When I go to an airport, I lose my shit. As soon as I enter the building through which I’ll walk to catch a plane to a far-off destination, I’m officially in vAcAtiOn mOdE. Unfortunately, with that blissful feeling of escape from the doldrums of daily life comes the sudden urge to spend, spend, spend. Suddenly, I want to buy enormous liter water bottles to cure my ~dehydration~ and peruse the shelves at Hudson News to fill up my bag with every snack food and chocolate bar I’ve been avoiding over the last few months. I insist that I need an extra-large coffee because it’s so early in the morning, and I rationalize the decision to buy a fat stack of glossy magazines to look through as I wait to board the plane. Before I know it, I’ve spent $50 on crap I don’t need, because I’ve let the sense of excitement get the best of me and my wallet.
Nowadays, I like to be more disciplined about the way I spend (or don’t spend my money) at airports. It’s summer travel season and that means we can all be smarter about how we navigate time spent at airports pre-destination. For me, this means taking a little bit of time ahead of my airport arrival to prepare. Now, I make sure to buy books beforehand that I’ve been meaning to read on websites like Half.com, so I’m not tempted to purchase the new must-have bestseller on display in the airport bookstore. I’ll make sure that I’ve eaten a meal before heading to the airport so I’m not hungry as I walk around waiting to board the plane. I like to bring savory AND sweet snack options so all my bases are covered, and I can avoid sitting there feeling like I need to buy a candy bar and chips, because I can’t control myself.
Below are eight suggestions for how you can not spend money at the airport, and keep more of it in your wallet for fun activities while on vacation.
If you are feeling super ambitious and interested in making your own snacks, here are some great (and easy) recipes that can be whipped up to take along.
- 21 Healthy Trail Mix Recipes
- 50 Flavored Popcorn Recipes
- No-Bake Sweet Treats
- Spicy Mixed Nuts Recipe
- Homemade Cheez-Its
- Chunky Homemade Granola Mix
- Slow Cooker Chex Mix
- Spicy Seasoned Pretzels
Let’s all travel smarter and cheaper, and not let our emotions get the best of us, i.e, tempt us to spend unnecessarily! Save you money for the good stuff like meaningful souvenirs or a special cocktail that will make you pause and think, now this is a vacation.
