I like to think of myself as a fairly adventurous kind of gal. That’s why I had to buy Donald Vaughan’s 500 Things To Do Before You Kick the Bucket from Kinko’s yesterday. Although I am trying to phase out paperback books in general (I just bought an ebook reader and want more space in my home!), I knew I could get a lot of good use out this reference guide which was priced at $9.99.
Ranging from the obvious (Swim with dolphins. Who doesn’t want to do that?) to the adventurous (Skydiving, anyone?), this 320 page book is chock full of ideas that are exciting, silly, and downright outrageous. Although some of the things listed are ones that I never will do (Eat Rocky Mountain Oysters, for example.), there are a lot of things I would seriously consider.
The book is really easy to read and gives you a place to tick off the adventures that you have completed. There’s plenty of easy stuff to do mixed in with all the grandeur. For example, one of the tasks in the book is to look at the moon through a telescope. If you own one already, this is a plus. If you don’t, you can pick up a cheap one for around $15. It also suggests “Sit On the Roof and Watch the World”. Who would have known that there is so much pleasure to be had in such simple tasks?
The best part of all is that you don’t have to have a millionaire budget to do the things in the book. Some travel is required and you will have to pay fees on some of the adventures like paragliding and whitewater rafting but you can save up for these things. They are not going to cause you to remortgage your house but they may cause to rethink you daily double lattes.
If you haven’t come up with your own bucket list, I strongly encourage you to do so. It’s a great way to clarify your dreams and gives you something fun to do without costing money. You can use 500 Things To Do Before You Kick the Bucket for inspiration or you can even visit the Day Zero Project where you can create a list of 101 things to do in 1,001 days.
The point I’m trying to make here is that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to live a little. If you realign your budget to fit your goals, you’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish. If going on a safari in Africa is at the top of your list of things to do before you die, by all means find a way to make that dream a reality. Cutting back on the things you don’t need will give you the time, money, and the freedom to do all of things on your own bucket list.
Author: Charissa
Charissa is into frugal living and saving money.
