Free And Unique Bucket List Ideas Part 2

Do you ever feel you want to experience something new, but at the moment you can't or don't want to spend a lot of money?

I certainly would like to do things on my bucket list on a weekly basis such as go skydiving again, fly in a helicopter over an active volcano, and orbit Earth in the International Space Station.

I'm saving up for these things and I'm getting really close to being an astronaut tourist.

In the meantime, I'm doing my best to integrate cheap and free experiences into my weekly routine.

There is substantial evidence showing that regularly trying and learning new things greatly contributes to a person's happiness.

So, I've made pasta from scratch, and taken ice baths at home. I rode a mechanical bull for my second time, and I've spent over 700 hours outside with my kids so far this year.

I had a lot of fun writing about and trying these ideas from my first Free Bucket List post. So, I'm back to share some more suggestions with you.

I hope you enjoy it, and please share your own free bucket list ideas with me in the comments. 

And let me know if there is anything specific you think I should include in part three of this series.

By the way the first, third, and last ideas are my favorites in this post.

Enjoy!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links at no extra cost to you. All opinions expressed in this article are my own. 

WATCH THE SUNRISE

Have you ever gotten up before dawn  specifically to see the sunrise? And if you have, how long has it been since you last did so?

I have been alive for aproximately 11,100 sunrises and I have missed most of them.

Go to bed early the night before if you must or party all night and finish with a gorgeous view of the sun peeking over the horizon.

Find a lovely location and plan it with someone you love and some treats. You could have a breakfast picnic or charcuterie board on a grassy hill (with food you already have at home if you want this experience to be completely free).

You could go camping without a tent and sleep on the side of a high hill facing east. Pack an easy breakfast and bring it with you and eat it at your leisure while the sky puts on a show for you.

You could get up super early and hike a mountain in the dark (with a headlamp) and race to the top to catch the sunrise in time. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but how could life be special without some effort? Besides, you just might love it.

Plan this for a specific day of the year: your birthday, your spouse's birthday, the birthday of someone you love who has passed away, New Year's Day, summer solstice, winter solstice.

Forget about the camera and be there in the moment. Notice the colors, the shape of the clouds, the silhouetted horizon, your heartbeat, the emotions you are feeling, the thoughts you are having.

Pay close attention to it all, even if you are cold and tired. Take it all in with all your senses and the experience will stay with you much longer than if you looked at it through a camera lens. Our eyes capture such things much better than a camera anyway.

Some of my most memorable moments have involved watching the sunrise alone especially in the mountains or desert.

This is my favorite idea on this list. Give it a try.

ROPESWING INTO A LAKE

I have yet to do this but I have wanted to for a long time. This one is as simple as asking around about ropeswings in your area and donning your favorite swimsuit.

If you want to go all out, take a whole group of friends with you and have everyone pitch in for a lakeside picnic.  Also, bring a pool float so you can make a video montage of everyone trying it out and laughing at each other.


WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR FUTURE SELF

I was seventeen-ish when I got an idea to write a letter to my future self.

I addressed it to myself the night before my wedding, sealed it, and hoped I would actually have an opportunity to open it one day.

It turned out to be one of the coolest free things I have ever done for myself and I recommend it to anyone.

It could be addressed to yourself one year or ten years from now or beyond.

You could write it to be opened when you hit a certain age or a certain stage of life: when you become a first time parent, or third time parent, when you graduate.

Tell you future self your hopes and fears concerning the  future. Tell that person what you do and don't want your life to look like.

When I read my letter to myself the night before my wedding it was cool to see how many of my hopes for the future had come to fruition without much conscious effort on my part.

Personally I don't believe in manifestation or sending out vibes to the universe. I think that writing down my dreams solidified them for me and thus, I was naturally drawn to find those things I hoped for as I went about my life.

Perhaps that sounds like manifestation but the key difference is that I don't think that the things I wanted were drawn to me.

I believe that I was drawn to my aspirations because I had gotten them out of my head and written them down. Does that make any sense?


MILK A FARM ANIMAL

Ask around and you might find an opportunity. Chances are that you know someone who knows someone who owns goats or a cow. 

And if not, then you definitely know someone who knows someone who knows someone who can make this happen for you. You'll never know if you don't ask. 

Bonus:
Make butter in your mixer at home with your milk.


LEAVE A BOOK AND BORROW A BOOK AT A TINY LIBRARY

Try keeping a few books in your car that you like but wouldn't mind trading for something new to read.

This can be fun especially with children books as they feel boring after reading them 50 times at your kid's request.

Then anytime you pass by a tiny library, you can take one without guilt. (I've totally never taken a book without leaving one.)

Bonus:
Leave a note in the book you trade away for the next reader to find. Learn more about this idea in my previous post, The Free Bucket List Part 1.


START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL

When you reflect on happy memories, you're emotionally reliving those moments. 

Practicing gratitude is something I hold close to my heart because it just feels so good. It does require some effort but not much.

The format of your gratitude journal is unimportant so long as it is something you enjoy.

It can be a tiny notebook that you keep on top of your phone when it's charging so you remember to write in it.

It could be a series of notes in your phone with attached photos and a daily notification to remind you.

Do it once every season, write daily, or just once a year on your birthday.

Try this: 

On the morning of your next birthday, take some time to reflect on the last year and write down some memories that you appreciate whether they were happy moments or uncomfortable experiences that contributed to your personal growth.

It's hard to have a bad birthday when you take just a few minutes to contemplate the people and adventures that have made your life beautiful thus far.

LEARN HOW TO JUMP ROPE

If you never learned this as a kid, maybe it's time. And if you did learn it you can still benefit from a refresher. 

Apparently jumping rope burns more calories per minute than jogging and it's a simple exercise you can do at home.

Of course, this is only free assuming you know someone from whom you can borrow a jump rope. If you have a few dollars to spare this adjustable steel jump rope is only $9.

Watch several tutorials on YouTube first and check your form in a mirror when starting out. You could also have a friend watch the videos with you and help you adjust your form when you practice.

Start with 2-5 minutes a day for a few weeks and go from there as you build endurance. Have fun! Or lend out your new jump rope if you hate it.


CREATE A COSTUME FROM BORROWED ITEMS

If it's for Halloween, start in the summer to give yourself time to ask around. 

You could first ask what people in your community have and then come up with a costume based on what is available.

Or you could have several costume ideas in mind and ask for specific articles of clothing and accessories.

Perhaps it won't be Comic-Con worthy, but you won't love it if you don't try. And you just might put together your favorite costume ever for free.

Return the favor and offer to lend out any costumes or cool items you have too.


LEARN HOW TO JUGGLE

This is free as long as you have three balls that are identical or almost identical in size and weight.

Experienced jugglers can use a variety of shapes and sizes at the same time but not so much when you are a beginner. If you don't have three balls that are the same, ask around to borrow some.

Next, shop around for some YouTube videos to get you started. You might want to watch and rewatch several tutorials to get tips from multiples sources.

This will take a lot of practice but won't it be fun to show off your newly acquired skill?


ORGANIZE A TRASH CLEAN UP

I know it's not the glamorous vacation to Seychelles that you've always dreamed of, but it's a simple way to make a big difference.

You can do this alone, with family, or organize a group through social media.

Set a goal to clean up a specific area, or fill a certain number of garbage bags.


LEARN HOW TO SOLVE A RUBIK'S CUBE

Chances are you know someone from whom you can borrow one. Pull up a YouTube video and practice with patience until you get it.

Perhaps it won't be as entertaining as Disney+ (not far off, though), but at least you won't lose any IQ points while you do it.


READ A CLASSIC

Read that book you were assigned to read in high school. Read a book that you think you might not like.

Many books and movies today have borrowed themes from classic novels such as The Lion King. 

And so, reading one or two of these old tomes could enhance your experience with contemporary entertainment.

Some classics I recommend:
• A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
• Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (The unabridged Julie Rose translation).
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain (This is his best book. Even he said so.)
• The Stranger by Albert Camus
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
• Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

While some of these works are quite lengthy, not all of them are. Besides it's not a race. Even if it takes you a couple months to finish Les Mis, it is absolutely worth it.

A Tale Of Two Cities is a shorter one, and in my opinion, it's Dicken's best novel. Their Eyes Were Watching God is short and lovely. And reading the last two lines of East Of Eden made me shiver. But don't skip ahead, because you won't get it unless you've read the whole book first.


ATTEND A NEW (TO YOU) WORSHIP SERVICE

Travel is incredible as it enables us to learn more about other cultures, but you don't have to go far to experience ideas that are new to you.

Try attending a worship service that you are curious about, or one you may have never considered before. If you're really brave, take yourself to a religious practice that you outright disagree with and you might just realize that it's not so bad after all.

Go to synagogue, a Buddhist liturgy, mass, a Baptist Bible study, a Presbyterian church, a mosque, or a sacrament meeting at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Learning about someone else's faith in person can be an eye-opening experience.

Try it out, not with the intention to either be converted or confirm your bias toward any of these faiths. Neither should you go in order to convert your fellow humans to your own way of seeing the world.

Just go and see how it feels, gain some perspective, and realize how much we all have in common. 

Hi! My name is Kait. Follow this link to learn more about me and my blog.