Happy Friday: Frugal Baby Shower Gift

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Sent from reader, Katie:

I wanted to send you this photo of my first baby shower gift basket. I’ve been “collecting” items for the last two months or so for a good friend of mine who is having a baby, using a lot of Hip2Save’s deals. I even scored the basket, cellophane and ribbon at Michaels using the $5 coupon for just $2.18 including tax!

The basket includes:

Huggies Little Snugglers bag
LeapFrog My Pal Scout
Johnson’s Bed & Bath Gift Set
3 Desitin diaper rash creams
Enfamil formula (quart)
Huggies wipes
4 Sesame Street books
BeechNut rice cereal

The total retail value of my basket including supplies is about $78. I paid approximately $17! I love the fact that even though I spent less, my friend will get way more than I would have been able to give without using sales and coupons.

Thanks!
Katie

HAPPY FRIDAY! 😀


Do you have a funny, “Hip”, or unique photo to share?! Email us at happyfriday@hip2save(dot)com. Every Friday, I will post one photo, submitted by you and/or another Hip2Save reader, that gives us a glimpse into your frugal lifestyle or simply makes us smile. If your photo is published on Hip2Save, we’ll email you a $10 Amazon e-card!

** Check out all the previous Happy Friday pictures here.

Join The Discussion

Comments 78

  1. Rachel

    So nice! What a great gift! I love it when the gift looks like you spent way more than you actually did! 🙂

  2. Nika

    Wow! That is awesome!

  3. Kelly

    love it, I have been thinking about doing something like this!

  4. Kirsten

    Great job! Very cool gift!

  5. Dawn

    Lucky friend of yours!! Great gift.

  6. Lisa K.

    that is awesome!

  7. Katie

    Wow, great job! Such a good idea.

  8. Randee

    What an awesome gift!

  9. Danielle Levins

    Wow! That’s really awesome, what a great job you did and how lucky your friend is!!

  10. Roncenna

    Excellent Idea!!!!!

  11. Jackie

    What a great basket!!! I would LOVE to see more examples of these types of baskets put together from all the deals we all get here on Hip2save!! 😀

  12. BeMaHo

    That is an awesome gift! Lots of great stuff in there. And beautifully wrapped too. Way to go!!!

  13. Courtney

    Great job! As a mom of four kids, I can tell you that your gift will be much appreciated. Your thoughtfulness and generosity will be a huge blessing to that mother!

  14. lyn

    What an awesome gift! My friend just had a baby the other day and I was trying to think of what to put into a basket or gift bag. You gave me some super ideas. WTG and I am sure your friend will love all of it.

  15. Jo-Ann

    Terrific, Katie!

  16. cara

    the leapfrog bear is awesome!! u program it to say your kids name, etc. She will love it! She can donate the formula if she ends up not using it or she can use it of she needs it!

  17. Mel

    Wow this is awesome!!! I’m expecting my first child and I would LOVE to get a basket of goodies like this one!!! And this would be a great “welcome baby home” gift or visiting the new mom in the hospital gift, much better than flowers!

    • Linda

      I’m expecting my first as well and would love to get a basket like this, how fun 🙂

      • katee

        sign up on the formula websites(enfamil, gerber, similac) NOW! so you start getting the checks by the time your babies are here 🙂 sign yourself up and maybe your mom or aunt or someone also(at a different address than your own) so they get the checks also. they are a HUGE help. 🙂

    • Hannah

      My first is due next month! Craziness! My friend made the best diaper cake for me with newborn diapers and some lotions and things, as well as iced tea to help it stand up (instead of champagne, since I can’t drink that)! It was really fun! Katee, I already signed up on some of those sites and haven’t gotten much that I could use. A few things and some informational magazines, but I’m planning to breastfeed, so the formula samples won’t help. Somebody mentioned something about donating formula–how do we do that?

  18. Dawn

    Katie, That is a wonderful gift, don’t take anything out of it. You did good!

  19. Kori

    Thanx for sharing this, Katie!! I have to come up with something similar for a shower a family friend and I was perplexed on how to put it together…Thanks for giving me an idea…Although, I think I will add a couple of baby penguins to mine…

    • Kori

      the adorable stuffed animal version, not the real thing…Go Happy Feet! (Yeah, I just finished watching it!!) LOL!

  20. Anna

    Thanks foe deleting the BS comments 🙂

  21. Rachel

    How is that a no no topic? It’s a fact that when women are exhausted and feel like giving up it makes it much more likely to happen if there is formula readily available. Why do you think the formula companies make sure you go home from the hospital with a sample?

  22. Alice

    When I saw this post, I honestly had similar thoughts as Rebecca at first. However, since the woman who made the basket said that she is good friends with the person getting it, I’m assuming she knows what types of baby products her friend would use. As long as the basket is geared towards the recipient, it is an extremely thoughtful and nice gift. However, for someone like myself, I wouldn’t have used most of these products for my now 11 month-old (I nurse, cloth-diaper, use only castile soap, skipped rice cereal). My mother-in-law gave us a huge case of disposable diapers at our baby shower, even though we had told her multiple times that we were going to use cloth, AND we even had a cloth-diaper registry! I just found the whole thing to be very inconsiderate. That money could have been spent on at least two cloth diapers that we would still be using today….I ended up giving the case of diapers to a friend.

    I also have to greatly disagree that breastfeeding is 100% free….between the pump and herbs to try to increase supply, lactation consultants, doctor visits for painful milk blisters, etc…it has hardly been free.

    • Alice

      Ok, apparently all those comments by Rebecca and others were deleted while I was posting this…

      • E

        Haha, that’s what my mother in law did! I just don’t get it. I <3 my cloth diapers!

  23. guest

    Strictly speaking, science also says the diets of the majority of American breastfeeding moms is incredibly unhealthy, thus their breastmilk must be, too. Breastmilk is not regulated. It’s insane to think that *all* breastmilk must be better than *any* formula, hence breastfeeding should always be a first choice. In a perfect world, maybe.

  24. Rachel

    I see that comments are being deleted. Apparently we can’t state facts on this site. And nobody said that anyone was a bad mom. That must be your own conscience talking.

    • Dawn

      I am very suprised comments are being deleted. I think your gift was beautifully made and extremely thoughtful. Even though I have exclusively nursed my son who is now two and continue to til this day I agree at first it was very difficult and I too had formula in the house (from the hospital), but persevered. However, formula is still a necessity for some. Both sides should have a right to there opinion and it doesn’t seem fair to delete comments that although opinionated, were not overtly nasty.

    • Rachel

      This is supposed to be about a very nice present for someones friend. No need to be unkind if someone doesn’t agree with you.

      • Rachel

        My comment is in reply to Rachel above, I am also named Rachel.

  25. Marie S

    I just wanted to say that your gift basket is a very beautiful idea. And I think the formula is just fine too. I would have been very happy to get it and also appreciated it.This is coming from a woman that planned on nursing her child and was dead set on it. But the realities of life are that things in life don’t always turn out as planned. I could not nurse and was pretty devestated because of it. Thankfully my child’s pediatrician sat me down and told me that if he didn’t have the charts in front of him, he couldn’t tell me which kids were nursed and which weren’t by the time they’re four or so.

    That being said, even if my situation turned out differently and I could have nursed as I planned, I certainly would still be happy someone gave me such a gift and thought of me. And if it didn’t get used by me, I would donate it to a pantry or women’s shelter. I recieved plenty of other gifts when my son was born that just didn’t work out for us for whatever reasons. I guess where I’m going with this in my rambling way is that I wonder why discourage someone that does something nice for someone? Life’s hard enough without having to feel like crap for and second guess doing something nice for someone. And I’m certain that if the recipient is going to have to be capable of taking on the tough role of motherhood, I’m very certain they can decide for themselves if they will utilize the formula in the basket.

    Love the basket, awesome and thoughtful idea…and I’d love to see more “bargain baskets” …with or without formula in it, and if it doesn’t quite fit my lifestyle, oh well. It’s still pretty interesting to see the ideas people come up with and what they can do. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  26. christy

    Why were comments deleted? I think that there were some valid points to remind people when getting gifts for others…

    • E

      I agree…sure you can donate…but with a new baby who wants to have to make time to do that!? I would look at the registry and buy from that with coupons/etc. I’m not saying she didn’t, it’s just an idea for others…

      • Linda

        My goodness, I didn’t realize donating was such an inconvenience!!

        • E

          With a new baby it is! Things have exp dates! Not saying not to.

          • Alxys

            I have a brand new baby and we found that if you call your local shelter, a lot of times they will send someone out to your home to pick up the items 🙂 That way everyone wins!

      • christy

        Not an inconvenience to donate… I am nursing my baby and someone who is friends with my mom gave her formula to give to me. My mom just graciously accepted it and I passed it along to a friend. But, it wasn’t a gift.

        If getting a gift for someone, you should know what they need/want. If someone is going to formula feed their baby – they would be thrilled to get this as a gift. If not, it could come across as insulting since nursing/formula feeding can tend to be hot topics.

        I imagine the giver of the gift knows her friend well and considered her preferences, since she said they were good friends.

  27. Emily

    I just made five baskets to be auctioned off at an American Cancer Society event. I love that I can help other people that I wouldn’t have normally been able to.

  28. Nicole

    Love it, great job!!! I ordered 3 of the scout bears from toys r us for $20 and they have made great gifts for friends. I almost wish I would have gotten more. 🙂

  29. Jo Ann

    I’d like to know from Katie (if she is reading these posts) where she got the “plastic” to wrap the basket in? I want to do this for an up coming baby shower but don’t know how/where to get the thick, clear wrap.

    • Linda

      She mentioned she got the basket, cellophane, and ribbon all from Michael’s. Other craft stores will have it as well.

    • Anonymous

      I think she said she got it at Micheal’s. It’s called cellophane.

      • E

        Use a receiving blanket or something like that instead of plastic! It’s useful and cute! Plastic is bad, mmkay? (South Park, anyone?)

      • patti

        Michaels will accept competitor’s coupons. I do this often with using Jo-Ann stores coupons. Michaels policy states on their coupons that only one per person per day.

    • Laura C

      They sell the clear wrap at Michaels, located near the regular gift wrap and tape. I recommend what (I think) they call basket bags. They are sold folded up, and they are already formed into a bag shape for you, with various sizes to chose from. You just drop your basket in and tie it off. If your bag is looking too limp, you can gather it up and kind of blow into it like a balloon to fluff the bag out, then secure it tightly with a tiny rubber band and then a pretty bow over it. The bags are super simple to use. Alternatively, you can buy a big roll of the transparent cellophane (also sold at same location) and cut what you need, but a big basket will take two lengths and it is tricky to get it to bend it around the basket and look nice.

      • Jo Ann

        Thanks everyone! Will go to Michaels and check out what they have. 🙂

    • Julie

      Rite Aid also carries the clear wrap.

    • Misty

      You can also score this at Dollar Tree if you have one near by.

  30. Sarah

    I am having my 3rd child in 10 weeks, and although I personally don’t plan on using a lot of the types of products in the basket (I use cloth, I bf, etc) I would certainly still appreciate such thoughtfulness. You never know when you might need disposables and things (Hurricane Irene must have been a NIGHTMARE for CD’ing moms!) and as for the formula, you never know when you might need that as well, even if you plan on bf the entire time! I have two cans of Enfamil powder with my stockpile in the unlikely event that something might happen to me or my supply. I did the same with my other kids and never used them, I ended up donating them, but still they were there just in case.

  31. Ang

    That is awesome! Way to go on such a useful great and *cheap* gift!

  32. T

    Wow. The comments for this post are OUTRAGEOUS. Any gift should be sppreciated and if u dont have any nice “opinions” then just keep them to urself. Ur strong beliefs or opinions can hurt thise who mean good.

    • Leighton

      Agreed. Well said!

    • C

      I absolutely agree.

    • bebe

      I totally agree. This lady did a great job and she is the kind of friend I would love to have. Be nice or be quiet.

    • Hannah

      I’m w/ you. I might not be using a few things in this basket, but I think it would be awesome to receive a gift like this. There are many fun, helpful things in it for any situation, as well as back-up items, since no plans or preferences are guaranteed w/ children!

  33. Michelle

    I cannot believe some of the rude comments. The basket is so beautiful and very thoughtful. I am really impressed! Let’s stay positive on Hip2save. Collin works hard to share ideas and deals to help people save. I cannot express how much she has helped my family save. Thanks for sharing:)

    • Heather

      I agree, no negative comments. there is no reason! If you don’t use or like what is in the basket, then don’t reply!!! This post was not about breastfeeding vs. formula or cloth vs.disposable. It was to show how wonderful a gift can be without spending much money.

      • T

        That is right! I’m glad SO many others agree. I was flabbergasted at all of the inappropriate and rude comments on someone who was just trying to be a thoughtful and good friend.

  34. Jamie

    thats so awesome! God will bless you!

  35. rainwindel

    The whold point of the picture, I think, was just to show that by following this site and being thrifty we can give people nicer gifts. I am impressed by the retail cost vs. what the person actually paid. Who cares whether or not its stuff I would have actually used? I’m sure she knows her friend well enough to know what that friend will use/appreciate. I can’t believe people will actually take time out of their day to criticize this picture. It is so not worth my energy to get on here and post mean comments about products I don’t use or care about. I just skip them.

    • rainwindel

      *whole* point, sorry about the typo

  36. Carolyn

    Such a beautiful, practical, and thoughtful gift for a baby shower, thanks so much for sharing!!! As a mom of two young children (including an 8month old), I would have been very happy to receive a gift like this. And even if I had received an item or two that I wasn’t planning on using on a regular basis, I still would have been pleased. We actually keep an “emergency kit” of baby items in each car and at each grandparents house. The emergency kit contains extra disposable diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, formula, and baby/toddler food. I never thought we would, but I’ll admit that we’ve dug into that emergency kit more than once!

  37. Shelly T.

    Way to go Katie! Great job and wonderful gift!!

  38. lana

    Such an awesome idea! Great job on the extremely THOUGHTFUL gift. It looks just like the kind of thing you can buy pre-made for $100+! Absolute worst case (for the meanies put there trying to bring people down…shame on you!), whatever the friend doesn’t use, she can regift, or keep on hand for when other people with babies come over.

  39. Michelle

    Someone had made the comment that breast feeding was not free. I would just like to point out that WIC offers free lactation consultants and pump loans. My free lactation consultant was such a great resource to have, she is an amazing person, and one of the best lactation consultants in the southeast (and the only one that is also a nutritionist). I have never met anyone that has been turned down for WIC for making too much money because they have some of the highest income limits for assistance.

    I used to make gift baskets when I worked at the Fresh Market, and I must say, good job! Most people put a filler in the bottom of gift baskets but this would be a good time to use a fluffy baby blanket instead. If it has an embroidered area on it you could hang it over the edge of the basket for decoration. You could even use a cute laundry hamper or cute storage tote instead of a basket. Also if you’ve been around a few babies you know how much their needs change in a very short amount of time, buy larger clothes and diapers than a newborn needs to replace items that you are not sure that the person wants. We can argue all day about if people should use pacifiers, formula, bottles, organic products, and disposable diapers. I do not think that it would be rude at all to ask someone what their preferences are and build the basket from there.

    I make baskets like these for Christmas but with the persons favorite foods, candy, tea, coffee, lotions, candles, gifts for their pet and anything else I think they might want to splurge on. My mom even made a special request for breathe right strips for my dads Christmas basket! It feels nice to be able to give someone what would cost them 75-100 dollars for 15-20.

    • Raeanne

      I don’t work, I stay at home with my daughter and we don’t qualify for WIC. So it’s not an option for everyone.

    • Sarah

      I am a stay-at-home mom to 2 boys(2 years old and under) and my husband makes $20 a month too much to qualify for WIC so unfortunately not everyone qualifies……I have just had to get really creative on how we spend our money, plus now I work a part-time job 2-3 nights a week to suppliment my hubby’s income……… :/

    • Hannah

      You have to qualify nutritionally as well. If they think that you can afford and are feeding yourself and your children well enough without WIC, they turn you down.

  40. Sarah

    Breastfeeding was certainly not free for us, but way cheaper than formula. We don’t qualify for WIC, we live in one of the most expensive states to live in and the incomes are high (but not if you consider cost of living) and yet the income level for WIC is the same in all 48 continental states. It may be free for those on WIC to have a LC and pump loan etc, but those services are not “free”. The LC gets paid and the companies who make and rent the pumps do too. Either way, it’s best for the mother to decide what’s best for her 🙂

  41. tracy

    I made something like this for a close friend and she loved it. I spent about 5 months collecting things for free/ cheap. She loved it and since she was a friend she knew I had been collecting things for a long time. It made it special that I had put so much time into it.

  42. Jaycee

    I did something similar for a bridal shower 25 years ago. I was broke, as was the bride-to-be, but I knew how to coupon! My gift may not have lasted over two decades like the teapot her grandmother gave her, but it was definitely more appreciated for the first few months. Back then a couple of department stores doubled (and sometimes tripled) coupons with no limit on the value. Coupons often did not have expiration dates and they had larger face values too. So I could spend just a few dollars for months and months of cleaning supplies.

  43. Maria

    Seriously enough of acting like you are better because you use cloth diapers, breastfeed, etc. Obviously since she is friends with this woman she knows what she uses and even if not to be offensive in order to push your agenda is wrong. Im glad those posts are being deleted. I see a few more that also need to be. Someone does something nice, creative and helpful for the person intended and all some people have to offer is nastiness. Plain rude!

    • Vicki

      AMEN!
      (I especially liked the first sentence! ridiculous!)

  44. Nel

    What a nice gift! It was very kind of you to use your time and energy to stretch a buck (or a few bucks) into something worth much more! Nothing makes me feel good like knowing someone cared enough to put some time and thought in to a gift!!!

  45. Cindi

    What I thought was particularly useful in this basket is that so many of these items are smaller/sample sized, which are *perfect* for stashing in the car or in a small diaper bag. Even though I used cloth diapers and did all the ‘crunchy’ things with my daughter and twins, those little samples often came in handy when we were out and about, or traveling. The sample and smaller sizes are wonderful to hang onto in case of emergency or running out, all formula debates aside!

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