12 Things You Should NEVER Buy on a Vacation Abroad

Few things in life are more fun, exciting, and adventurous than a vacation in a foreign country. And if you want to remember your trip long after you come home, you may want to snag a memento on your journey.

However, not all souvenirs are built equally. Some are great keepsakes that will remind you of your vacation for years to come, while others will end up in a donation box after only a few months.

Here are the 12 worst things to buy in a foreign country.

While it may be tempting to buy a shirt or dress that reflects the country’s heritage, it probably isn’t a good idea. It may be seen as cultural appropriation, even if no one accuses you of it directly. It may also be impractical to wear back home. If you do want to buy something wearable, stick to a small accessory, like jewelry, a belt or a purse.

When you travel abroad, you will likely encounter a duty-free store at the airport. Duty-free means that there is no tax on the item. Duty-free shops are full of beautiful bottles of perfume, luxurious purses and top-shelf alcohol. However, saving a little bit on tax often doesn’t make sense — especially if it means you run out of space in your luggage for more authentic souvenirs.

Eating foreign food is one of the best parts of traveling, and it makes sense that you want to take some home with you. However, that could be a waste of money. Many countries have rules about what food you can take with you, and they may make you dispose of anything edible that you’ve bought abroad. Make sure to understand those rules before splurging at the market.

Buying something on the black market might seem like an innocent thing to do, but it’s best to be avoided. Pirated merchandise is usually poor quality and isn’t worth spending your hard-earned money on. Plus, you may get in trouble with the authorities.

When you’re on vacation, you may feel pressured to return home with plenty of gifts for everyone who wasn’t lucky enough to join you. However, instead of buying cheap souvenirs for you or your loved ones, try getting something useful. Alcohol is always popular, as are other edible gifts, like jars of jam or honey. 

And if you’re really stuck, simply sending a heartfelt postcard from a foreign country (complete with a fancy stamp) might be a simple and perfect solution.

Buying a cheap laptop while you’re traveling might seem like a great deal, but the purchase could come back to haunt you. Electronics are finicky, and even if something works great in the store, it may not function well once you get home. Plus, installing electronics can be tough because they may be set up in their original language. If you’re not a native speaker, then it may not be usable.

Plus, if something breaks, you won’t have a warranty to fall back on. When you’re spending that kind of money, you should always buy from a retailer that has a return policy.

It’s one thing to buy costume jewelry while you’re on vacation, but it’s another thing to buy expensive jewelry. First, you never know if the goods you’re buying are actually real. You also may be tempted to buy something and not have enough time to comparison shop. If you do want to buy real jewelry, make sure to research prices beforehand. And don’t be surprised if you don’t snag the best deal.

Yes, that beautiful piece of stained glass would look great in your kitchen. However, you might want to steer clear of buying breakable items when you’re traveling abroad. First, the materials you’ll need to wrap the item carefully will add more volume to your luggage. And if you’re cramming it in, there’s still a decent chance that it might break. 

Also, there’s nothing worse than spending a lot of money on something that might break before you get a chance to enjoy it.

If you’re a bibliophile, spending the day at a foreign bookstore might be fun. And it might be tempting to buy a cheap book, but you may want to skip it. Books are heavy, even if they don’t seem like they take up a lot of room. Unless you’re buying an out-of-print tome or a special first edition, wait to buy the book until you’re back home.

Plants — like produce and meat — are often not allowed into the country. If you get caught trying to smuggle a plant in your luggage, you might have to deal with an awkward conversation at customs. It’s better not to risk it. Also, packing a plant is hard to do, especially on a long-haul flight. It can take up a lot of room in a suitcase.

Also, it’s probably not meant to be. If a plant isn’t native to your area or is impossible to find, then it might be hard to keep alive once you get home.

There are few things more romantic than going to a spice market and filling up on exotic wares to take home with you. Unfortunately, you may be forced to discard those spices at customs. Generally, you’re only allowed to buy commercially packaged spices, not ones sold in bulk from open containers on the street.

If you still want to buy spices while you’re traveling abroad, visit a local grocery store.

Buying clothes in a foreign country is one thing. Buying fabric to make your own clothes? That’s more of a pipe dream. Unless you’re an excellent seamstress, buying fabric while you’re abroad is likely a fanciful exercise. You might spend more on the fabric and a pattern than you would simply buying the clothes from a store. Plus, the fabric might take up a lot of room in your luggage.