I know how expensive baby showers can be, whether you are throwing one or just attending the party. I always try to save money while still trying to get the best quality. I’ve recently come across an amazing discovery. The dollar store!! Yep! Who would have thought? Surprisingly, there are quite a few things that you can get at the dollar store for a baby shower! I’ll start off with things that they have that will be helpful in saving money while THROWING the baby shower itself:
1. Balloons!!
Balloons are an AMAZING decoration/accent piece! Have you ever noticed how lame and regular a room looks…. then hang up some random balloons and viola! It looks like a party is about to happen!! Actually, my decoration of choice has always been balloons. I love them! I’ve also realized that I don’t have to spend tons of money on them. I just go to the dollar store and you can get tons of cute Mylar balloons for just a dollar a piece!! And they last way longer than you would want them to… lol… so I either let the kids go crazy with them or we just pop them after having them up long enough…
2. Party Supplies!!
No need to go to those high end party supply stores and fork over hundreds and hundreds of dollars on stuff that will end up in the garbage within like 2 hours. Imagine that as you just throwing money into the garbage.. ugh.. lol.. what a sight! Now go to the dollar store and at least browse their party supply selection before just writing it off.. trust me. I know how that works. I used to be skeptical also… until I realized how much money could be saved by just walking into the plain old dollar store!! They carry adorable plates, napkins, cups, banners, invitations, and even centerpieces! It’s amazing what you’ll find in there!
3. Game Supplies!!
They’re not too focused on carrying a huge variety of games supplies specifically for baby showers, but they still have a few things you could use. They have baby shower party games books… which I think would be kinda boring, lol, but who knows… some people seem to enjoy these things. The cool thing about the dollar store though is you can pretty much pick out any games you want, and just come to the dollar store to buy the supplies for them! They also carry some “award ribbons” for the winners of your party games. I think anyone would want to win one of these 
.
4. Catering Supplies!!
You know you always need lots and lots of different serving bowls and platters and all that kind of stuff to put all the different food out on. Well, I’ve discovered that you don’t have to go try and buy all the same matching “real” pieces, nor do you have to try and borrow any. Plus, think of how much you can save on dish washing!! At the dollar store, they have a large variety of catering supplies to choose from that you can just buy (yes, for $1!!) use, and then just toss! Nothing to wash, nothing to store. It’s that simple. They carry serving platters, punch bowls, server sets, ladles, and much, much more.
Now I will tell you some items that you can actually buy if you are attending the baby shower as a guest, and not actually throwing one. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
5. Gift Wrapping!!
Yep! No need to spend over $5 on a gift bag or $3 on tissue paper (that money can actually be used towards the gift!). The dollar store actually carries a huge variety of very nice gift bags and they have tons of adorable tissue paper to choose from. And I’m not talking about getting like 1 or 2 sheets of tissue paper, I’m talking about a huge stack of tissue paper!
6. Disposable Diaper Bags!!
Yes!! Every mom needs these!! I have used disposable diaper bags with each one of my children. They are awesome! But sadly, I didn’t discover that the dollar store carries these baggies until my most recent child. I was a little bummed out due to the fact that I realized how much money I wasted on my previous purchases of these bags from other “high end” retail stores. Basically, when you buy these from the dollar store, you are getting such an amazing deal, that it’s like even hard to comprehend.. lol… trust me, these things work and they are a must!!
7. Cold Pack Compresses!!
You would never think to actually buy this as a gift.. well, maybe you would, but I sure didn’t. But I did get it as a gift (not these exact ones, but similar) and I loved it! These little cold packs have come in useful time and time again on those tiny little booboos… the kids enjoy looking at them and the pain seems to subside…
8. Odds & Ends!!
Each person is different. Everyone likes different things. You know your “soon to be mama” friend better than I do… so I think if you were just to take a few minutes and wander around the dollar store, I think you will discover a few things that you could throw in the gift bag to fill it up a bit more without emptying your wallet too much… they carry booties, wipes, bath scrubbies and much, much more.
But do keep in mind. I’m not recommending you go and do ALL of your baby shower shopping at the dollar store. By all means, no. I am just suggesting that you pick and choose what you want to spend your money on. If you can buy some items at the dollar store and save a few dollars, then you can splurge a little more on something else. I think it’s quite an amazing deal.