Congrats! You’re having a baby!
After all the panic and nausea subside a bit, now comes the fun part! The shopping! Now, as a frugal mom, I’m not a huge shopper, but who can resist the allure of those cute little baby clothes?!
Of course, having a baby means a lot of expenses, so I do my best to make it as cheap and frugal as possible to get ready for your new baby. Getting baby stuff for free is one of the biggest hacks you can do as a new mom. There are so many opportunities to save costs and get freebies on your baby stuff.
One of those ways is by creating a Target Baby Registry. I know this sounds counterintuitive but hear me out!!
Please note that some of these links are affiliate links, which means that when you sign up with these links, I get a small commission at no additional cost to you. Please see the full disclosure here.
Creating a Target Registry
Many new moms create a registry for all the stuff that they need. This is especially important if you are going to have a baby shower or if you are anticipating a lot of gifts. But even if neither of those things apply, you should still create a Target baby registry for two reasons: the completion discount and the Target Baby Registry Welcome Kit.
Get Started With Your Target Baby Registry Now
Completion Discount
Target gives you a 15% coupon close to your due date to help you purchase all the items on your registry that have not been purchased yet. This is great for big-ticket items or a huge order of all those baby basics that you will inevitably need (and that add up super quickly)
I like to put all the big-ticket items on my registry, but also the necessities and essentials that you need. That way, you can get a discount on all the basics as well—diapers, wipes, etc.
How To Get the Most Out of Your Target Completion Discount
Add Up & Up Basics
I love the Up & Up brand for all sorts of baby and mom basics. So go crazy adding these to your registry. If you can stack the discounts with the already built-in savings, you’ll be golden.
Add More Than You Need
I like to add lots of stuff to my registry—even more than I need. I also like to add a few different brands of items. Every baby is different, and you don’t know what your baby is going to need until it comes. That way, no matter how sensitive my baby’s skin is or whether I end up nursing, pumping, or formula feeding, I’ll have the items there ready for me to buy with my discount.
Don’t Forget Mom
We are all wrapped up with the new baby, but once the baby comes, you’ll also need postpartum and nursing supplies. You can add those items to your registry and save some money. You can also add some maternity essentials if you still need them (more on this later).
Pro Tip: If you are perfectly curating your list because of your shower guests, create a registry with all your requested gifts, and then after the shower is over, add all the essentials and non-exciting stuff.
How to Sign Up for Target Baby Registry
Signing up for the Target Baby Registry is easy and pretty much explanatory, so I won’t give you a step-by-step. You can easily create it in the app or online. You can add items on your phone or computer or in-store if you want.
Once you sign up, you need to add the items you want- you will need to add at least 10 items to qualify for all the freebies. This shouldn’t be too hard, and Target has lists and suggestions for you, or you can use our suggestions here to get you started:
- A Minimalist Baby Registry: What Do You Really Need?
- 12 Best Items To Add to Your Baby Registry
- What To Pack In Your Diaper Bag? Simple Diaper Bag Must Haves
Completion Discount Tips
You won’t get the competition discount until it’s closer to your due date, so I suggest fudging the date a bit when you create the registry. I like to put the date a few weeks before the baby is born so I can buy stuff before the baby comes to be prepared. This is also a good idea because babies do sometimes come early (but not always!).
The 15% off coupon will appear in your app 8 weeks before your due date and will be eligible for 6 months after that. You can only use it twice, so make sure to either load up your cart or use it for the big-ticket items. And if you do use it for your big-ticket items (stroller, carseat, crib, etc), then throw in all those little things into the cart at the same time (think diapers, wipes, Desitin, Tylenol, pacifiers, etc) to get the most out of your coupon. You can always return items later (especially now that Target has curbside returns at many locations).
Get Started With Your Target Baby Registry Now
Welcome Kit
Now, it’s time to get your welcome kit. I like getting this as soon as possible because they send you a bag filled with coupons and samples! This is great because you can see what items work for you before buying new ones. The welcome kit varies seasonally, but in the past, people have received bottles, wipes, pacifiers, onesies, and other items. This can be a great starter kit for your new baby.
You qualify for the welcome kit once someone (it can be you!) purchases $10 worth of items from your registry.
If you have friends and family who will buy you gifts, then share the registry and wait until someone purchases something. If you don’t have someone who is going to buy something, then you’ll need to do it yourself. You can either buy an essential item that you know you are going to need or you can add some maternity items to the registry and buy those for yourself. Make sure that when you buy it, you click on the registry link first so it’s counted toward your purchases.
Think before you purchase: don’t just purchase something for the sake of your Welcome Kit. Make sure it is something you actually need.
After this is done, you can go into the Target App and click on the welcome kit.
It may be out of stock. That is what happened to me at first. It looked like this:
Bummer. But then, when I checked a few days later, it was in stock! Yay!
Getting the Welcome Kit for Free
Now, when you add the welcome kit to your cart, it will say that it costs $60. But if you haven’t done this before for this registry, then it should show as $0 in the total. However, they will want to charge you $6.99 for shipping.
Now, when I say I like to get things for free, I mean I like it for free. However, I do not consider items that I have to pay shipping for free! So, I figured out a way around it.
Please read before ordering because if you cancel your order, you will not be able to order it again (unless you delete and recreate your registry and have to order the items again- trust me, you don’t want to do this; I found this out the hard way, and you’re welcome).
Although it does not say this anywhere, the Target Baby Registry Welcome Kit seems free with over $35 of items. So you just need to order some other stuff at the same time. Don’t just add stuff to your cart to get the free shipping- that would not be frugal.
Pick items that you already need or are going to need. You can also leave them in your cart until you have items that you do need. When I placed my order, it seemed like the shipping charges dropped off after I added $20 of items to my cart. Your results may vary.
After you do all this, you will be able to order the Target Baby Registry Welcome Kit for free!
Get Started With Your Target Baby Registry Now
What Is in the Target Baby Registry Welcome Kit
Here are all of the things I received in my Target Baby Registry Welcome Kit in March of 2025:
Up & Up Fragrance-Free Baby Wipes
Pampers Pure Diaper (Sample)
Kendamil Infant Formula (sample)
Millie Moon Luxury Diapers (Sample)
Lansinoh Nursing Pad and Breastmilk
Up & Up Diapers (Sample)
Honest Clean Conscious Wipes (Sample)
Bibs Pacifier
Dr Brown’s Natural Flow Anti-Colic Bottle
Avent Natural Bottle
Aveeno Baby Healthy Start Newborn Balm (Travel Size)
Up & Up Dreamy Lavender Shampoo and Baby Wash (Sample)
Up & Up Dreamy Lavender Baby Lotion (Sample)
Mommy Bliss Baby Gripe Water x 2 (Sample)
Dapple Baby Bottle and Dish Soap (Sample)
Get Started With Your Target Baby Registry Now
Read More:
- How To Get Free Baby Stuff: Free Baby Samples & More
- Which Baby Registry Should I Sign Up For?
- Preparing for a Baby on a Budget
