New Baby: Money or a gift certificate?

[Khadaji]

The wife of one of the guys at the office has had a baby. I have taken a collection and gotten a card. Now, should I just put the money into the card or go get a gift certificate to Baby's 'R' Us or some such?

I like the money idea because:

1. It doesn't restrict how they use it.
2. It means I don't have to do anything else

But I wonder if it is considered to be crass.

[kambuckta]

Originally Posted by Khadaji

The wife of one of the guys at the office has had a baby. I have taken a collection and gotten a card. Now, should I just put the money into the card or go get a gift certificate to Baby's 'R' Us or some such?

I like the money idea because:

1. It doesn't restrict how they use it.
2. It means I don't have to do anything else

But I wonder if it is considered to be crass.

I would give a gift certificate to a more generic store, or one of those prepaid Visa cards. Only grandmas and elderly aunts can get away with sticking cash in an envelope.

[burundi]

I'd give them a gift certificate to Target or another store like that. It's more festive than cash, but they can spend it on baby stuff or household stuff.

[jacquilynne]

Putting money -- especially whatever random contributions were actually collected -- into the card is tacky. Go with a gift card to a baby-related or department store. Don't go with a Visa gift card -- the service charges on those things are ugly.

If you do decide to just give the cash, please exchange all donations for nice 20s you just got out of the bank machine. That's still tacky, but not as much.

[Green Bean]

Hey, I think cash in a card is a delightful thing, but in this case, a gift card just seems more appropriate. I'm not sure why!

Originally Posted by kambuckta

I would give a gift certificate to a more generic store...

Babies'R'Us is a GREAT place to get a gift card from. They have everything, and their diaper prices are actually good, especially if they use coupons. That said, Target or someplace like that would also be good. Which store is more convenient to their home?

[brendon_small]

Be sure to be considerate of where they live when you do this. If there is a Target nearby, great, or a Babies'R'us. For most of America, and elsewhere, this is a small problem, but we live in an area that it does matter. To get to BRS, it is at least an hour or two drive, so in that case, cash is nice because it doesn't limit. Honest, we had a baby last summer and I could hardly tell you who gave cash, gift card, or what present. My wife, on the other hand, probably knows. I would suggest doing whatever you are comfortable with. Something else to consider is that the new parents are putting a lot of money forward. I do know what my sister got us, she paid our car payment for the month (125) and that helped us out a ton. We had more than enough baby stuff when little small arrived, but that was something we had forgotten all about since we were preparing for him.

Brendon Small

[kambuckta]

Originally Posted by Green Bean

Babies'R'Us is a GREAT place to get a gift card from. They have everything, and their diaper prices are actually good, especially if they use coupons. That said, Target or someplace like that would also be good. Which store is more convenient to their home?

The thing about Babies R Us is that they sell, um, baby stuff, and the new parents might well have everything they could possibly need for the new arrival. Especially if it's a first child, doting grandparents and close friends tend to be really organised with purchasing those things that are required.

Why I suggested a generic store (or a Visa card) is that what might be really appreciated by mum and dad is (for example) an IPod for when the babe is having a dose of garden-variety screaming fits, a bottle of good Scotch whiskey or champagne to share when all the hullaballoo has died down, an afternoon at a Day Spa together or even just a meal out. Sometimes the most valued 'baby gifts' are not for the baby at all.

[vix]

Originally Posted by kambuckta

The thing about Babies R Us is that they sell, um, baby stuff, and the new parents might well have everything they could possibly need for the new arrival.

Ha, no. You always need more baby stuff. If nothing else, they can get diapers, as Green Bean said.

[thirdwarning]

Originally Posted by kambuckta

Why I suggested a generic store (or a Visa card) is that what might be really appreciated by mum and dad is (for example) an IPod for when the babe is having a dose of garden-variety screaming fits, a bottle of good Scotch whiskey or champagne to share when all the hullaballoo has died down, an afternoon at a Day Spa together or even just a meal out. Sometimes the most valued 'baby gifts' are not for the baby at all.

I like this idea for an individual gift, but not so much for a group collection thing. Most people, when they donate toward a baby gift, have in mind something for the baby. I think department store, or something like Target, is good, but if I were the parents I'd make sure I actually spent it on the baby. Of course, if that freed up some other money for something for parents, well..... The other thing I'd suggest is maybe most of it in a gift card, but something concrete as well. Maybe an outfit in a larger size. They'll have a ton of stuff for a newborn, but by the time that little one hits nine months or so, not so much. One of the best things my son (at three months) got as a baptism gift was an outfit in a 24 month size. It hung in his closet, but when he got there he had this nice new thing to wear that I didn't have to get for him.

Just askin', did they register at Target or someplace like that? Might make things easier.

[sugar and spice]

Originally Posted by thirdwarning

Just askin', did they register at Target or someplace like that? Might make things easier.

I was thinking the same thing. Check the websites of Target, Babies'r'Us, and Walmart, you'll be able to search registries by the name of either parent. Chances are they're registered at one of those places. You could get a gift card or something big that's left on the registry, like a car seat.

But at least around Chicago, I don't think anyone would be upset by an envelope of cash.

[DMark]

Don't know if they still do it, but when I lived in California, a VERY popular baby gift was a single share of Disney stock - you got a nice printed document, suitable for framing, that had a full color image of Mickey Mouse on the page.

[The Tof]

I would second a gift card.

As a new Dad.. I can say that there is ALWAYS something to buy for the new baby that you can find *AND* people are pretty much donating for a baby gift.

Babys R Us is a great store.. you can find pretty much anything from the bazillion things you'll want for the new baby to things that nobody thinks about, but you have to buy. (Breast feeding supplies or baby care items. etc) Or even, if you're really set some sort of extravagance that you passed because it wasn't really *necessary*. A bebe pod or wipe warmer or something like that.

[aruvqan]

Originally Posted by DMark

Don't know if they still do it, but when I lived in California, a VERY popular baby gift was a single share of Disney stock - you got a nice printed document, suitable for framing, that had a full color image of Mickey Mouse on the page.

they still do it, and you can buy the voting stock to do it with...

[LilyoftheValley]

Parent of a 4-yo: I hate Babies R Us. Overpriced, unnecessary stuff. Even the diapers (that I see some people mentioning) were more expensive than at Costco or on sale at CVS or Target. I would have much preferred a gift card from Target, which also has a decent baby section.

[drpepper]

Another vote for Gift Card, although I offer no opinion on which store. There's something classier about a gift card, which is more of a gifty-gift, than plain old cash, which has an ever-so-slight crassness about it.

[lunar elf]

Target - as being a parent who went through this about a year ago
We used the money to buy diapers, baby food, shelving stuff for the baby's room and other things that popped up after lil elf was here. Some people even gave us cards to buy stuff for ourselves.

Toys R us/Babies R Us is horribly overpriced IMO and hard to find anything useful there.

[Tabula Rasa]

If you go with the gift card option, then Target.

I like the idea of giving money, in crisp twenties, and saying something in the card like "towards the purchase of bonds for later or diapers for now".

[MissGypsy]

I'd like cash, so I could use it at any store that had diapers on sale, or wipes, or sleepers, or whatever I needed for the kid. I do agree that crisp 20s are nicer than wrinkly one-dollar bills.

I also had a bad experience with a gift card, so I'm a little leery of those. (The recipient never received it, and the issuing company refuses to credit my account.) Cash is always good.