How to plan a baby shower when money is tight
The short answer
Keep the shower small and simple, share the hosting with friends, and put what you'd spend on decorations towards what the baby needs. A short registry on Spray lets guests give towards real things like the car seat or a diaper fund, chip in any amount, and pay by transfer or card, so the gifts do the heavy lifting rather than the party.
- A shower can be a lunch at home. The point is the people.
- Share the jobs: one friend on food, one on the cake, one on the list.
- Point gifts at real needs, not decorations.
- Remind me lets friends give after payday.
Keep it simple
- Host at home, at a friend's place, or after church.
- Keep it to the daytime: light food, drinks and a cake.
- Ask a few friends to bring a dish.
- Skip the extras that don't matter to you. A couple of games and some photos are plenty.
- For family abroad, set up a video call during the gathering.
Set up a small registry
Start a baby shower page
Choose Baby shower and add the date, the place and your link. Setting up is free.
Add five or six things
Lead with what you need first: a car seat, a stroller, a diaper fund. Each is a fund friends chip into.
Add a co-host
Invite the friend who's organising, so they can help manage the page.
Decide who covers the fee
There's a small fee: ₦100 + 1.5% per payment, never more than ₦2,000. By default guests cover it on the wishlist so you get the full amount, and you cover it on cash gifts. You can change either.
Turn on payments and share
Confirm who you are, add your bank account and share the link. Spray writes the WhatsApp message for you.
Make it easy for everyone to give
- Any amount counts: friends can put a little towards a big item.
- Remind me lets guests pick when to give: tomorrow, next week, after payday or a week before the shower.
- Family abroad can pay by card in the currencies you turn on.
- Gifts of cash on the day can be logged on your dashboard, so your thank-you list is complete.
Questions
- How do you host a baby shower on a low budget?
- Keep it small, at home or a friend's place, during the day. Share the jobs among friends and point gifts at what the baby needs.
- Who should host a baby shower?
- Often a close friend or relative organises it. On Spray, the parent-to-be can host the page so gifts go to them, with the organising friend as a co-host.
- Is it okay to ask for cash at a baby shower?
- Yes, if it's optional and tied to real needs. A fund for diapers or a car seat is easy to give to.