The Simple Bucket List: Over 100 Free or Cheap Ideas for a Life of Fun and Love
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, I may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more
We’re often told to keep things simple, right? But when it comes to our life bucket lists, they’re often filled with expensive and ‘one day I’ll do this’ ideas.
What about now? Why can’t we live our best life starting today? That’s why I’ve put together a simple bucket list. It’s full of easier, less overwhelming things you can do with little money or for free. The goal is to appreciate the joy, laughs, and love simple things can bring to your life. With this list, you can start living a fun life today, not in some distant future!
Want to challenge yourself to fill your life with as much fun and joy as possible? Scroll to the end of this article to download this ultimate list as a printable PDF, and get checking off all those cool ideas!
Okay, let’s jump in!
I’ve grouped them into categories, so you can jump to the section you want: fun // solo // friends // couples // family // at-home // fall // winter // spring // summer or scroll through the article for a big list of ideas.
Fun Ideas
Get inspired with these fun things to do. You can start doing them today, and bring some joy and laughs to your day.
- Wake up to watch the sunrise once a month for a year
- Break the rules and have breakfast for dinner
- Go to open mic night and confront your stage fright
- Learn how to start a fire without matches
- Feed the ducks at the lake near you
- Become an expert at something very niche and random
- Jump in a pool fully clothed
- Make a sand mural at the beach and photograph it
- Host a free walking tour in your local area
- Try DIY YouTube science experiments
Solo/On Your Own
There are plenty of goals and things to strive for by yourself, and these ideas are a great place to start.
- Read a book from the New York Times Best Seller list
- Have dinner at a restaurant by yourself
- Write a poem inspired by your life
- Go to a museum on the free day of the month
- Volunteer at a pet shelter or animal sanctuary
- Adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle
- Watch every movie that has won an Academy Award for Best Picture in the last two decades
- Start a YouTube channel on a hobby you enjoy
- Go for a run every morning for 30 days
- Try a new hairstyle
Ideas with Friends
Keep things simple and memorable with your closest friends. Try as many of these experiences as you can in your free time, in the evenings, and over weekends.
- Host a onesie game night
- Play a game of ultimate frisbee
- Try geocaching
- Have a 10-dollar thrift store challenge
- Host a potluck picnic
- Start a book club
- Have a dance battle with glowsticks
- Have a Karaoke party at home
- Go skinny dipping at the beach
- Beach car park surf and turf
For Couples
Take your couple’s goals to new heights without having to make grand and lavish gestures with these simple ideas that can bring you closer together.
- Dance and kiss in the rain
- Cook dinner together
- Create your couple playlist
- Movie night & popcorn
- Try a new food
- Dance by candlelight
- Have drinks while watching the sunset
- Create your own cocktail
- Create a vision board for your future
- Backyard camping and movie marathon
Families with Kids
Family fun doesn’t have to cost lots of time and money. As these cool ideas show, there’s plenty you can do with your other half and kids if you simply use your imagination and get creative.
- Teach your kids how to make a family recipe
- Take a family photo every month for a year
- Have a paper airplane contest
- Make your own kites and have a family competition flying them
- Play ‘the floor is lava’ with couches and cushions
- Go fruit picking
- Host a backyard Olympics
- Make a giant hand painting
- Make frozen popsicles with your favorite juices
- Neighborhood flashlight tag
When You’re at Home
Your home is a playground of potential fun and memories. All you need is a little inspiration and planning. These ideas can bring about some truly memorable moments.
- Have an indoor picnic
- Build a blanket fort and have a movie night in it
- Make a sourdough starter and learn to bake sourdough bread
- Make a giant dreams and vision board
- Host a virtual quiz night
- Make a duvet slide on the stairs* (* with caution)
- Declutter and donate to a charity
- Make a calligraphy family tree print
- Make a unique recipe with fridge leftovers
- Furniture flipping from Facebook Marketplace
Ideas for Fall
Why not embrace the season of color and landmark holidays without expensive trips and luxurious events? These ideas you can do on your own, with loved ones, and the whole family.
- Make a pumpkin-themed 3-course meal
- Host a ‘tallest leaf mound’ competition
- Enter a fall photography competition with your smartphone
- Ride a bicycle through a woodland
- Thrift shop Halloween costume/fancy dress challenge
- Carve and name a family of pumpkins
- Play ‘hide and seek’ in a field of hay bails
- Make Halloween-themed snacks for trick-or-treaters
- Road trip to a ghost town
- Run through a maize field
More: Fall Bucket List Ideas (with Printable)
Through Winter
It might be cold, but you can still have fun! Embrace the weather and magic of winter, and see how many of these things you can do before the warm weather comes around once more.
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen for Halloween
- Have a snowball fight
- Build a snowman
- Have a Christmas movie marathon while sipping hot chocolate
- DIY Christmas gifts for family & friends
- Walk around at a Christmas market
- Rank the Christmas lights in your neighborhood
- 5-dollar friends Secret Santa
- Host an iced cocktails evening
- Dress pets in reindeer antlers and take photos
More: Winter Bucket List Ideas (with Printable)
Great for Spring
Spring is a time of new starts and new ideas. These super simple and fun ideas are perfect to get you and your loved ones into a new state of mind.
- Walk barefoot on freshly cut grass
- Plant your own herbs in jars
- Go on a bug hunt
- Indoor spring clean in your underwear
- Host an Easter egg scavenger hunt
- Host a bread-baking contest
- Picnic under a tree
- Make 2 DIY bird feeders and film which one the birds choose
- Dance in the rain to ‘It’s Raining Men’
- Have a spring break staycation
More: Spring Bucket List (with Printable)
Summer Lovin’ Ideas
Vacations are always lovely. But, if you need some simple fun closer to home, summer is the best time to do it! Enjoy the sun and these fun things to do.
- Make iced tea in 10+ different flavors
- Do yoga on the beach
- Have a sandwich tea party while wearing sundresses
- Win a sandcastle-building competition
- Go-kart racing in costumes
- Sleep outside and stargaze
- Go tubing with friends
- Roll in the sand as the waves break
- Host a beach potluck
- Backyard paddling pool party
- Host a sangria and sandwiches evening
More: Summer Bucket List (with Printable)
Don’t wait for tomorrow to fill your life with joy and memories. Start today, and get inspired to do fun, exciting, and memorable things in your free time, all the time.
Life is meant for living, so start living it to the fullest today!
Feel free to download my free simple bucket list ideas PDF and check off as many as you can!
Here’s some other ideas you might love:
- Fun Family Bucket List: 100+ Unique and Fun Activities for Kids
- 100+ Crazy Bucket List Ideas
- 100+ Amazing Best Friends Bucket List Ideas
Looking for fun, easy, and affordable ways to bring joy and happiness into your life? Get inspired by my simple bucket list ideas, and keep this article for safekeeping by saving it to one of your Pinterest boards.
