So you’ve got some spare cash.  Sure, you could go to a concert, buy some books, or donate to a worthy cause.  You can even go wild and get rainbow hair to flash at the pool.

But if you’re traveling this summer you might want to save up the bucks.  You’ll be saying goodbye to them in the airport.

5 Ways to Drop Dough at the Airport

1.  Starbucks.  (Or, as we like to call it, Star$$$.)

No matter how bad you’re jonesing for coffee, it is not worth getting sucked into this black hole.  And if you’ve got kids with you?  Forget it.  After fun drinks and pastries you’ll be lucky to get out for under sixty bucks.  (Just be grateful they’re not serving Unicorn Frappuccinos anymore.)

2.  All-Things-Travel impulse shopping.

Neck pillows.  T-shirts.  Gadgets.  This stuff is sold every twenty yards, usually at a 20% markup.  My favorite bait and switch so far is the sales display for travel pillows, two for $30.

3.  Replacing crap you forgot to pack.

We’ve all had that horrifying moment when we realize our [fill in your item here] is sitting on the bathroom counter/kitchen table/underneath the couch cushion.  Sure, you could pick up that toothpaste once you reach your destination, but who wants to think about shopping for necessities on vacation?  In the moment it will somehow seem perfectly logical to buy an $8 tube of Crest.

4.  Extra calories you definitely don’t need.

That’s right.  The same person who pays a monthly gym membership will be inevitably drawn to items that are nowhere on their radar back home.  Walls of sugar.  Shelves of Pringles (or, in California, Kale chips).  Even boring snacks like trail mix or Cheez Its will suddenly be worth every single penny.

5.  Good intentions (pave the road to You-Know-Where).

You’re going to be gone an entire week, free as a bird, with food and shelter prearranged.  You’re walking to your gate, minding your own business, when suddenly you’re thinking, “Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to tackle that book off the top ten list I’ve been meaning to read?”  Financial Freedom in Five Easy Steps, Embracing Your Life (Even in the Midst of a Wine Shortage), or Coping Skills for Parenting Teens PTSD are all fine ways to pass the time.  Until you’re halfway in and pissed at yourself for buying all these books you didn’t want to read, especially on vacation.

** Please note:  These are not titles of actual books.  Do not waste your vacation time searching for them as, per their aforementioned imaginary status, you will not find them.  Any similarity to book titles, current or past, despite their awesomeness, is purely coincidental.

Happy spending summer, everybody!