To get the most bang for your buck, start your gift basket project early. Clip coupons and source two for one type deals at your local pharmacy retailer. Don't overlook discount department stores either. You can almost make a game out of getting the best deals. If you have a big family and get invited to a lot of showers, you might want to keep a look out for basket stuffing bargains all year long and make the "small necessities gift basket" your signature gift.

For starters, make a list of all the small stuff people are likely to overlook. To get you started, see my list at the end of this post. And while you are looking for bargains on the small stuff, keep an eye out for bargains on your "basket" base.

I strongly recommend that you not use anything that even remotely resembles a basket unless the mom to be collects them. Otherwise you are simply adding one more piece of useless clutter they will feel obligated to live with until their next yard sale or church bazaar. No, Great Aunt Tillie is much more clever than that!

Always think outside the box. This is the motto by which I live. Let me get you started with a few ideas that will create both useful gift stuffings and a very useful container.

1. Bag. A bag is an obvious choice. No one totes stuff like a new mom. But forget the fancy diaper bag. Someone will likely get her the latest color by the hottest designer label. No, we are going for practical and inexpensive. Last year I bought full size canvas beach bags at my local discount department store for $3. I bought 2 of them at the end of season in August. In June they went for over $30. Yes mom will have her designer diaper bag but she will find it simply will not hold all the other things she needs. Beach bag to the rescue.

I also have bought much smaller and lesser quality beach bags at my local dollar store. Though they are not nearly as nice, they are smaller and you could easily fill more than one. Mom could later use them to stash extra diapers or a change of clothes. Another source for inexpensive bags and other unique containers is yard sales and flea markets.

2. Diaper. Okay so you are not the Martha type. Not everyone can assemble one of those cute diaper cakes. But I bet you can lay a diaper down, fill the center with goodies, gather the four corners and pin with diaper pins? I know you can. And at some time mom is going to make use of cloth diapers even if she never puts them on her baby's bottom. The make excellent burping cloths and can substitute for a changing pad in a pinch. And the pins? Well if mom is nursing, the pins can be used to secure a blanket or shawl on an airplane or bus, etc.

3. Bath Tub. Another useful container you can stuff with gifts is a small baby bath tub. The kind of tub designed to be used in a sink or tub is often inexpensive and not something mom will think to put on her registry. Once she is over using the fancy stand alone tub that she will have to fill and empty with a lot of hassle, she will love her sink/tub helper gift basket even more. Oh that clever Great Aunt Tillie.

4. Potty. For a really whimsical touch, stuff a potty chair and over wrap with cellophane to hold all the small items in. This will surely be copied when you go to other showers. Or it can become your signature gift. Give one for every baby shower you attend. Every new mother will want one of Great Aunt Tilly's goodie stuffed potty chairs.

5. Shower caddy. This is another item you can find in dollar stores. The kind of caddies you used in your college dorm. They are easy to fill and very useful around a house with a baby for collecting small toys or wrangling changing time needs. You can fill with tiny gifts and wrap with cellophane.

6. Laundry basket. Another item that will get a good work out with a baby in the house. Sit a big teddy bear in the basket and fill with your little necessities.

What ever container you decide to fill, add a bow or some cellophane wrap and everyone will think you paid a fortune for it. Attending a baby shower is supposed to be a joyous event. Don't stress over what gift you can afford. What may not look like a big ticket item will be mightly appreciated when mom reaches for it with one hand while juggling a squirming baby with the other.

Some inexpensive small necessities gift basket goodie ideas:

diapers
wipes
shampoo
skin lotion
bath wash
bottle brush
wash cloths
pacifier clips
bibs
cloth diapers for burping
books
petroleum jelly
cotton swabs and cotton balls
rash ointment
sleep sacks
Onesies®
Kleenex®
stroller rain guard
socks

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.