Covid-19 has delayed many dream holidays, family reunions, and road trips this year.
But as we all navigate the space between things we can do, things we can’t do, and things we still want to do in the future, there’s an opportunity to reflect on the bucket list goals that are truly important to us.
Get your family together and ask yourselves these three questions. Your answers will help you build a better bucket list full of things you’ll enjoy doing today and look forward to doing safely someday soon.
1 – How disappointed are we?
Before Covid-19, you probably felt free to fill up your bucket list with anything for which you could responsibly budget.
But it’s possible that not all of those items were of equal importance to you.
A trip to Japan that you and your spouse had been planning for years is probably dear to your heart. A spur-of-the-moment booking for a zip line trip in the lakes, maybe not so much.
If you’re sifting through a bunch of returns, refunds (or transfer coupons), and cancellations right now, think about how you really feel about those disrupted plans.
Are you disappointed? Indifferent? Are you relieved to be getting that money back?
Is this a trip that should stay on the family bucket list? Or would you instead use those funds to add something even more special to a trip everyone really wants to take?
I’m sure ziplining could be fun (after you!). But upgrading your planned big holiday, including an upgrade to a five-star resort might be unforgettable. Now you’re talking.
2 – Why did we want to do this?
If you’re trying to sell your children on a substitute for Disney World … well, good luck. Keep that trip on the bucket list for next year.
But the motivations behind some of your other bucket list items might not be as clear-cut as riding roller coasters or visiting a favourite beach or the Space Center.
Was this bucket list item a true dream destination, or was it just a pit stop on your way to somewhere else?
Were you just looking for a reason to cash in some saved holiday entitlement? Is this really an activity your whole party will enjoy?
Are you forcing a trip – any trip – just because you want your whole family to do something together?
3 – What can we do instead?
Some of your answers might lead you to alternative fun closer to home.
If the real purpose of a trip was golf, the money you’re saving on travel could buy you quite a few rounds at a beautiful course that you can drive to; think staycation, not a vacation.
Buy a couple of lessons while you’re at it and you might enjoy that dream round, even more, when you finally tee up.
You might not feel comfortable packing up the camper van and heading to the UK or European continent right now, even though you can. But our own camping ground system is more extensive than many people realize.
There’s probably a scenic spot closer to home that you’ve never explored before.
Many families are also adapting to Covid-19 by focusing on new, short-term bucket list items.
If you’re not going to travel this summer, you could take online classes and learn a musical instrument.
Are you rescheduling your trip to Puerto Vallarta? Take family Spanish lessons so you’ll have an easier time getting around when you do go. There may even be a bored school teacher or two you can hire to teach you locally.
Get serious about your exercise goals and develop a running or cycling regiment to which you can stick.
Set a family reading challenge.
Could you learn to cook a new French meal every week?
Pre-season sports-training camps might be cancelled, but all our local facilities (including pitches and sports halls) are open, and still there.
There are no perfect substitutes for all your bucket list items during Covid-19. But with a little flexibility and some creativity, your family can still have a fun and fulfilling summer.
And if you need one more activity to round out your week, schedule a family brainstorming session for trips that are staying on the bucket list. Let everyone share their ideas on how to make the trip you couldn’t make this year into an even better trip next year.
Planning ahead will give everyone something to look forward to.
Is there anything we can do to help you make progress on your bucket list?
Don’t hesitate to call us up if you want to revisit your Lifestyle Financial Plan or start budgeting with that cashflow forecast for all the summers still ahead of you and your family.
