Free Bucket List Ideas: Part 3

I'm guessing that when most of us think of bucket list goals, wild and expensive adventures come to mind.

There are few things that make my life feel vibrant like trying new things on a regular basis. Unfortunately, my budget doesn't allow me to seek novel experiences every weekend.

So, occasionally, I'll make a special effort to find something that's both free and interesting to do.

Here are several ideas that will hopefully inspire you to try something new with the things you already have.


TURN AN OLD BOOK INTO A SECRET BOX

It's a secret compartment to hide in plain sight on a bookshelf.

Think of all the possibilities! You can keep cash in it, or letters, or a collection of treasures your little kids have bestowed on you. 

My favorite thing to hide in mine besides money, is a fine chocolate bar that I don't want to share.

For this little project you'll need:

• An old, thick hardcover book
• Mod podge or Elmer's glue. (I used glue.)
• An old paint brush
• Parchment paper or wax paper
• Several heavy books to use as weights
• A pencil
• A ruler
• A sharp knife, exacto knife, or box cutter (basically anything sharp that you already own or can borrow)

When you've gathered these materials, follow the instructions in this video (that I did not make).

It shows exactly what I did and does a better job of explaining the process than I could in this article.

Wouldn't this be a perfect homemade gift for a bookworm friend?


MAKE A FREE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT OR WREATH

One of my no-cost bouquets. The tea cup roses are from my mom's garden. The peonies and dusty miller are from mine.

Unless you have your own flower garden, this one will require some courage to ask around.

Cut flowers and greenery from a friend or several friend's gardens and see what you can make. Simply tell them about your experiment and they will likely consent. They may even be curious to see how it turns out.

A bouquet made only from what is available requires extra creativity and it could be cool to see what you come up with.

Consider making an arrangement for each person who let you utilize their garden as a thank you.

I have made a few free bouquets but I've always wanted to make a fresh wreath from found materials too!

I would use cuttings from pruning my fruit trees for the wreath structure. Then I would cover it with cuttings from a friend's evergreen bushes, mini pinecones that have dropped around my neighborhood, and English ivy from my mom's overgrown wall. I would finish it up with ribbon I already have at home.

You could also visit a Christmas tree lot and ask if they will let you take leftover boughs that get cut off while prepping the trees.


PLAY HIDE & SEEK IN IKEA

I haven't done this one yet, but I've heard it's so fun.

It's a fun free activity you could do as a date or with your kids!

Make sure the seeker gives the hiders several minutes to find a hiding spot, because a 20 second countdown would defeat the purpose of playing in such a huge space.

5 minutes should be enough time for everyone to hide.

If you have little kids, consider pairing up in teams to help them find a spot and avoid wandering a huge department store alone.
And you could still hide in different places within the same showroom.

If hide & seek in a huge store sounds daunting, try this:

The seeker can set a timer as soon as they start looking, say 5 minutes, and if by the time it goes off, they haven't found anyone, they can text and request a one word hint.

Also, if playing with kids, be sure to instruct them on hiding and safety.

Teach them how to determine whether they will be able to get out of a hiding place on their own. For example, avoid refrigerators and trunks that latch.

You will definitely get odd looks from customers. If that bothers you, maybe plan this activity for a day and time when the store won't be very busy.

Be sure you don't break anything and have fun!

WRITE A FAN LETTER

I guess if you want to write a traditional letter you will have to pay for postage. So, this one isn't universally free.

But it would be fun, right?

Write to your favorite author, musician, or anyone who has inspired you. If it's a deceased person you admire, you could send a letter to their family.

And what if they respond?! You'll never know until you give it a try.

SEARCH FOR STREET ART IN YOUR OWN TOWN

Maybe for some people it's just a photo op.

But there is also something so fun about finding larger than life murals in obscure corners of your own city/town. Plus getting outside and walking is always a good idea.

My favorite mural near me is the book wall in Salt Lake City.


THROW AWAY YOUR BATHROOM SCALE

If you have one, it's not doing you any favors.

For one thing, everyone's weight fluctuates by several pounds on a regular basis, especially if you are a woman. Menstruation is the worst.

And besides, your weight says very little about your actual health.

Muscle has more density than fat. So if you want to get fit, you might end up weighing the same or more than you do now when you've lost fat and gained muscle.

If you do want to lose weight, weighing your body every single day is the perfect way to lose motivation.

Not convinced to throw away your bathroom scale?

Here's a great article with more in depth reasons to let it go.

TRY A ONE WEEK CHALLENGE

We all know about those 30 day challenges that are supposed to help us build healthy habits. Well, I don't have the attention span for that.

Instead I've given myself weekly challenges that are more focused on fun than well-being, though sometimes they go hand-in-hand.

And with only seven days to complete the challenge, you are more likely to see it through.

This kind of challenge is simple. Just choose something you want to try everyday for one week such as:

Braid week: practice a different kind of braid each day.

Art week: practice drawing with chalk or painting with watercolor each day. Or create something using different materials for 7 days in a row. It could be gouache one day, acrylic paint the next, then charcoal, pastels, and so on.

Smoothie week: make 7 different smoothies in a week. (Sorry, this one is not totally free if you don't already have a freezer full of fruit. I usually do, but I get that not everyone does.)

SEE HOW LONG YOU CAN HOLD A PLANK

My goal this year was a five minute plank and I eventually made it to 4 minutes and 40 seconds! I've put it on hold for now since I'm halfway through my third pregnancy.

This is an exercise you can do with no equipment, you don't even need workout clothes.

A plank works out tons of muscles, improves posture and strengthens your entire core.

Here's what to do:

Search online to learn proper form and use a mirror or a friend to check your form.

Start a stopwatch and see how long you can hold it. Do this everyday or every other day and slowly add a few seconds at a time.

Before starting, accept that you won't progress every day and you'll need to rest every few days and let your muscles heal before you can build on your personal record.

Also, avoid staring at the stopwatch as that will make it feel like time has slowed to a glacial place. It helps to have someone talk to you, something captivating to watch, or music playing to distract you.

TRY NEW MAKEUP FOR A NIGHT OUT

Hit up a MAC store, Ulta Beauty, or Sephora before a fun shopping day, a night out dancing, or a concert with friends.

Since I don't wear lipstick regularly, I'm not interested in owning an entire tube, but if I do want to try it, I prefer something high quality.

I love the idea of stopping by Sephora and putting on a bold Armani lipstick or eyeshadow just before a concert.

READ 52 BOOKS IN ONE YEAR

Or 12, 24, 18, whatever number you choose.

The point is to stretch yourself, whatever that might mean to you. You can read countless stories and study tons of topics all for free!

This isn't a brilliant new idea, but how many of us are actually taking advantage of public libraries?

Your taxes are already paying for libraries, so you might as well take advantage.

You don't need an Audible subscription to listen to audiobooks either. Check your local library's website to find out which app you'll need to borrow audiobooks and ebooks for free. Here in Salt Lake County, I can listen to books with Libby.

Sure, you won't be able to start a book the moment you decide to read it, but devouring books for free is 100% worth a little inconvenience.

Start by creating a list of books you would like to read. Ask for recommendations from people you know well or start with this list of adventurous books if you're completely lost.

Underline or asterisk the books you want to read next and go from there. Be sure to put a few books on hold at a time if you plan on getting through one a week.

52 books in one year is a lot, but it's so much fun!


While I love making big plans, I like to spend most of my time doing small and beautiful things that I can fit into my day to day life.

I hope you found these free bucket list ideas inspiring!

See my free bucket list part 1 and part 2 for even more ideas!

And feel free to share your thoughts and questions in the comments!