If you’ve ever traveled anywhere (like literally anywhere) you know souvenirs are a huge focus for most businesses and can be a huge money suck for travelers. There are stickers, clothes, shot glasses, magnets, mugs, keychains etc. The list is never ending. Alongside the never-ending list of souvenirs is a never-ending money suck.
Ever since I started traveling, I decided I wouldn’t do souvenirs as they felt like a slippery slope that would be almost impossible to draw the line at where to stop. I literally only buy a single souvenir at every major location I go to (and by that I mean either each country or sometimes each major city – not locations within cities), which is a magnet. I picked magnets for a few main reasons:
- They are cheap – usually under $4 per magnet at the high end.
- They are small – they won’t take up space in my luggage, which is key when you are traveling carry on only. They also don’t take up valuable space in my home.
- They are always available – every location I’ve been to has some sort of magnet available easily.
- They are easy to carry around during the day – when I travel, I usually do full, long days without going back to where I am staying mid-day. This means I need souvenirs that can fit in my purse during the day without weighing me down.
Why I don’t buy souvenirs (except for magnets) personally:
- Finding them takes up valuable travel time. When you’re visiting a country and are on a tight schedule like I usually am, hunting for souvenirs for yourself, friends and family, and hauling them around during the day is a waste of precious time I’d rather spend eating, sightseeing, or exploring.
- They don’t matter to anyone but you. I have traveled with friends and watched them go from place to place, spending hundreds of dollars finding souvenirs for each of their kids, friends, and family members. Not only is this a big waste of valuable money, but the bottom line is souvenirs from a location and trip that they didn’t personally go on won’t actually matter to them. Focus on buying things that will matter to you, and don’t worry about everyone else! Plus, if you don’t buy them for your friends/family, you remove the burden on them to do the same for you when they travel – win/win!
- They are (generally) mass produced. Most souvenirs are made in China, just like most everything else. As much as it’s fun to have something as a memento (like my magnets), they aren’t usually anything particularly special to the area.
From time to time I do make an exception to my no souvenir rule, such as when I come across something that I absolutely love and can’t leave without. In my home currently, I have only 3 of these things: a piece of handmade pottery from Sorrento, Italy, a red jade elephant from Beijing, China and a small handmade carpet from a small town in Morocco. Each of these items makes me happy when I see it, and brings back great memories of travels. I think only having a small number of these things in my home makes the ones I have so much more special. For the rest of my travels, my magnets are sufficient and are a fun reminder of everywhere I’ve been in the past 5 years.
Bottom line is, find something that means a lot to you and buy only that, set a budget, and focus on finding something for yourself and don’t worry about everyone else in your life. If I happen to have extra room in my luggage and extra money left at the end of my trip, I like to stock up on local food and treats to take home!
