On Weekends

What Do We Buy When We Go Abroad?

Normally, when we go abroad, there are 3 categories of things we buy.

1. Things we need here and now, but forgot / couldn’t bring from home.
2. Things we can purchase much cheaper, compared to our homeland.
3. Souvenirs we can’t buy anywhere else.

Let’s skip the first two categories because they are boring and not very interesting. Assuming you are planning to spend your hard-earnt cash for something unique and exotic, how can you know WHAT to buy? First off, you can go to the very center of the city or your hotel’s mini-shop (most hotels do have one inside or close-by) and just see what do they offer. Most likely there will be souvenirs with pictures of the place, mugs, post cards, books, magnets and jewelery. The problem with such stores is that they are initially targeted for tourists, tourists who are not very familiar with local prices or even the exchange rate, hence prices there are likely to be doubled. To avoid overpaying, you can do a little research at home as to what’s the most commonly spread national souvenir, or ask in your hotel, where can you buy souvenirs outside the center. Many times passing a few streets away from the center can save you a lot of money.

Of course I am not going to send you to the outskirts to buy postcards, but if you are planning to mass-purchase souvenirs for your family, friends, yourself, uncles, sisters, neighbors and dogs, it would be wiser (and healthier) to travel some more, once you are there.