We like to go into the souvenir shops and pose with different hats, shirts, etc. I then add them to our vacation scrapbook. The kids like to collect sea shells and rocks. I also like to get postcards and something for our Christmas tree. We can spend a day in the shops and come out not spending more than $5 at any of our vacations.

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A Family of 5's quest to forget the Joneses.

I read this somewhere, too, and it's true! When we went to Disneyland a few years back, I drove to nearby store and found they had a "Disney department" in which I found the exact same kid's plates/sippy cups that I'd seen in the Disneyland gift shops. Naturally, they were much more affordable at the store. I took them back to the hotel room and the kids never even asked where I got them.

Now that the kids are older, and we're heading back to DL soon, they're more interested in Snow Globes as keepsakes. I'm searching online! I'm also going to make them their own mini-photo albums of the trip. They can choose which photos to add, as I always take too many!

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Attaining financial freedom is like eating an elephant . . . it takes one bite at a time.

We really don't buy souvenirs unless they're nice and 'worth it' IMO. My kids don't want t-shirts/hats/clothing or junky things...we don't need any more magnets or any of that other 'stuff'. So we try to find something that's really unique, it can be hard though! I'm happy to pay more for it...so I guess that isn't really 'inexpensive'! LOL! We've been to places, esp in the US, where we couldn't find anything that was worthwhile, so we just didn't buy anything...and that's fine too.

A few times, we've put sand in a jar from a favorite beach with a rock or shell and then I make a little sign on a toothpick that indicates the city and the kids keep it on their shelf. Sometimes we like to use our guidebooks that we buy as souvenirs...or just buying a little flag from the country we visited as a souvenir...we didn't buy it at the time, but afterwards, but it's better than some plastic/junky. I have to say though that pics are really what we enjoy more than souvenirs. That's just us though.

We always get a Christmas ornament on our vacations. We love to remember our fun summer during the cold of winter and it is so fun to look back at all the ornaments from the different places we have been.
We also always get a magnet, it makes for a great reminder!

ok this will sound silly at first, but a lot of times we bring back a rock from a place we visit, of course not if you're flying...although we did bring one back from Arizona....
We can put them in our garden, paint or write on the bottom of it where it's from. We have lots from when we've gone camping...kinda fun to try to collect one rock from every place you camp.
Some places won't let you take rocks, so be careful, but most don't care...and they are completely FREE!

I don't know if you're asking for souvenirs for yourself or others but I always ask family and friends to mail us a postcard from wherever they are visiting. The kids love getting mail and a postcard lets them see something of the place our family and friends are at.

I get brochures from the check in desk or when we are out and about. If we are at a beach, Ill get a handful of sand, find some shells and take pics of my family.
A couple years ago we went camping. From that trip I collected some small rocks, tree bark, moss covered twigs and even found a dried up butterfly (In great shape) I got a shadow box and put the items inside along with pics of my son from the trip.
I enjoy taking the items from where I have been, I dont want my home to be riddled with shadow boxes full of items and pics. So I place those things in a ziploc bag, name and date it and place a few photos inside. Its fun to go back and look through those things to remember the places we have been. Having those specific items is better than anything you can get at a gift shop, in my opinion.

Also when dh and I were up in Vegas, we dont shop for knickknacks in the hotel. We went off the touristy path and found a great little gift shop (Towards Fremont Street) and they had the same things and more that you could find in the hotels gift shop, way cheaper!

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Alex & the spider monkey

We get a magnet from everywhere we go. Cost is about $3 and it's a memory that isn't going to be put away and forgotten. I love when company stands looking at the fridge, seeing all the places we have enjoyed which then brings to mind certain moments for me.

Melissa R

I do postcards because they don't take up much space to collect and they are easy to store.

We don't usually buy souveniers when we go places...we almost always have the kids earn money buy working for us before we leave then we tell them they can buy whatever they can afford, or save the money. We also try topoint out that they could save money by purchasing things that are not actually on location (ie disney or a concert or show). But you know how easy it is to change a child's mind. But this way they are buying what they love and what they can afford. Then it becomes a treasure not a knick knack we thought they would like. I also always take lots of pictures adn give the kids copies to put up or scrapbook themselves as memories,