Baby Shower Gift Giving - From a Couple

I'm again writing about how much money to spend on a baby shower gift and I'm again doing so under a lame, self-explanatory title.  I've written about baby shower gift giving in general (here) and baby shower gift giving for twins (here).  But, I'm not stopping with a mere two posts on the topic.  Over the next few weeks I've decided to discuss the following topics:

• How much to spend as a couple?
• How much to to spend on a co-worker?
• How much to spend on an acquaintance versus a bestie (aka best friend)?

And maybe a few more.  Why am I beating the total and complete crap out of this horse?  Because it's a hot topic.  Seriously.  You may remember my Ode to Rosie Pope, also known as Your Burning Rosie Pope Questions.  In that post, I revealed the Top 10 search phrases that lead people to Next Stop Baby.  Back in July when I wrote that post, Rosie Pope occupied 7 out of the Top 10 phrases.  I didn't reveal the three non-Rosie related phrases, but I'll now tell you that 1 of those other 3 was "how much to spend on baby shower gift".  It's a phrase that remains in the Top 10 today (#8 to be exact).

Thus, I repeat: it's a hot topic.  I never would have guessed, but the baby crazed people have spoken.  I feel it's only fair to cater to my audience and so today I'm addressing the following searched phrase:

baby shower present, how much from a couple?

When a gift comes from a couple instead of an individual the value tends to increase.  This is true across the gift giving board, whether for a wedding, birthday or otherwise.  But, a gift only counts as coming from a couple if both members of the couple are invited to and are in attendance at the gift giving event.  Confused?  I'll clarify.  If I'm invited to a baby shower, I bring a gift from me...one person.  This is true even if the guest of honor is friends with me and my husband.  This is true even if the guest of honor is better friends with my husband than me.  I'm the only one invited, I'm the only gift giver and thus the gift is from an individual.  That fact that both my husband and I know and love the guest of honor, doesn't meant it's a couple's gift.

When my husband and I are both invited to a baby shower, then we bring a gift from us...two of us.  And how much is that exactly?  There's no science on the matter.  But, I'll try to make some up.

I'm going to call my first fabricated rule The Anti-Double Rule.  Just because I would spend $50 on a baby shower gift when I'm invited and attend solo doesn't mean my husband and I must spend $100 on a baby shower gift when we're invited and attend together.  The gift value doesn't have to be multiplied by two just because it's coming from two people.  Rather, apply The %150 Rule (aka the second fabricated rule).  If I would spend $50 on a baby shower gift, then a gift from my husband and I will be $75 or more.  You can spend double or triple or a kazillion times more than you would have if you had been giving a gift from just you, but I think multiplying by 1.5 is a good base.

$50 x 1.5 = $75

I'm sure that some of you are now thinking that all this made up math is good and well, but how much does just one person spend?  What is the base number that you multiply?!?  Well, I've already sort of answered that question in my original post (found here).

Do you have any rules (fabricated or otherwise) about gift giving from a couple?  

Share the wealth!!!

Some Rosie Pope for your viewing enjoyment (found here).
Does her tongue look short or weird in any way?
That's another commonly searched topic.