Baby shower registries are widely popular today and are great to get ideas about what mom would like. Some guests will simply buy something from the registry store. Others will buy gift cards, especially if mom is flying in for the shower. I would caution about buying gift cards. Did you know that when a company goes bankrupt, your gift card is usually worthless? There is nothing wrong with giving the parents to be cash or a check. If you really want a gift card, opt for a bank gift card or American Express gift card. Be sure to ask about dormancy fees.

I have noticed the chatter among my female relatives about baby shower registries. The younger women tend to favor them. The older women, less so. Especially the ones on fixed incomes. Old Great Aunt Tillie cannot afford hundreds of dollars for a gift. And in fact, she is wondering why baby gear is so expensive today. Great Aunt Tillie may be onto something there. I have attended showers where the gifts would have filled a small bedroom, wall to wall. The last shower I attended, the parent's had a friend with a pick up truck. They made 3 trips to transport all the baby booty.

So what is a guest to do? Well first of all, remember that you are a guest. If you were invited to the shower, it is because you hold an important place in the lives of the parents and the baby to come. Yes you are expected to bring a gift, but you are not expected to take out a second mortgage to do it. Look over your budget. Hopefully you have a fund for unexpected gifts. Do you have an idea of how many wedding, baby and holiday gifts you will need to buy this year? Be honest with yourself about what you really can afford. If you know a baby is coming early enough, you can even start a spare change jar to save ahead. I know people who buy small gifts when they see a good bargain so they are never caught short. You could start watching for special sales and pick up a real bargain. I strongly do NOT recommend this if you are a pack rat!

The grandparents and special friends of the new parents will likely buy the bigger gifts. And you might want to check around with others who you know are on a budget and might like to chip in together for a gift. But don't feel obligated buy the registry list. Keep in mind, stores make sure the parents to be list everything under the sun. But they often don't list enough of things new parents REALLY need. You simply cannot have too many Onesies®, which by the way is not a generic term. Onesies® is a registered trademark of Gerber just as Kleenex® is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark. And while I think about it, the nursery needs Kleenex® too. For more on budgeting for baby shower gifts, read my next post titled, Baby Shower Gift Baskets on a Budget.