You have a lot to celebrate if you’re fortunate enough to take an annual vacation this year. Despite the pandemic, nearly one-quarter of American workers don’t get so much as a single paid sick day. Fewer still have sufficient PTO to escape once a year with their families and still have room left over for when their child has to stay home from school.

However, many people forget the true purpose of travel, which is all about the experience and memories you make. It can be easy to get caught up in buying souvenirs, which will inevitably create clutter in your home or end up in a box in the attic.

Instead, don’t fall trap to expensive souvenirs this year. Here are 10 tips for avoiding buying souvenirs on vacation and doing fun things with your money instead.

1. Try New Dishes

How often do you enjoy a long, leisurely, mindful meal at home? Probably once in a blue moon, if you’re lucky. You know you shouldn’t eat at your desk, but there’s always so much to get done and only so many hours in a day.

Vacation is your opportunity to treat your taste buds to a culinary adventure. You can try foods you may not encounter often, like tofu or falafel, and enjoy how their countries of origin prepare them. You may even learn a recipe that you can recreate when you get home.

2. Find Free Attractions

While many popular tourist attractions can cost an arm and a leg for admission, you can find free things to do in any destination. Simply do some research on free activities wherever you’re planning to visit.

For many cities, you can find a list of historical monuments, state or local parks, museums and more that are free of charge. A self-guided tour through a free museum or a simple walk through a historical park can be a worthwhile experience. You won’t be spending time waiting in line for tickets at an amusement park or buying a tacky t-shirt from a tourist trap.

3. Learn About the Culture

Education is vastly more valuable than material possessions, so why not make it the focus of your trip? Travel is a great way to expand your worldview and learn from other cultures.

Costa Rica, for example, values the “pura vida” lifestyle, which translates to “pure life.” Iceland, a country that’s growing in popularity among tourists, has been considered the friendliest country in the world. In these destinations, you’ll gain a lot more by learning from their ways of life than buying a material souvenir.

4. Ride a Bike

You want to see the sites when you go on vacation. It’s all but impossible to do so if you’re the designated driver, though. How can you explore and still travel in a reasonable time? Rent a bike or an e-bike.

Some progressive cities even offer free bike rentals — you pick up your ride at one depot and return it at the next. Washington, D.C., and Seattle are two notable bike-share locations. Others require you to pay a commercial rental fee, but it generally pales next to the price of a car. Plus, you’ll get your exercise — a 180-pound person burns 240 calories over a one-hour ride without getting sweaty or putting undue pressure on your knees, thanks to the electric pedal assist.

5. Paint and Sip

You could cruise the boardwalk art galleries, seeking the perfect landscape to grace your living room wall. However, nearly every location now offers paint-and-sip events where you can kick back with a fine glass of vino and create something personalized and unique.

Imagine painting the glorious sunset over your favorite beach location while you sip wine in the sand with other artistically minded new friends. If that doesn’t beat an afternoon of trying on ugly sunglasses at various souvenir shops, what does?

6. Hit the Links

You don’t have to be the next Tiger Woods to enjoy a day out on the links. Even beginners can have fun on the golf course, as long as you’re willing to pick up your ball to maintain the pace of play.

However, it’s best to take a lesson or two first to maximize your enjoyment. It takes a little practice to master the art of using various irons. Are you running low on vacation cash? You can hit the driving range for around $10 in many locations, and putting greens are often free.

7. Dance the Night Away

How often do you get to hit the club back home? If you’re a working parent, your response might be, “I haven’t been there since I was 22.” Guess what? It’s time to kick up your heels and paint the town.

Spend an evening dancing the night away — perhaps taking a poolside nap in a hammock earlier in the day to save up the energy. Make the experience even more extravagant by renting a limo. You can hail an Uber nearly anywhere, but a luxury club tour in your hired stretch is a vacation experience fit for kings and queens.

8. Buy From Local Artisans

If you do want to leave your vacation with a physical memento, look for local artists to support. When visiting a popular tourist destination, you’ll probably come across souvenir shops that sell cheap, mass produced items. However, keep an eye out for craft fairs, flea markets or local galleries where you can invest in something a bit more meaningful than a cheesy tourist t-shirt.

Years down the line, a piece of art or handmade jewelry from a local artist will mean more to you than a generic knick knack. Further, you will make more of an impact with your money by supporting a small business or artisan.

9. Take a Photography Lesson

Are you headed to a nature photographer’s wonderland like Sedona, Arizona, or the Grand Canyon? If so, you want to memorialize your trip, but there’s no need to buy store-bought postcards. Instead, why not learn to take better pictures yourself?

You don’t need the latest camera — your phone will do just fine. Many tourist destinations have individuals who offer specialty classes in making the most out of your iPhone. You’ll dazzle the folks back home with a souvenir that will truly capture memories from the trip.

How to Avoid Buying Souvenirs on Vacation

Vacation is a rare treat for far too many people. Do you really want to spend it haggling over the cost of trinkets lining souvenir shop shelves? Most of those items probably came shipped from overseas, anyway.

Instead, focus on the experience in your journey. Choose to spend your money on a locally made piece of art, a museum tour or an authentic meal. Avoid buying souvenirs on vacation and fill every moment with memories.

Traveling Light: How to Avoid Buying Souvenirs on Vacation