Do people still make baby registries?
Today’s post isn’t one that most of you will use right away, as it only directly applies to those of you who have a baby in your near future. If that doesn’t describe you now, you can pin it for later or pass it onto a friend or daughter who is expecting.
Is a Baby Registry Worth It?
Gift registries are becoming more and more popular. The idea of making a list of the gifts you would like to receive used to sound childish and tacky, but now it’s seen as a favor to those who wish to give gifts. We all want to give gifts that will be used, appreciated and loved by the recipient. Your creating a gift registry allows your friends and family the opportunity to do just that!
In addition to making gift-giving easy, a registry increases the likelihood of receiving gifts that will be the most useful to you, which means you won’t have to buy them yourself. The items you do end up buying yourself can usually be purchased at a discount if they’re on your registry.
Creating a baby registry can definitely be worth the time and hassle. Here are some tips to help make your baby registry worth it:
–> Do the product research
Creating a baby registry is a great excuse to research baby products and decide what you like and what fits your parenting style. Ask other new parents or experienced parents what they loved and what they would avoid. Having a well thought out and researched registry will mean fewer returns and more gifts that you sincerely love. Even if you don’t receive a single gift from your registry, having done the research will make shopping (and looking for deals) much easier.
–> Focus on what you need
While you might be tempted to go crazy with the scanner and add everything that is cute or looks interesting, it’s not a good tactic for making the most out of your baby registry. Be intentional about the items you choose. A good test is to ask yourself “Would I spend my own money on this?” If the answer is no, then I wouldn’t put it on my registry (I’m also the type who spends gift cards like they are hard-earned cash). If you do, you might end up with a bunch of fru-fru for your baby, but left to buy all the essentials on your own.
Don’t be afraid to register for diapers, wipes, and other basics. I’ve found that people love to give diapers and moms love to receive them. While not a very original gift, they are definitely useful and appreciated. Having the basics on your registry reminds people that simple, useful gifts are appreciated.
–> Register items from a wide price range
It’s fine to have a couple of big ticket items on your registry, in case your friends from work want to go in on a gift together, or grandma wants to get something extra special, but the bulk of your gift registry should be in the lower price range. Having lower priced options allows people to shop on their own budget. People who want to spend more can buy multiple items or put together a gift basket.
–> Don’t register for clothes
You will get clothes whether you register for them or not. Many people won’t look at your gift registry and will just choose baby clothes that they think are cute. Another reason not to register for clothes is that different store locations have different clothing inventories. Friends will have a hard time finding the exact item you are looking for because the store might not carry it. Finding clothes from your registry can be very frustrating.
–> Learn the programs, but keep it simple
Lots of major retailers have baby registries. Each store has different perks or bonuses for registering with them. Learn about the programs before you decide where to register. For example, at Babies R Us you get up to 10% back from purchases made from your registry, even purchases you make yourself. Target gives you a 15% off completion coupon so you can buy what’s left on your registry (another great reason to put basics like diapers and wipes on the list).
While every store has their own perks, keep it simple (for you and your shower attendees) by not registering everywhere. I think more that two places is overkill. People will wonder if you don’t have anything better to do than run up and down the aisles of six different stores with a scanner, drooling over baby gear.
–> Make Amazon one of your choices
Registering with Amazon’s Baby Registry is a no-brainer. Not only can you stay at home in your pjs, but you can literally add anything you want. With Amazon’s Universal Registry Capability, you can add items for anywhere across the internet to your registry.
The standard completion discount for Amazon’s baby registry is 10% off, but if you’re an Amazon Prime member or you join Amazon Family any time up to actually using your discount, your completion discount goes up to 15%! You can use your completion discount on two orders of $2,000 combined value (up to $300 discount) for up to 60 days after your expected arrival date.
Amazon makes it super easy on your friends and family. They don’t have to go on a wild goose chase through the store looking at bar codes to find the exact items on your registry. They can be at home in their pjs too. Plus, out-of-town folks can just have gifts sent directly to you.
I made a quick video explaining a little more about Amazon’s Baby Registry program and showing you what comes in the “Welcome Box” and what you need to do to get it.
Sometimes a registry isn’t right
I was not planning on having a baby showers for the last few of my babies (I’m currently expecting number 6), but it always seems that friends throw something together no matter how much I insist that we don’t really need anything.
For example, with my fourth, a good friend insisted that she was going to throw me a shower. I would have felt presumptuous making a gift registry, as I really didn’t need anything, didn’t know the baby’s gender yet, and didn’t want people to feel obligated to bring a gift.
She had suggested that those who wanted to bring a gift could bring a freezer meal instead. I was showered with freezer meals! My deep freeze was jam-packed with homemade convenience foods. And trust me– they came in handy when life got crazy!
How about you?
- Did you do a baby registry? Where did you register and how did you like it?
- What tips to you have for making a gift registry?
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I’m in the “not applicable now but (hopefully)soon” category of readers who have pinned this for later use.
It’s interesting to me that there was a time where registries were considered tacky. While I didn’t want to do a registry for our wedding (only because we really, really did not need anything else), I totally love that they give you a very clear idea of what the person would find useful. I would much rather give a gift that is useful than something that will just take up space. I’m sure this is because of my own semi-minimalist leanings.
Anyway definitely pinning this for later. Thanks for the insights!
I agree! It’s nice to give a gift that you know will be used and loved instead of returned!
Yes! Finally something about buy baby clothes.
I would add to the list – don’t register for baby clothes or blankets! We got an abundance of both, which of course, I was very thankful for but glad I didn’t add to our registry. If it’s your first, I would also recommend looking ahead and registering for things you’ll need as the baby grows – like baby gates, sippy cups, and child dishes. We did and that has come in very handy! I’m so happy your freezer is stocked with meals. What a thoughtful idea!
Great tips. I especially love the freezer meal tip, a friend of mine just had a baby and the last thing she wanted to do was cook. I personally like the idea of registries, mostly because it helps cut down on the things you really don’t want/need and it helps others shopping for you get you what you need. But at the same time, if you don’t need anything a baby registry isn’t much use, so I really like what your friend did for your forth child.
On a different note, the link on the “Cloth Diapers” post is not working and only takes you to the picture.
Thanks for the heads-up Ricki. I just fixed the cloth diaper link.
We just had our 3rd baby in March, our 2nd girl, and it was unplanned unlike the 2 previous babies. We had gotten rid of almost all of our baby stuff by that point, including all of our first daughters’ clothing. We didnt’ make a registry this time around, because we knew from experience that we just wouldn’t use most of what everyone would deem “necessary”. The only thing we really needed was clothes and diapers. We had recently returned to our church, and the ladies group threw us a very sweet surprise baby shower and loaded us up with clothing and quite a few packs of diapers! After our daughter was born, they all took turns providing us with dinners for the first week and a half we were home. Let me tell you, it was one of the greatest gifts we’d received!
Looking back now, though, I kind of wish we had at least put a small registry together, especially at target, for the discount at the end.
That’s so great of the ladies at church to take care of you! Congrats and enjoy your new little girl! 🙂
What a fantastic idea to make freezer meals for a baby shower gift! I will definitely copy this for the next shower. Thanks for the tip!
Yes! It’s so nice to have meals in the freezer. In fact we just had one last night!
Love these tips! I think a lot of this advice also applies to wedding registries. Even though you can’t register for staples like diapers, etc., there are practical things you need that people might not want to get you.
I also second doing your research before putting something on your registry. It’s just so easy to use that little scanner in the store to put something on the registry without doing research you would normally do before buying something, especially if it’s a reliable brand.
I got married back in 2006 (in my defense, before there was so much information online about products!), and registered for a middle-of-the-line toaster oven at Bed Bath and Beyond while I was walking through the store with that scanner!. It wasn’t the cheapest or the most expensive, but it was a good brand so I figured it would be fine. When someone bought it for us, for some reason I decided to do a little research and found that people said that toaster oven literally would LIGHT ON FIRE SPONTANEOUSLY when it wasn’t in use!! Some problem with the electrical wiring…. I know my relatives weren’t emotionally invested in me having the toaster oven, but I still felt bad returning it when I’d asked for it 🙂
That’s a crazy story about the toaster! Yikes!
I love the freezer meal option! My brother and his girlfriend are having a baby any day. This will be a second child for both of them, but their first together, and we weren’t able to throw him a baby shower for his first. I told my mom a while back that I want to host a diaper supplies “sprinkle” once the new baby comes. She hadn’t ever heard of a sprinkle, but thought it was an excellent idea!
Cute! I have never heard of a “sprinkle” either! Great idea to have it focused on diaper supplies!