necessary at a baby shower. As long as people are fed and entertained, then it doesn’t matter if you give them a party favor.
If you feel the need to give party favors, then consider some cheap options from the dollar store. Some ideas are candles, individually wrapped cookies, and candies. You could also give out keychains, chapsticks, hand sanitizers, and small houseplants.
Conclusion
To sum things up, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a great baby shower. The most important thing is that people showed up to help you celebrate the new life you’re having.
Your guest will be happy with whatever you serve them as long as it’s done with love. I hope this article has given you a few ideas on how to plan your baby shower on a budget.
What other ways will you use to save money on your baby shower? Please comment below and let me know.
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