Now That's Thrifty!

After writing our first post about buying cheap souvenirs, we went on vacation and thought of 7 more souvenir ideas when you’re on a budget!

Vacations can be expensive! We know because we just got back from one…

Although there are so many things you can buy as keepsakes, you don’t have to break the bank to get some cool souvenirs!

We are going to show you 7 different things that you can buy when you’re on vacation. We collect all of these items, so we know that you can get them cheaply! 🙂

 

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Souvenir Idea #1 : Decals/Stickers

Decals and stickers are super affordable when it comes to souvenirs!

A lot of places have simple decals that you can put on the bumper of your car or somewhere else if you like.

Some decals are initials of the places you go like “G.I.” for Galveston Island or “C.P.” for Cedar Point. They are relatively inexpensive. We paid $1.98 for a decal recently.

There are other stickers that you can buy as well. For example, when you purchase an item at Ron Jon Surf Shop, they give you a free sticker! How awesome is that?!

 

Souvenir Idea #2 : Postcards

People have been collecting postcards for years. You can put them in an album or keep them in a box.

I like to buy postcards that have an aerial view of a certain place I have been or the front of a monument or museum. I use them in my scrapbook albums.

Postcards are super cheap, and most gift shops and vacation spots have them.

 

Souvenir Idea #3 : Restaurant Menus

Most restaurants have menus to take with you (and it’s free!).

Later you can look back at the menus to see how much items cost at the time compared to now.

You can also see the difference in prices of food in different geographical areas. For example, you could compare the cost of seafood at a restaurant by the beach to maybe a place in your hometown (if you don’t live by the beach).

Menus are also a great way to remember what types of food you ate on your trips!. They can also help you remember the exact places you visited if you ever return and want to eat there again.

 

Souvenir Idea #4 : Ticket Stubs

Ticket stubs are always free (once you have bought your ticket). You don’t have to purchase a souvenir from a place if you get a ticket stub when you visit.

You could save them from special attractions, museums, zoos, amusement parks, movies, etc.

If you want to keep them looking nice, they can be stored in a plastic slotted page used for sports cards.

 

Souvenir Idea #5 : Magnets

Magnets are not as cheap as they used to be, so I usually only buy one every once in a while.

They are usually $3 to $6 for small plain ones.

What is cool about magnets is the variety of them to choose from. They can be purchased at most gift shops. You can get ones in the shape of a state, ones with pictures of landmarks, etc.

 

Souvenir Idea #6 : Christmas Ornaments

Christmas ornaments come in a variety of choices. Only some shops have them, so you may have to look around a bit more to find one.

I don’t buy a lot of ornaments because my Christmas tree is full.

I did buy one recently while on vacation. A local landmark was going to be taken down, and I wanted a memento of it. It was $8, so not too expensive but not free either.

 

Souvenir #7 : Maps

Maps are usually free unless it is a large map.

We like to pick up maps to get around a new town, and also, we keep maps of different attractions like zoos, museums, and amusement parks.

     

One thing about maps of attractions is that if you visit again you can compare what things have changed. I have some old Cedar Point amusement park maps, and many of the rides on them no longer exist. It is pretty cool to look at the changes of a place over the years.

Related: 5 Cheap Souvenirs to Collect

What types of souvenirs do you like to buy on vacation? Do you collect any of these items?