Souvenir shopping is a major part of traveling for many people. When Jason and I first started traveling together, buying travel souvenirs was something we did without much thought. But as our kids came along and we grew into a family of six, our method of buying souvenirs (or whether we buy them at all) completely evolved.

We now do six essential things before we purchase anything on a trip and spend our hard-earned dollars. Keep reading to see our complete guide to the absolute best tips for buying souvenirs on vacation. We want to help you bring home authentic souvenirs without busting your travel budget!

For a look at how we budget our spending to afford all these trips in the first place, be sure to check out our popular and FREE Points & Miles Crash Course here.

Our First Major Souvenir Disaster

One of the main reasons I changed my shopping habits stems from my childhood. The first trip I can remember being beyond giddy about was a family trip to Hawaii when I was in elementary school. My parents did everything they could to get us excited, and one of the biggest motivators was giving out extra chores to help us earn some spending money for souvenir shopping.

I saved and hoarded up that money like it was going out of style. When the particular time came to spend it, I turned around and blew through that cash in about thirty minutes. Actually, all of our family members did. We came home with all sorts of absolute junk. We bought boxes upon boxes of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts to give as a great gift to every person we knew. We also bought random stickers, what seemed like a gazillion shells, a Hawaiian hula dancer doll, cheap ukuleles, shot glasses we definitely did not need, stuffed animals, and way too many t-shirts.

Nobody needs all of that stuff!

When we got home, my mom could not stand all of the junk laying around the house. Most of what we had just purchased ended up in the trash or the donation box. I did not even notice for a long time that my Hawaiian doll was gone. Being a bit dramatic, I had to make sure I shed some tears for good measure just to mourn my lost flea markets finds.

3 Things to Consider Before Souvenir Shopping

Instead of buying souvenirs just because we can, or because that is what every other tourist is doing, Jason and I have become very methodical and deliberate about what we buy and why. This has led to much better budgeting, more authentic experiences, and coming home with unique items that are actually meaningful and practical.

Here are three things to consider before you go shopping on your next trip.

1. Souvenir Costs Add Up Fast

In the United States alone, there are thousands of gift shops bringing in billions of dollars in yearly revenue. That is a TON of money. Can you imagine all of the amazing vacations that could be taken with the money spent on cheap trinkets?

Even when buying inexpensive travel souvenirs, the costs can add up incredibly fast. Typically, souvenir shops grab tourists by offering a deal that seems too good to be true. For example, they will offer five t-shirts for 20 dollars, ten mini Eiffel Towers for 15 dollars, or twenty fridge magnets for 18 dollars.

I have even fallen prey to this tactic a couple of times. On my first trip to Hawaii, I thought I was getting a screaming deal buying five keychains for just over a dollar. Did I really need five pineapple keychains? The answer is no, I could not even drive!

The problem is that once you start browsing through tourist trap gift shops, it is an easy way to get caught up in the excitement of it all. The last thing you want is to walk away with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff that does not have a genuine use or need.

2. Where Are the Souvenirs Actually From?

Most souvenirs found in typical tourist shops and stands are mass-produced in massive overseas factories and are not actually from the place you are visiting. My favorite example of this is the street vendors who claim to be selling their own local works of art around big cities, which actually end up being mass-produced copies.

It was widely reported that the vast majority of the souvenirs produced for the 2012 London Olympics were actually made outside of the UK. I will never forget buying a little bobblehead turtle in the Caribbean after being told that it was authentically made by little kids in an art class to benefit local schools. A few days later, I found the exact same bobblehead turtle on an entirely different Caribbean island, and this time the shop owner had forgotten to take off the "Made in China" sticker. The horror!

3. Souvenirs Take Up Space (Which Equates to Money)

Trying to repack souvenirs into already tight luggage is not an easy feat. Trust me, packing for a family of six is hard enough without adding a dozen bulky coffee mugs or wooden statues to the mix.

It is especially awful showing up to the airport at the end of a beautiful trip and having to pay an overweight baggage fee because the bags ended up being too heavy. For me, I cannot think of a bigger waste of money when it comes to travel than having to pay extra airline baggage fees for items I did not even really need. This is exactly why focusing on small items is a good idea.

6 Essential Tips for Buying Souvenirs on Vacation

1. Decide Beforehand What You Want to Purchase

This will help you avoid wandering around the souvenir shops and being lured into buying things you do not need. If you know what you want before you go, you will not waste your money while you are there.

When I went to China, I knew that I really wanted one of Mao’s Red Books and an old coin. And guess what? Those were the only two things I came home with. If you are a huge Disney aficionado and are dying to have some Mickey Ears when you go to Disney Shanghai, go for it! But plan it out. Do not impulsively buy something just because you can or just because you are somewhere other than home. Taking a moment to ask yourself if it is truly a good souvenir before you scan your credit card is the best way to stay on budget.

2. Buy Things That You Know You Will Use

I have found that I really love a couple of specific clothing stores in Europe. Each time I travel to a major European city, I try and seek one of those retailers out because I know that I will actually wear the clothing when I get home. Clothing can be a great souvenir!

The same rule applies to local food! A great thing to do when you travel is to visit a local grocery store. You can find incredible, authentic spices, coffees, and snacks for a fraction of the price of tourist shops. As someone with celiac disease, I absolutely love finding naturally gluten-free local food items or certified safe snacks to bring home. It lets me recreate our travel memories in our kitchen in a way that is totally safe for me to eat.

3. Ask the Locals

If you want something specific, ask your guides, hotel concierges, and even your taxi drivers where the best place is to purchase those goods. Getting off the beaten path is a great way to find unique things.

Look for local artisans and local artists who are making genuine crafts in their communities. Then ask the vendor if their goods are authentic. If it is applicable, you may also ask for a certificate of authenticity. Almost always, you will find a much more rewarding experience in an authentic local shop versus spending your time shopping at the heavily trafficked tourist hubs.

4. Use Your Instincts

If you find that you are questioning the authenticity of something, really consider those feelings. I have found these instincts are almost always correct. If a deal on a supposedly handmade local craft seems way too good to be true, it probably is.

5. Choose Something Inexpensive or Authentic to Collect

My mom collects coins, and she honestly has coins from all over the world and from countries that do not even exist anymore. Seeking out these coins is always a highlight of our trips because it leads us to the most interesting local people.

Many people love to collect Christmas ornaments from every country they visit because they take up very little room in a suitcase and are fun to pull out every year.

In our own family, our favorite travel souvenir is a postcard. We try to send a postcard home from every single place we go, from the Swiss Alps down to Costa Rica. Instead of writing a message to someone else, we send ourselves a postcard and document our first thoughts about a location and what our favorite things have been. It is cheap, it takes up zero luggage space, and it serves as a family traveling journal with authentic postage from all over the world. It is such a fun way to remember our trips!

6. Do Not Buy Illegal or Unethical Goods

Please do not buy fake designer bags. Not only is it against the law to bring counterfeit items back into the country, but those items usually involve some seriously shady practices in their supply chains. Always support local artisans who are creating genuine, ethical products in their communities.

Paying for Your Souvenirs with Points and Miles

When you do decide to purchase an authentic souvenir, make sure you are using a travel rewards strategy to pay for it! Buying items abroad is a fantastic way to rack up points for your next family vacation, but you have to be careful about foreign transaction fees.

We always recommend bringing a credit card that waives these extra fees entirely. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is our absolute favorite beginner travel card, and it charges absolutely zero foreign transaction fees when you use it internationally. It is one of the best ways to protect your purchases abroad.

Another fantastic option is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. You will earn 2x miles on every single purchase you make, whether you are buying groceries at home or a beautiful piece of local art from some of the great places you visit in Europe!

→Check out our favorite cards for traveling with NO foreign transaction fees here (plus you’ll earn some incredible points as well!)

Do you have your own souvenir buying experience like mine? What are the best souvenirs you have ever bought, or your favorite trip mementos? Let me know in the comments below!

If you want to learn exactly how we use our everyday spending to travel the world, make sure you check out our free Points and Miles Crash Course!

Happy Travels!

Kam

Here are three things to consider before your next trip.