What are your thoughts on asking for books in lieu of cards for a baby shower?

[mjkacmom]

It’s $5.60 on amazon prime free one day delivery, but it’s

If I add a card, it’s one from the Dollar Tree that cost 50 cents, so this would be asking me to buy another gift. If the book is in lieu of a gift, fine.

It can be a used book, or a dollar store book, and it’s a request, not a demand.

 

[Moliphino]

Do you honestly keep a tally?

I don't see a problem with it. If you want to spend $50, say, and get a $10 book instead of a negligibly priced card (<$1) I don't see a problem with now spending $40 on the gift itself.

 

[Allison]

Do you honestly keep a tally?

You don't keep a budget in mind when giving gifts? It's called calculating your total spending.

 

[luvsJack]

I don't see a problem with it. If you want to spend $50, say, and get a $10 book instead of a negligibly priced card (<$1) I don't see a problem with now spending $40 on the gift itself.

Why on earth is everyone spending so much on children's books?

If I am buying a shower gift, most of the time, I pick something from the registry. I don't pick the most expensive things usually, of course, but I do pick what I would like to give. I budget $50ish for example. Not a set $50. And I usually set the amount after I decide what I want to give (I do look around and see if I can get it cheaper at another store) I just don't like being quite that rigid. And I would buy the book I want to give online and less than $10 so, no, wouldn't take it away from the gift no more than I would the price for the wrapping paper.

If it was a book in lieu of a gift, I wouldn't give one book. I would give a set of Dr. Suess or a set of Eric Carle or just pick out a certain number of books.

 

[Pink Partridge]

Do you honestly keep a tally?

I do. On a spreadsheet. I respect my money and budget just about every penny. Every penny has a job.

I budget a certain amount for family and close friends, and certain amount for co-workers and not-so-close friends.

I like the book idea, though. But a $20 book would put a dent in my $50 budget for a co-worker.

 

[mjkacmom]

I do. On a spreadsheet. I respect my money and budget just about every penny. Every penny has a job.

I budget a certain amount for family and close friends, and certain amount for co-workers and not-so-close friends.

I like the book idea, though. But a $20 book would put a dent in my $50 budget for a co-worker.

Why are you spending $20 on a children’s book?

 

[DisLiss]

I think it's a fabulous idea. Cards can be very expensive, and after you look at them they either go into the trash or become something you have to store for however long.

On the other hand, study after study shows the importance of reading to children, so starting a new baby off with a little library of their own sounds lovely. And since the card points out that a used book is as welcome as a brand new one, even someone who would have bought a very inexpensive card can still opt for a very inexpensive book.

Around here, most libraries supplement their funding through used book sales...they put up a few shelves in the corner someplace, where you can buy used children's books all year long for between 25 and 50 cents a piece. So even a dollar store card costs more than one of those books, and you'd be helping the local library as well. Talk about win-win-win!

As for it asking for an "extra gift" I see this as no different from the "wishing well" cards that bridal shower invites sometimes would have, where you'd be asked to buy an extra small gift, usually some little thing for the kitchen, like a dish towel or spatula or something. Those were popular many decades ago, so the idea of a little "add-on" gift is hardly a new one.

 

[Pink Partridge]

Why are you spending $20 on a children’s book?

I was going on someone else's post that they spent $20 on a book. Either way my post was focusing on most people have set budgets, even when it comes to giving a gift.

But, I would easily pay $10 on a children's classic book. I love the way a hardcover looks on a bookshelf. To each their own.

We have a great boutique in town that does book themes. So it would be the book, wrapped up with a matching onesie, and perhaps a matching toy. That always makes a great gift.

 

[DisLiss]

ETA: I respect your desire to instill your child with a love of reading, but just know that there’s no guarantee no matter how many books you surround them with. My husband is an avid reader and passing that love onto his child was goal number 1 in his mind when we were talking about having children. My son is nearly 2 1/2 now, and he still has zero interest or attention span for having books read to him.

I'd hardly give up on your son being a reader at just 2.5. My own youngest son hated to sit still to hear a book read to him as a baby and toddler. He'd toss the book aside and crawl off of our laps and crawl/toddle away. But by 4 or 5, he started to come around a bit (and we'd read the books we'd been accumulating his whole life) and now, at 8, I go hoarse sometimes for how long he'll ask me to keep reading "a little more??", and he loves to read on his own as well.

 

[DisLiss]

It can be a used book, or a dollar store book, and it’s a request, not a demand.

Exactly. It can even be a book you already have in your home.

 

[DisLiss]

Slightly O/T, but has anyone noticed a trend that woman are having baby showers for each baby these days? When did that start? A baby shower is meant to help the new mom and dad set up and have the necessities for a baby. Unless 10 years or more have passed, there should be no need for a baby shower after each kid.

I think people look at a shower as just a get together to celebrate a new baby sometimes.

I did wind up with a shower for my youngest. There was "only" 8 years between mine, but since we didn't think we'd be able to have another after our oldest we had given everything away. We could have bought things again ourselves, but someone opted to have a shower for us and my older son was so thrilled to have a party for the baby sibling he was so excited to finally be getting. I certainly didn't have the heart to tell the host or my son that we shouldn't have the shower because some people might feel disgruntled about it. I figured if they invited anyone who felt there was no need for a second shower, they could opt not to come. I'd never know the reason they weren't there, so it was all good.

 

[DisLiss]

Just for example, THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, by Eric Carle costs $21.99. You can buy many cards for the same price.

https://www.target.com/p/the-very-hungry-caterpillar/-/A-11400718 $5.60. But again, as others have mentioned, a used book, as specifically mentioned on the card in the OP, can be less than a dollar or even free.

 

[mjkacmom]

I was going on someone else's post that they spent $20 on a book. Either way my post was focusing on most people have set budgets, even when it comes to giving a gift.

But, I would easily pay $10 on a children's classic book. I love the way a hardcover looks on a bookshelf. To each their own.

We have a great boutique in town that does book themes. So it would be the book, wrapped up with a matching onesie, and perhaps a matching toy. That always makes a great gift.

I think people look at a shower as just a get together to celebrate a new baby sometimes.

I did wind up with a shower for my youngest. There was "only" 8 years between mine, but since we didn't think we'd be able to have another after our oldest we had given everything away. We could have bought things again ourselves, but someone opted to have a shower for us and my older son was so thrilled to have a party for the baby sibling he was so excited to finally be getting. I certainly didn't have the heart to tell the host or my son that we shouldn't have the shower because some people might feel disgruntled about it. I figured if they invited anyone who felt there was no need for a second shower, they could opt not to come. I'd never know the reason they weren't there, so it was all good.

I was thrown a surprise shower for my 4th pregnancy, but it was more of a sprinkle with outfits and diapers. The best gift I received was a used triple stroller from a friend that she got when her triplets were born, since my 3rd child was still under 2. I used it a lot! Since she was still in a crib, friends gave me their old ones, plus I got handed down bassinets, exersaucers, bouncy seats... By then I didn’t care one bit if my baby stuff wasn’t new.

 

[aprilgail]

I actually love the trend of having attendees address the envelopes for baby showers, it’s such a kindness for a new mom barely hanging on. I don’t like it for bridal showers though, but will still address the envelopes. In this day and age, the host probably had printed labels for the invites anyway and could give them to the guest of honor.

I HATE that - my feeling is that if I can go out of my way to buy a gift for someone than the least they can do is not be lazy and address the envelope themselves! They certainly knew my address when they sent the invite so they should know it for the thank you! This is one of my major peeves!

 

[aprilgail]

People can for sure spend more on a book than a card but these days I'm lucky to get out of the store without buying a simple no frills card for less than $6 lol.

I go to Hallmark store and they have a section of cards for 99 cents!

 

[mjkacmom]

I HATE that - my feeling is that if I can go out of my way to buy a gift for someone than the least they can do is not be lazy and address the envelope themselves! They certainly knew my address when they sent the invite so they should know it for the thank you! This is one of my major peeves!

But the person hosting shower addressed the envelopes and set up the table, not the new mom.Heck, I would have loved this at the funeral home when my parents died, the last thing I wanted to do was write thank you notes, especially tracking down addresses.

 

[Moliphino]

Why are you spending $20 on a children’s book?

Because it's a nice book?

I gave the Magic Kingdom Storybook to my nephew, which is $30 on Amazon (I can't remember exactly what I paid for it in the park, but it was close).

Sure you can find cheap books, but what if you'd prefer to find something special?

 

[cabanafrau]

Why on earth is everyone spending so much on children's books?

If I am buying a shower gift, most of the time, I pick something from the registry. I don't pick the most expensive things usually, of course, but I do pick what I would like to give. I budget $50ish for example. Not a set $50. And I usually set the amount after I decide what I want to give (I do look around and see if I can get it cheaper at another store) I just don't like being quite that rigid. And I would buy the book I want to give online and less than $10 so, no, wouldn't take it away from the gift no more than I would the price for the wrapping paper.

If it was a book in lieu of a gift, I wouldn't give one book. I would give a set of Dr. Suess or a set of Eric Carle or just pick out a certain number of books.

It's not necessarily that everyone is spending so much on children's books. My usual go-to book to give for baby showers is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which I can pick up for $7.99 in paperback, not a bad price for a book. I purposely stay out of the Hungry Caterpillar, Rainbow Fish, Dr. Seuss, Guess How Much I Love You traffic jam. If I'm going to give a book I want to be thoughtful about it, not simply go through the motions simply for the idea of participating in the first place., so I'm not interested in seeing what I can lay my hands on for $3 or whatever in order to get my gold star for participating.

As I said, we're personally in a very jam packed spring, summer and fall of special occasions with gifts attached. From the end of March through early November I can tally 5 weddings with 5 bridal showers, 2 milestone anniversary parties, 7 baby showers and 2 retirements that are particularly special. That's an unbelievably high number for us and doesn't even include milestone birthdays for both of our daughters, my mother and our own milestone anniversary this year. Maybe just tacking on the extra cost of a book for a baby shower is no big deal for you, but for those of us who do foot most or all of the costs associated with putting our kids through college it might require some consideration -- particularly when it's one of 7 baby showers alone within an eight month timeframe.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I go to Hallmark store and they have a section of cards for 99 cents!

That's totally true I seem to find the ones that more speak to me even no frills simple to be pricey though lol. Must be my luck

But $0.99 cards do work at times for sure.

On a side note you've just jogged my memory that it's time for Free Card Friday at Hallmark (for Crown Rewards members only). Often those cards are fairly simple but hey they would be free and I can probably find a usage for them at some point lol.

 

[luvsJack]

Because it's a nice book?

I gave the Magic Kingdom Storybook to my nephew, which is $30 on Amazon (I can't remember exactly what I paid for it in the park, but it was close).

Sure you can find cheap books, but what if you'd prefer to find something special?

Well, that would be your choice but its not required. You can find wonderful books that are cheap or perhaps one even already owns. I love Eric Carle, Dr Suess and Jan Brett for children's books. They aren't hard to find even in hard back for cheap.