Baby Shower Budgeting Tips

Having our first child has been a fantastic experience. Working hard to create the life for our son that he deserves began from the womb. I wanted a grand baby shower—a celebration filled with unforgettable memories and love. Initially, that meant spending what felt like a lot of money that would not add to the happiness of the event. We quickly realized we needed to scale back from lofty ideas of an ornate baby shower and focus on quality of time and togetherness.

We agreed on a budget of $1,500. At the time, that seemed hefty, but costs added up rather quickly.

I wanted to ensure that my vision of our first baby shower included many elements. The most important aspects included being outdoors while providing ample open space for guests, activities for kids' entertainment, and enough food to feed the 70+ guest list. As a plant mom, I chose a natural, earthy theme. It seemed fitting that the celebration for the life growing inside me would be green, lush, and bright. We decided on a park for the venue.

To keep costs low, I borrowed decor for centrepieces; I purchased items at Dollar Tree and from peer-to-peer selling sites like OfferUp. The final cost of the soiree was $1417.27. Here is a breakdown of each category:

• Venue........................................$500

• Food and alcohol.....................$327.41

• Decor and essentials...............$390.47

• Myself........................................$199.39

There are several ways to lower your expenses if you quickly approach your budget.

1. Swap out "luxury" ideas. We saved $500 by tying balloons around the main photo area and on the pavilion poles instead of investing in a giant balloon arch from an event company.

2. See what you can borrow. I borrowed centerpieces, glass carafes, and food prep items instead of purchasing them, saving me $200.

3. Evaluate how many activities you need. I wanted a bounce house and face painting at our baby shower. Truthfully, this would have placed us a couple hundred dollars over our initial budget, and the use of these would only go to a small group of individuals - the kids. Instead, we opted to get games and toys they could play with and take home.

4. Dollar stores are your friend. I grabbed table covers, coloring books, crayons, kites, bubble sets, stickers, and small items such as tape and string.

5. Keep the food budget tight. We opted to BBQ at the park rather than have catered food because we could keep the budget intact with burgers and hotdogs. Remember that your baby shower is not an event in which you must feed people a seven-course meal.

6. Ask for assistance. People want to help support you! Accepting help is extremely difficult for me. I had to be open to giving people an opportunity to support me during this time. Acts of kindness are many people's love language! Giving them space to show you how they care is a beautiful skill. People donated lots of food, giving our menu some much-needed diversity!

7. Go alcohol-free: The cost of alcohol racks up quickly. A baby shower may be an event you can skip over having drinks available for everyone. Or you can keep it light like we did and have a few bottles of white wine. Remember, it's not your responsibility to satisfy everyone's palate.

Here is where I did not skimp on the budget—whatever things cost, that was that! I got my hair and nails done and bought a dress that fit me comfortably. I purchased new jewellery and makeup, and I felt cute afterwards. I did these things for the event, so I count them as part of the budget, although they last well after the party. Invest in yourself and how you look and feel on the special day. That is value beyond measure.

Attending baby showers can sometimes be overwhelming. However, try to relax and enjoy yourself. Capture plenty of photos and arrive looking your finest. I promise these moments will be some of the most valuable memories!

If you need ideas for purchases, here are links to some of the items I bought from Amazon:

1. Clear Plates set 

2. Balloons

3. Party Favors

4. Keep Sakes

5. Baby in Bloom sign

6. Twinkly lights set

Share your best tips on how you save on big events like Baby Showers!