Baby Registries
There seem to be a lot of “social rules” regarding baby registries and some people have very strong feelings about them. When I was pregnant with my first son, my husband and I set up registries at both Babies R’ Us and Target but we didn’t widely share that we had them. My mom felt that it was inappropriate to put our registry info on my baby shower invitations. She didn’t want it to seem like we were expecting gifts or telling people what to buy and I didn’t want anyone to feel that way either. However, most of my friends who had babies before me had all had registries and I had always found it helpful to know what they wanted versus just guessing and buying something they would have to pretend to love.
In the end, we decided to only mention the registry to those who asked if we had one. Even then, many of our relatives decided to shop for “off list” anyway and bought things that we didn’t ask for. We weren’t out to get gifts from people so that was just fine with us. In fact, we used the registry as a shopping list of sorts to help us figure out what we needed for baby.
Now that we are pregnant with son number two, my husband and I were torn about whether or not to create registries again. After giving it a lot of thought, my husband and I decided to register at Buy Buy Baby and Target again. We already decided that we will not have another baby shower this time and some people I mentioned this to have asked me why I would bother with a registry in light of that. In the end, there are three big reasons that we decided to create registries for baby number two.
An Organized Shopping List
The biggest reason that I choose to create registries for baby number two is that they have greatly helped me to sort through what we do and do not need for this baby. When you create a registry (either in store or online) most places will give you a list of “suggested items” to register for. To my surprise and delight Buy Buy Baby even had a specialized list for second babies which was not only unexpected but helpful. Going through the list of “suggested items” helped to remind me of things that I needed to replace since baby one or that we no longer have and that I had forgotten needing. After all, it’s been three years since our son was a newborn and a lot of that time feels like a big blur!
I initially registered at Buy Buy Baby in the store and scanned items that I thought would be nice to have (or just plain cute – I mean come on – baby stuff is adorable!) but the online registry tool has been helpful too. As I have gotten into nesting mode and gone through all of the things that I still have from my first son, I have been able to edit our registries accordingly. To be honest, if someone happens to ask if we have a registry, I’ll be happy to provide our information but I don’t expect that to happen. The registries are 99% for my husband and I. They have become a personal shopping list of things that we want or need for this baby. They have lessened my anxiety because I know that I haven’t forgotten anything and as we slowly purchase things, I can see the progress on our lists and continue to edit as needed.
A Better Return Policy
The second reason that I decided to open registries for our second child is because many places offer a better extended return policy as a registry perk. Normally, store return policies range from 30 to 90 days from the date of purchase. However, at Target, Buy Buy Baby, and a number of other places, if you create a registry, the return window increases from 90 days to a full year after baby’s due date as a registry perk! With my first son, this perk was really useful. It’s hard to know exactly what you are going to want or need before baby arrives and sometimes it’s hard to judge if clothes will fit when you expect before baby arrives. With a full year to return things for a full refund or store credit, we were able to exchange items that baby outgrew before he could wear them and exchange diaper sizes without having to stress about the store accepting them. Knowing that we have this perk has made me a lot less worried about buying things ahead of time. We can stock up on essentials knowing that we can exchange sizes or return things that we don’t end up needing. It’s important to note though that not every store has this perk as part of their registry benefits so check before banking on it. Amazon in particular does not have this benefit and this was a huge reason that we did not register there. I did not like the idea of buying something before baby’s arrival that I couldn’t return even if I changed my mind the day after my sons’ arrival (assuming that I ordered more than just 90 days before).
Completion Discount
The last major reason that we decided to open registries is that both of the stores that we registered with offer completion discounts. This means that we can buy anything that doesn’t get purchased before baby’s arrival at a discounted price (usually 10-15%). It’s worth noting that anything purchased with this discount still qualifies for the extended return policy as well as long as it’s listed on the registry so there’s no reason not to take advantage! Have a larger item that you know probably won’t be purchased for you but never seems to go on sale? This is a great way to get a little bit of a price break! When I mentioned this to a friend who is also expecting she called me a genius… while I wouldn’t go that far, I do try to be a practical shopper when possible. Why buy something at full price when you don’t have to?! Obviously some items need to be purchased ahead of time and some will go on sale which makes it a better idea to buy in advance but be a smart shopper and use your registry perks to your advantage whenever possible. Many stores also allow you to use the completion discount online so that you can shop from the comfort of your couch after baby makes his or her debut but make sure that you check the fine print of your registry benefits before you bank on this!
At the end of the day, the decision to open a registry (or not) is purely optional and up to you and your partner to decide. Either way, don’t let anyone criticize your decision. If you chose to open a registry, make sure that you read all of the fine print and know what perks your registry program offers. Use them to your advantage and have fun shopping. Your new addition will be here before you know it!
Image Courtesy of Whattoexpect.com