The Top 50 ‘bucket list’ for over 50s
Research of over 2,000 respondents, conducted by over-50s insurance and travel specialist Staysure, has revealed the top 50 ‘bucket list’ experiences that over-50s want to tick off and what the price tag might be to have no regrets.
Seeing more of the world tops the list, with over half of respondents placing this at number one – so long as they travel first class, while next in the pecking order is seeing the Northern Lights. More unexpected ambitions include taking a selfie with a celebrity, getting a tattoo, reading 50 Shades of Grey, finally watching the Godfather trilogy and ‘quitting Facebook’.
The good news is an optimistic 78 per cent are confident they will fulfil their bucket list ambitions – but at what cost? For 60 per cent, a lack of funds is considered to be the biggest hurdle in ticking everything off the list, followed by marriage, having children and facing health problems. Staysure estimates that to achieve everything in the top 10 would cost in the region of £16,285. Survey respondents, however, believe that cost for the average person to fulfil their list would be approximately £8,191.
The list reflects some of our changing attitudes and lifestyles. Going on holiday alone once considered potentially embarrassing in middle age, is now a lifetime ambition for many at number 22.
Skinny dipping and having ménage à trois are also things many of us admit we’d like to try at least once, while experiences such as ‘glamping’ and going to a music festival reflects how experiencing live, communal events, and even getting a bit muddy are not just for people in their 20s.
Our emotions are also a key driver in the top 50 bucket list; a quarter of respondents claim they have never told someone they love them, while 30 per cent believe they have never truly been in love. Perhaps unsurprisingly, falling in love is firmly within the top 10 on the nation’s bucket list, while 18 per cent would still like to get married.
When examining why we come up with personal bucket lists, 40 per cent say they are driven by not wanting to be left with regrets, while 32 per cent believe they have spent so much time caring for others, that it’s now time to focus on themselves – particularly if young children have grown or flown the nest. 30 per cent also feel that they’d like to experience more freedom than their parents’ generation.
Staysure’s ‘Sure You Can!’ campaign aims to empower and inspire over-50s to fulfil their dreams and aspirations at any age – and help overcome perceived barriers to travel and adventure, such as pre-existing medical conditions.
Chris Rolland from Staysure said: “Our customers are all at different stages of their lives and write to us to share the amazing travel and life experiences that they never thought they’d be able to achieve. Whether it’s travelling solo in your 60s, living abroad in your 70s, falling in love or getting a tattoo in your 80s – we live in a time where people should live their lives to the full and experience things that maybe previous generations did not. There’s no better time to book that solo holiday, make new friends, reconnect with old friends or simply invest in quality life experiences… whatever your age.”
The Top 50 over 50s ‘Bucket List’
1. Travel to an exotic destination 2. Fly first class 3. See the Northern Lights 4. Visit 5 continents 5. Dine in a world class restaurant 6. Go on a cruise 7. Spend time living abroad 8. Learn about your family tree 9. Fall in love 10. Learn a new language 11. Buy a house 12. Tell someone you love them 13. Go on a hot air balloon 14. Get married 15. Go to a casino in Las Vegas 16. Reconnect with a childhood friend 17. Go to a music festival 18. Learn how to play a musical instrument 19. Write a novel 20. Drive a racing car 21. Raise money for charity 22. Go on holiday by yourself 23. Climb a mountain 24. Change career 25. Sleep on the beach 26. Stay out all night 27. Go scuba diving 28. Go skinny dipping 29. Have sex in a public place 30. Go on a roller coaster 31. Have a one night stand 32. Forgive someone you’ve held a grudge against 33. Go skydiving 34. Bear all on a nudist beach 35. Go glamping 36. Eat sushi 37. Take a selfie with a celebrity 38. Have a ménage à trois 39. Get a tattoo 40. Watch the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy 41. Do karaoke 42. Watch ‘The Godfather’ trilogy 43. Run in a big race 44. Quit Facebook 45. Read ’50 Shades of Grey’ 46. Go to the Tomatina festival 47. Experiment with illegal drugs 48. Do stand-up comedy 49. Run with the bulls in Pamplona 50. Take part in a triathlon
Reasons people haven’t fulfilled their bucket lists:
62% – lack of money
34% – having children changed their priorities
29% – married and settling down
28% – haven’t had the time
21% – feel their health has got in the way
Top 10 things over-50s have already achieved:
1. Tell someone you love them 2. Buy a house 3. Get married 4. Fall in love 5. Travel to an exotic destination 6. Change career 7. Raise money for charity 8. Stay out all night 9. Go on a roller coaster 10. Learn about your family tree
(Article source: Staysure)
