Woah baby! Aussies splashing out $107M on baby showers

6 September, 2018, Sydney, Australia – Expectant parents are spending excessive amounts on their baby showers, new research by finder.com.au has revealed.

The celebrity trend sees Australian parents-to-be collectively splashing out $107 million per year on a party for their new bundle of joy – and that doesn’t include gifts. On average, baby showers are costing $672 per party.

The survey of 2,005 Australian parents* found 53% hosted a baby shower in the lead up to the birth of their child.

Of those expectant parents throwing a baby shower, over one quarter (27%) paid for the event themselves, while 45% split the cost with family.

It isn’t just soon-to-be parents following this hype, with the research showing 28% had their family and friends pay for their baby shower entirely.

Bessie Hassan, Money Expert at finder.com.au, said expectant parents are going above and beyond for their baby celebrations.

“A cake in the backyard with your girlfriends just doesn’t seem to cut it these days with many wanting a lavish affair – the more elaborate the better,” she said.

It seems celebrities sparked the trend, with some Aussie parents even opting for gift registries, professional cakes, extravagant floral arrangements and entertainment.

Hassan advised Aussies to rethink these costly celebrations.

“Having a baby on the way is a very important life event but acknowledging that fact shouldn’t break the bank,” she said.

“The point of a baby shower typically is to help accumulate items for the baby in the form of gifts – to help bring down the cost of a new baby for a family – that goes out the window if you are forking out hundreds on the party itself.”

New South Wales is the state with the highest spend with showers costing $795 on average. South Australian families are in second spot paying $761.

However parents are being urged to choose a less lavish baby shower and bank the change.

“Opening a baby bank account and contributing an initial $500 could end up being a very tidy savings account if you continue to stash cash away over the course of their childhood,” she said.

Tips for a Budget Baby Shower

• Have it at home. Instead of a venue, consider hosting the baby shower at home. If the weather permits, going to the local park is a great free alternative.
• Bring a plate. Food is always going to be a huge proportion of your budget. Keep costs low by having guests each bring one dish and turn your baby shower into a potluck.
• Keep it intimate. You don’t need to decorate your whole home. Restricting the baby shower to just one room means you can stretch your decorating budget further.
• DIY. Decorations are not difficult to create and making your own gives a personal touch. DIY decorations are also cheaper than store-bought.
• Go paperless. Beautiful stationery invites are extravagant but unnecessary. Go paperless and give your guests ease in RSVPing.