What's On Your Bucket List?

We all have one. We may call it a bucket list, a travel wishlist or a life list, but it's all the same thing: The things you want to do or visit before you die. I've talked about mine before. Let's look at a few:

Turkey

This is the ultimate budget travel destination on my list. Once you fly there, everything is quite affordable, plus it’s not like your typical European destination. I want to visit Cappadocia and sleep in a cave hotel and go on a hot air balloon ride and take a ride on a yacht. I mean, don’t all those things sound just the coolest? Everywhere else this would cost a fortune, but not in Turkey!

Greece & Malta

If you’ve ever seen a picture of the gorgeous Greek seaside, you won’t wonder why this is on my list, or really anyone’s list. Between the Mediterranean, the food, and the people, this is really quite high up on my Life List. And since Malta is, literally, right there, there’s no reason to skip it. I blame old World’s Strongest Man competitions for making me drool over this destination. It’s small, it’s beautiful and it invokes a little bit of Greek heaven.

Tokyo Disneyland

Ah yes, Tokyo itself sounds really amazing, and I’m going to make it there one day, but one of the attractions I am dying to see is the Japanese version of my favorite theme park. It’s so different, yet I know it will probably still feel like home, but probably with more politeness. How can this not be on my list? Also, is it weird that I kind of want to spend a night in a capsule hotel? Yes? Okay then.

So those are some of mine, but let's talk about some of yours, because I'm going to base some future posts on them. What are your top destinations on your travel bucket list?

Get $3 when you sign up for Swagbucks in February (US)

Want an extra boost to your budget in February?? 

If you haven't tried Swagbucks before, you can get a bonus $3 for signing up as my referral this month. Swagbucks is a rewards site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching, watching videos, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, or PayPal cash. 

When you sign up through me this month, you can earn a $3 bonus! Here's how: 

1. Sign up using this link 

2. Earn 300 SB total before 3/1/18. You'll get a $3 (300 SB) bonus for it! 

3. If you want even more bonuses, you'll get a $10 (1000 SB rebate) bonus for making your first shop purchase! That's in addition to the SB you earn for every dollar you spend. 

That's it. It's super easy, and Swagbucks is for real. I use it myself, and I've earned almost 66,000 Swagbucks that I have traded in for Amazon and Paypal gift cards, so I can pay for travel and also purchase party goodies for my annual Harry Potter party. 

I know $3 doesn't seem like a lot, but you can earn a lot in your spare time. Do search and earn, answer surveys and watch videos to earn points while you're sitting in front of the TV in the evening. It's easy and adds up quickly. I've been able to earn $60 or more worth of SB in a month with little effort and you can do even more! Can you imagine how far that in Paypal will go towards your next trip? In a year you'll have an extra $720+. That's like two plane tickets!

Planning a Valentine's Staycation

If you're like me, you've got plenty of things planned for the year, so you don't particularly have money (or motivation) to plan a Valentine's getaway for you and and your sweetie. That's okay. Instead of a gift they probably don't need or paying way too much for flowers or a dinner out, why not surprise them with a creative staycation?

I love being a tourist in my own city, and I often just throw my camera in my bag and look at things as if I were a visitor. Here are some ways to get romantic for the holiday without breaking your bank:

photo credit

Go Glamping

Break out your tent, pitch it in the backyard, stock it with pillows and blankets, string up some battery-powered fairy lights, open a bottle of wine and get your favorite foods delivered. If you have a short table or something that can work as a table if you throw a tablecloth over it, use that and spin some tunes on your phone to create a romantic atmosphere. You don't have to spend the night out there, but you can spend some quality time together and pretend you're not at home...at least until you need to use the restroom, but at that point, you'll be happy that you aren't actually camping.

photo credit

Do Dinner and a Movie

Instead of a traditional dinner-movie date, cuddle up in the backyard (or in your car drive-in style) and eat dinner al fresco while watching a movie on a projection screen - or you can put up a sheet if you don't have one. 

Go On a Scavenger Hunt

Buy yourself a city hunt that you play on your phone and put your heads together to follow the clues and learn some new things about where you live. StrayBoots and Urban Adventure Quest are good ones. Bring your camera and take fun pics of the two of you while you're crushing it like the boss couple you are.

Take a City Tour

Pretend you just moved to where you live and you're on a first date and take a cool tour, whether it's a walking tour, a bus tour, a boat tour or a food tour. Do something new and that you've always wanted to try. It's a great chance to snuggle up with your significant other too. 

Try Unique Dining Experiences

Don't do the same old restaurant dining that you usually do. Sure, that Italian place you hit up every couple of weeks is probably good, but it's time to branch out...and save some money. Instead of dressing up and being the same as everyone else, why not bundle up (if it's cold where you are) and check out a new coffee shop for breakfast and then hit up those food trucks you've been meaning to try. 

Our city just got a new food cart pod with outdoor seating, a fire pit and at least a dozen (so far) different food trucks, so there's something for everyone. It also gives us a chance to try several different foods at once.

Take a Hike

If you're an outdoorsy couple, put on your walking shoes and pack some snacks and head to a hiking spot you've been meaning to make it to. If you're planner, put a picnic together too and have a nice secluded meal where you can connect with each other in a whole new way.

How will you make this Valentine's Day special? For more ideas, check out my staycation Pinterest board.