Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Frugal Souvenirs

We just came back from a trip to Belgium, Germany, France and England, and I had a great idea for frugal souvenirs while I was there - reusable shopping bags! You can pick up reusable shopping bags in just about any grocery store these days and they make a really fun memento, not to mention how useful they are.


I think they were the perfect souvenir for me, because they were already something that I wanted and use, and they're unique here and remind me of my trip. I've been using some of them as tote bags too, not just for groceries.

It was fun to take the time to go into the foreign grocery stores and convenience stores to compare them with what I'm used to here. It was especially interesting to see what each country considers a convenience sandwich. For example - here we've got 7-11's with hot dogs and slurpees.
  • France - ham, brie and tomato sandwich. So good!
  • Germany - weiner schnitzel sandwich and bratwurst on a bun
  • England - nothing really exciting, ham and cheese seen frequently
  • Belgium - sandwich made of raw hamburger. Seriously. Don't be fooled by the name Filet Americain. You definitely want to steer clear of this one.

If you'd like to read more about our trip traveling through 5 countries with 2 small children click HERE.

For more Frugal tips click HERE to head on over to Works For Me Wednesday, Frugal edition.

4 comments:

Niki Jolene said...

Clever! My favorite souvenir when we go abroad is just a piece of money. I love how different some bills and coins are from ours.

:)

Unknown said...

What a great idea. I tend to bring home takeaway food menus just to remind me how we're ripped off in Northern Ireland:)

3XMom said...

such a great idea! THanks!

Swistle said...

Okay, that is the BEST IDEA EVER. And---AND---shopping bags are lightweight and easy to pack and don't get broken if the suitcase gets flinged!