Growing up, I was under the impression that souvenirs are overpriced and aren’t worth the money spent. But is that true or is there a point to buying them?

Why souvenirs are perceived as a waste of money

Perhaps it’s a function of the economy, how much money we had when growing up, or the potential sketchiness of tourist shops, but both Jenn and I grew up under the same mentality. Don’t throw your money away. I can certainly see why that’s the prevailing thought.

Obviously, if you have more money at your disposal, you’ll have more to spend after paying off your bills. And to some extent, that will vary based on the strength of the economy (job security). It should go without saying that if you’re not sure if you can afford travel in general, get your financial situation under control first. It’s nice to have that feeling of getting away from everyday life. But it’s not worth the stress back home if you can’t pay the bills for the trip.

Souvenirs have a stereotype of being expensive. I think that can be true, especially if you’re looking to buy them from dedicated souvenir stands or at the gift shop at the end of an attraction. And sometimes it feels like less honest people run those souvenir stands, adding to the poor reputation.

Why I like the theory of souvenirs

So, after all this time of complaining about souvenirs, I actually don’t mind them.

We’ve chatted with other parents, wondering if the kids actually remember the travels we take—and thus, whether it’s worth the money. After all, why spend money on a vacation that ultimately won’t be remembered? What we like about travel is the memories created and the lessons we learn, but that’s challenging if the kids don’t recall we went in the first place.

Pictures and videos of our travels help, but that only leads to us wondering if they remember the trip or just memorized the videos we took. I’ve definitely challenged the kids, asking them what else happened before or after the photo… and I usually just get blank stares. So I’d like something to help bolster those memories and preserve them a bit better.

That’s where souvenirs come in.

We’re selective with our souvenirs

Our journeys with our children brought us to many cities. I’ve tried it both ways where sometimes we buy a souvenir and other times we didn’t buy anything. For the times when we didn’t buy a souvenir, it seemed more likely that the kids don’t end up remembering the trip. But what about the times when we bought a souvenir? It’s honestly also hit or miss.

However, we’ve found that souvenirs need a gimmick to them. We need them to immediately draw on something we did while in that city (sorry, “I ❤︎‬ New York” sweatshirts, but we won’t be buying you). We also want them to be unique to the city or country we’re visiting; generic souvenirs that can be purchased anywhere aren’t ideal.

You might wonder if I’m describing those gift shops at the exit of every attraction. That works but it doesn’t need to come from there. That might be an easier answer but it is more expensive. Sometimes even big chain stores have local items unique to the area (e.g. Target might have Hawaiian clothing or beach towels while on the islands).

And you’ll get bonus points if you buy that souvenir at a key moment, as we’ve found it likely to end up a core memory. Yeah, we like watching Inside Out in this household.

We use it as a teaching moment

This comes up a bit more when we have season passes to a theme park, but can also apply for when we travel multiple days. We simply don’t have the money to buy them what they want every time they want it. So what is the best way to handle turning them down? I’ve tried simply saying “no”, but that hasn’t always worked out well with the kids, especially when they were toddlers.

I’ve also tried saying they get something every few visits, but the kids would sometimes get frustrated that sometimes they are rewarded and other times not. And of course sometimes they then ask for the moon when it comes time for them to get a souvenir.

We wanted to develop a more methodical approach to souvenirs that also taught them to be wise with their money. We decided to give them each $5 to use for each day we visit a theme park. The kids immediately reacted favorably to this approach, realizing that some of the better souvenirs would have to wait for future trips. Those tantrums became less frequent and taught our then-toddler an early concept of saving money. She didn’t have much respect for saving money prior to that but now she loves saving up her “real” money too.

I should note that we don’t let the kids add this “souvenir money” to their bank accounts. We want them to recognize that fun comes from saving money. If they just put it into a bank, there is no mental payoff for them. I wouldn’t want to risk them not caring about saving.

Make sure it has a use

Don’t buy a souvenir that doesn’t have a purpose. Period. That is simply a waste of money and not needed in your life.

Let’s go back to 2012, when Jenn and I toured Turkey and checked out some Turkish rugs. I’m sure everyone knows that the rugs are quite beautiful but also very expensive. We turned down every offer presented to us. The seller even offered up a small 1 square foot rug for $100. We asked what they thought we should use it for. The response was quite simple: “just put your phone on it”. Do we spend $100 on something that ultimately amounts to a coaster for a phone? We turned it down.

The trick in all of this is finding a souvenir that is thoughtful, that draws on memories, and that has a purpose. You want it to bring back memories not just for you but also your children. It’s a challenging task, but don’t stress about it too much. The perfect souvenir is different for everyone.

Do you like to buy souvenirs?

Suggested reading:

• Overcome Your Travel Fears and Enjoy Life
• I Got Pickpocketed and Lost Nothing
• Stop Focusing So Much on 5/24