We all love to take vacations, especially to exciting or exotic places. Many people want to bring something back to their friends and loved ones, to share the joy of their vacation. Often, people choose to do this buy bringing home souvenirs. Tourist hot-spots are full of gift shops and souvenir emporiums containing New York City key chains, Eiffel Tower scissors, or Niagara Falls t-shirts.
Choosing souvenirs can be a lot of fun, but it can also be stressful. Lots of people find themselves frantically searching gift shops on the last day of their trip, trying to find the perfect gift for each person on their list. Here are a few tips for wise souvenir shopping.
1. Set a spending limit. Like all stores, gift shops rely on impulse purchasing for a lot of their sales. When you do not have a budget in mind, you are especially susceptible to this. Most people are less careful with money in general when they are on vacation. Decide ahead of time how much you can afford to spend, and stick to that limit.
2. Make your gifts personally relevant. Gifts should reflect the things you know about the person you are giving them to. If you have a brother who cooks a lot, bring him oven mitts. For a friend who is a writer, bring a special pen. Knick knacks like snow globes and spoons should only go to people who you know collect that sort of thing.
3. Get creative. You do not have to bring everyone gifts that are overtly specific to the place you went. You could bring a candle, a nice bottle of wine, or some other non-souvenir item. Often, this kind of gift is appreciated more than a traditional souvenir. No one really wants to wear a t-shirt from a city they have never visited, but anyone can appreciate a nice candle or specialty food item.
4. Buy small, non-fragile items. Things like pens and key chains are much easier to pack than larger, more awkward items. You probably have limited luggage space, especially if you are flying. Sometimes you can get away with carrying an extra shopping bag, but airlines are getting more and more rigid with their carry-on regulations. For this reason, find souvenirs that will easily fit into your luggage.
5. Do not leave your shopping til the last minute. If you wait until the end to do your souvenir shopping, you are guaranteeing yourself a stressful, frenzied last day of vacation. In order to have a relaxing, enjoyable day, get most of your shopping done before hand. You can save a couple of items for the end, but you don't want to spend the final hours of your vacation sweating in lines at gift shops. Also, if you leave things until the end, you are more likely to overspend. This is especially true if you end up buying things from airport gift shops, which are notoriously more expensive.
Souvenir shopping can be fun, and can be a nice way to share your trip with others, if you do it in a savvy manner. Whether you come home with Eiffel Tower scissors, a London shot glass, or a t-shirt with Niagara Falls on the front, your loved one will appreciate the fact that you thought to bring them something.
Choosing souvenirs can be a lot of fun, but it can also be stressful. Lots of people find themselves frantically searching gift shops on the last day of their trip, trying to find the perfect gift for each person on their list. Here are a few tips for wise souvenir shopping.
1. Set a spending limit. Like all stores, gift shops rely on impulse purchasing for a lot of their sales. When you do not have a budget in mind, you are especially susceptible to this. Most people are less careful with money in general when they are on vacation. Decide ahead of time how much you can afford to spend, and stick to that limit.
2. Make your gifts personally relevant. Gifts should reflect the things you know about the person you are giving them to. If you have a brother who cooks a lot, bring him oven mitts. For a friend who is a writer, bring a special pen. Knick knacks like snow globes and spoons should only go to people who you know collect that sort of thing.
3. Get creative. You do not have to bring everyone gifts that are overtly specific to the place you went. You could bring a candle, a nice bottle of wine, or some other non-souvenir item. Often, this kind of gift is appreciated more than a traditional souvenir. No one really wants to wear a t-shirt from a city they have never visited, but anyone can appreciate a nice candle or specialty food item.
4. Buy small, non-fragile items. Things like pens and key chains are much easier to pack than larger, more awkward items. You probably have limited luggage space, especially if you are flying. Sometimes you can get away with carrying an extra shopping bag, but airlines are getting more and more rigid with their carry-on regulations. For this reason, find souvenirs that will easily fit into your luggage.
5. Do not leave your shopping til the last minute. If you wait until the end to do your souvenir shopping, you are guaranteeing yourself a stressful, frenzied last day of vacation. In order to have a relaxing, enjoyable day, get most of your shopping done before hand. You can save a couple of items for the end, but you don't want to spend the final hours of your vacation sweating in lines at gift shops. Also, if you leave things until the end, you are more likely to overspend. This is especially true if you end up buying things from airport gift shops, which are notoriously more expensive.
Souvenir shopping can be fun, and can be a nice way to share your trip with others, if you do it in a savvy manner. Whether you come home with Eiffel Tower scissors, a London shot glass, or a t-shirt with Niagara Falls on the front, your loved one will appreciate the fact that you thought to bring them something.
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