Things To Not Buy While Traveling

When you’re in a new place, it’s easy to spend money. You’ve saved for & planned a holiday, so it is easy to keep the “Treat yourself” attitude alive when it comes to buying things. Whether you’re on a relaxing holiday or exploring new cities, you will come across items that seem exotic & the novelty of not being able to get them at home will persuade you even more. More often than not, these items are not worth the money & your hard-earned money would be better spent on something else. Here’s a list of things I’d suggest skipping on your next trip. I will say that there are, of course, some people who will genuinely buy these things & get great use out of them, but these people are few & far between.

Traditional clothing

Buying clothes & shoes while on a trip is generally a bad idea because you’ll struggle with packing & baggage weight on your way back home. Traditional clothes of the country or city you are visiting is an even worse purchase because they often have a hefty price tag & you will never use them. Most people don’t even wear their own traditional clothes because they’re impractical so they will be even more so for you. It is very easy to get carried away in the moment but think about this clearly before purchasing.

A tattoo

Just as getting inked after a few drinks is not the best idea, getting a tattoo while on a “holiday high” is probably something you would want to avoid. The design might seem like a wonderful idea at the time, but not be appropriate when you get home. You also don’t know the quality, price & cleanliness of the random parlor you walk into.

Tacky souvenirs

A souvenir is meant to be a memento of a place you visited or a trip you’ve taken. Tacky souvenirs don’t last long &, therefore, waste your money. You’ll also want something nice looking to have on display in your house, right?

Bulky souvenirs

On the topic of souvenirs, buying heavy, fragile or bulky souvenirs is not a good idea. You will struggle packing these items into your luggage & they have a higher chance of breaking on their way home. I have made this mistake a few too many times.

Hotel food

Whether it is from the restaurants in hotels or room service, hotel food is expensive. More often than not, the quality is not good either. Save yourself some money & go looking for local restaurants. Better yet, be a little adventurous & try some street food

Neck pillow

Okay, so this is not an exotic item. If you’ve followed this blog for some time, you’ll know I hate these things. Neck pillows get forgotten, dropped on the floor, collect all kinds of germs & shoved into overhead compartments on aircraft. Very rarely are they actually used. You might truly believe you will use it, but I highly doubt it.

Things for other people

This is last on the list because this is something I struggle with the most. It’s perfectly fine to buy gifts for your loved ones, but when people find out you’re going to a specific place, they ask you to get things for them. Your colleagues hear you’re headed to Switzerland? They ask for chocolate. That lady in your yoga class asks for skincare products when you return from South Korea. This happens often. I don’t think people realize the cost involved as well as the time it takes to find these items & then the hassle of getting them back home. It’s nice to be nice & do things for other people, but remember that this is your trip & your time.

I hope these have helped & will save you some money in the future.

Oh… and you might be wondering about the featured image for this post; horse poo I saw for sale in New Zealand – yea, don’t buy that while traveling.

Keep traveling, keep safe.

DanVenture Travels