baby shower gift spending guidebaby shower gift spending guide

How Much to Spend on a Baby Shower Gift in 2024

Gift Guides
Updated:
December 25, 2023
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TL;DR: The closer you are to the expecting parents, the more you’ll spend on a baby shower gift. Typical gifts range from $25-$200 and more. Whatever amount you choose to spend, putting in extra effort to make the gift pretty and sentimental goes a long way. 

A baby shower is one of the happiest celebrations.

Everyone gathers to shower the mom-to-be with gifts before the baby is born.

When you are invited to a baby shower, how do you choose a gift?

What is an appropriate amount to spend on a gift shower for a coworker? How about for a close friend?

Are there any other etiquette rules for choosing baby shower gifts? Are financial gifts for babies appropriate?

How much should you spend on a baby shower gift?

Read on to find answers to these questions and more.

Baby Shower Gift Amount Etiquette and Guidelines

When it comes to giving gifts, the goal is to show the gift receiver that you care.

Determining how much to spend on a gift often depends on the occasion and on your closeness to the gift receiver.

Baby showers are no exceptions.

Gifting Milestone Occasions

A new baby's arrival is a popular time for giving gifts, just like weddings, graduations, and winter holidays.

The largest gifts are typically given at weddings, followed closely by gifts for a new baby.

Graduations and winter holidays follow next.

Average gift spend by gift occassion

Closeness to Gift Receiver

Closeness level is easy to determine. You can easily answer how close you feel to the new-mom-to-be.

The closer you are, the higher the gift amount.

Other Considerations

There are a few other rules of etiquette that you should know about other than occasions and closeness.

You get what you give.

People tend to remember what they receive in gifts. They tend to return the same amount of effort when it is your turn to receive gifts.

A gift is not only measured by how much you spend on it.

Putting in extra effort in the presentation and personalizing the gift can show that you really care. Going that extra mile adds a sentimental value to gifts of any budget.

If the expecting parents have a baby registry, it's polite to choose a gift from one of the preselected options.

If you can't find something in the your price range, you have a few options.

When giving a financial gift, you get to choose any amount that you want, and don’t need to rely on the options left on the baby registry.

The first is to combine a monetary gift for the child's future with a smaller gift from the registry.

A second option is to pitch in for a group gift with someone else. Or you can opt for a cash gift.

Cash gifts and gift cards are welcome, but take a few extra steps to make sure they feel like a gift.

Add a personal note and tie the gift to a larger goal to turn a dull money transfer into a thoughtful gesture.

Use Greatest Gift’s financial gifting platform for kids to send a gift that will make an impact on the baby from day one.

With Greatest Gift, parents get to discover financial guides for expecting parents as an added value.

Average Baby Shower Gift

At this point, you know some of the etiquette of baby shower gifts. But the question remains – how much should I spend on a baby shower gift?

Each person has their own budget and circumstances.

However, there are averages that you can use as guidelines and let you see how you compare with the others.

The average baby shower gift spend amount typically ranges from $25 to $200.

The range in the average is explained by different closeness levels to the mother-to-be.

Averages of how much to spend on baby shower gift by relationship

Still wondering how to decide how much to spend?

We’ll break the averages down next.

How Much to Spend on a Baby Shower Gift For a Close Family Member or Close Friend

When your sister, daughter, or best friend is the one celebrating, you don’t hold anything back.

These celebrations call for the highest spend of all. The average is on the higher end with anywhere from $100-$200, and sometimes even more.

You can choose big ticket items like strollers or cribs or go with a mix of several smaller items and make it a bundle.

A popular baby shower gift idea is a diaper cake. Diaper cakes are a large amount of baby diapers organized in a pretty package.

But money is only half of the spend that goes into this gift.

Give a gift with purpose, a gift that has sentimental value to the expecting mother, especially if it's a gift for a second baby.

Personalize the gift with a personal message, pictures or even videos. 

How Much to Spend on a Baby Shower Gifts For Friends or Family Members

Baby shower gifts for friends and family members that you are not as close with fall in the middle of the average baby shower gift spend.

For these, you can expect spending $50-100.

Make sure to add a cute card and fun gift wrap to any gift that you give so that the new mom can open her gifts with excitement.

If you can only find gifts that don't really use your whole budget (like baby clothes or towels), consider adding a gift card for baby supplies.

Better yet, give a monetary gift for the baby's future.

Some things to note here are past gifting history with the gift recipient and family gifting standards.

How Much to Spend on a Coworker’s Baby Shower Gift

Baby shower gifts to coworkers and acquaintances are on the lower end of the average spend.

Typically, you can expect to spend $25-$50 on a baby shower gift for a coworker.

If you work in a larger organization, smaller gifts are more common. In smaller organizations people may spend more on gifts.

In a work setting, it is also common for coworkers to get together and organize a group baby shower gift.

How Much to Spend on a Group Baby Shower Gift

What do you do if the only things left on a baby shower registry are a $7 pack of pacifiers or a $350 Babybjörn baby cradle?

One answer is organizing a group and buying a group gift.

How much should you spend on a group baby shower gift?

First determine how much you would spend by yourself on a gift, then contribute that amount to the group gift.

This is also a solution for big organizations that have baby showers for coworkers on a regular basis.

Instead of getting a small gift for $25 each, coworkers can band together and each pitch in for a bigger gift.

Another popular solution is to give a monetary gift with purpose.

Greatest Gift’s financial gifting platform for kids turns investing in a child’s future into a personal gift that you can send to your loved ones.

When giving a financial gift for a baby, you get to choose any amount that you want. You don’t need to rely on the options left on the baby registry.

Additional Questions

How much should I spend on a baby shower gift?

The amount you spend on a baby shower gift largely depends on your relationship with the expecting parents.

As a general guideline, gifts can range from $25 to $200.

The closer your relationship, the more you might consider spending.

However, it's important to remember that it's the thought and effort that count, not just the price tag.

What is the average amount spent on a baby shower gift?

On average, people spend between $25 and $200 on a baby shower gift.

This range varies based on how close you are to the expectant parents.

For closer relationships, such as family members or close friends, the higher end of this range is more common.

For acquaintances or coworkers, a gift towards the lower end of the spectrum is typical.

How much should I contribute to a coworker's baby gift?

When it comes to gifting for a coworker's baby shower, the average spend is usually between $25 and $50.

The amount can depend on the size of your organization.

In larger workplaces, smaller gifts are more common. In smaller companies, you might opt to spend a bit more.

Group gifts are also a popular and practical option in workplace settings.

Is $100 enough for a baby shower?

Absolutely!

A $100 gift is a generous contribution to a baby shower.

It's a suitable amount, especially for someone you are relatively close to, like a good friend or family member.

Gifts are valuable for more than just their price. They are also valuable because of the thought and care put into choosing and giving them.

Happy Gifting!

financial gift for baby shower
About Greatest Gift

Greatest Gift is the financial gifting platform for children's long term savings.

Send and receive monetary gifts for children's long term savings.

Discover great ways to save and invest for children.
Learn More

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