If you’re into fitness, you’ll likely agree: the best workouts are fueled by music. With the right playlist, I’m ready for my Olympic debut. Without something to drown out my labored breathing? I’m just… sweating and panting.
During a recent gym visit, head in the zone, my Spotify shuffle delivered an Aerosmith classic: “Dream On.” You probably know it. The intro’s moody, and then it builds.
Riffs. Drama. Ascending chords—and some truly epic high notes in the bridge. Dream until your dreams come true, Steven Tyler belts.
As I caught my breath, that lyric got me thinking: dreaming is just the start.
Because dreams don’t fund themselves.
They need action. Intention. A little nurturing—and yes, a spending plan. Let’s talk about how to give those dreams a fighting chance, one bold, beautiful step at a time.
The dream is just the seed. The nurturing? That’s all you. In this blog, we’ll serve up a hot batch of inspiration: why your bucket list is a powerful tool for inspiring action, and how those bucket list goals can infuse your life with the energizing, rewarding feeling of spendfulness.
From dreaming to doing: YNABers in the wild
Most folks know what a bucket list is—a collection of dreams, big and small, we hope to experience in our lifetime.
But when you start treating that list like more than just wishful thinking? That’s where the magic happens.
At our recent Fan Fest Tour stop in San Diego, we heard story after story from YNABers who’d done just that. One couple quit their jobs to spend a year traveling, checking off one long-held dream after another. Janna traded rush hour for rhinos and earned her safari guide certification—because she realized she was made for wildlife migrations, not traffic jams.
These weren’t lottery winners or overnight successes. They were ordinary people with extraordinary clarity who used their spending plan to fund what mattered most.
We’ve seen it all: an RV retirement that had been simmering on the backburner for years. A Grammys trip to sit next to Taylor Swift. Someone starting their dream bakery after setting aside a little bit each month—flour fund and all. Donating a whopping 60% of pre-tax income.
And if your current list is dusty or daunting, that’s okay. You don’t need a globe-trotting dream from New York to Japan or a five-year plan to get started. You just need a spark. One little idea that feels like you. The kind that makes your heart beat a little faster when you think, could I really do that?
Yes. You really could.
Let’s talk about how.
Pursuing passion vs. passing fashion
When you sit down to write your bucket list, it’s tempting to add every shiny dream that crosses your mind—skydiving, writing a novel, launching a food truck, opening a beachside café.
But not every dream belongs on your list of things.
It’s kind of like building a wardrobe. Ever bought something because it looked great on someone else, only to realize it just… isn’t you? Maybe you picked the Nirvana tee when you’re really more Gaga. It happens.
Some bucket list items can feel the same. They sound exciting or aspirational, but when you pause and check in with yourself, you realize they don’t quite fit.
Writing a bucket list is a closet cull for your ambitions. Identify the things you’re most deeply passionate about—the ones that make your bones fizz with anticipation. Then you can channel your energy (and finances) into those.
What you’re left with is a list of things that feel true, right, and real. And that list? That’s what you’ll start funding in your YNAB spending plan.
Quite often, funding a dream starts with creating a single category.
A filter for FOMO
Life is big. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the infinite smorgasbord of things you could purchase, or experience, a bucket list is a great way to maintain a high bar. It helps you to pick your own, personal Michelin-worthy offerings from the buffet of life, if you will.
That doesn’t mean that everything in your spending plan has to pass some deep, existential test forevermore—but it is a helpful way to prioritize spending on the things that matter the most (instead of that latest impulse buy on Amazon).
So the next time a promo email invades your inbox (Ends soon! Hawaii vacation blowout!), you’re not swayed. Why? Because you’re laser-focused on that Alaska trip—the one that earned a top spot amongst your bucket list ideas.
You’ve done the research. You can see yourself on deck, soaking in the majesty of the Kenai Fjords. You’ve already planned what to pack.
Hawaii can wait. Save that email for later.
Ready to bring your travel dreams to life? Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a year-long adventure, our Travel Template is a perfect place to start.
Keep it concise
Even within the confines of your own bucket list, it can be easy to add an excessive number of items.
For example, if travel’s your thing, you could easily spin a globe and pick a different country for every week of the year. Thailand! The Northern Lights in Iceland! Italy! The Eiffel Tower!
Or if you’re a thrill-seeker, you might be keen to bungee jump, go skydiving, kayaking, ride the tallest roller coaster and the longest zipline. Phew! Exciting… but kinda overwhelming, no?
The message here: be selective. With that in mind, it could be a good idea to build your bucket list with 8-10 things that truly make you feel excited and motivated. From there, you could further hone in on two or three that you’re working towards right now, while the others rest patiently on the back burner.
.png){kind=spacer}
In YNAB, you might plant your current priorities in a Wish Farm. We have a Wish Farm budget template for that!
Remember, your bucket list goals aren’t carved into a stone tablet. If your circumstances or priorities shift, you can shed any old dreams and step into new ones. If you achieve something from the list—which you will, because you, my friend, are incredible—then replace it with something else.
But resist the urge to hoard hundreds of dreams in a vault. The more you have on your bucket list, the less time, money, and attention you’ll have for each of them.
Time and space can be priceless
It’s easy to think of a bucket list as an actual shopping list. Buy a house by the lake, soak up the picture-perfect Peru views at Machu Picchu, treat yourself to a dream electric car. Or for the real adrenalin junkies out there, bungee jump. From a hot air balloon.
All excellent goals, if those resonate with you. But think beyond the obvious “stuff” and “experiences.”
There are also instances where money can buy you time and opportunity. The chance to make something happen on your list which transcends the transactional.
Maybe you want to take a three month sabbatical to do some volunteering. Or you’d like to take part-time hours at your job so that you can write the memoirs burning deep inside you, just waiting for that creative energy to be unleashed.
How can you make that happen? You might have a category in your spending plan for those, like saving up to cover three months’ expenses. Or maybe you could go full-on budget burn down to explore: can I still thrive on a part-time wage while I write this future bestseller?
As you’re writing your bucket list, don’t forget to include those lifestyle changes. Perhaps more than any other, those most daunting—but fulfilling—future accomplishments deserve their spot in your spending plan.
Small-but-mighty life goals
On the flip side, not every bucket list item has to be huge. Not every item has to cost money.
Even if your list is short, we encourage making space for some pocket-friendly, smaller wins. One item on my list is to master a tricky yoga move: Mermaid Pose. Money is no barrier there—even if my tight quads are. That one requires patience and perseverance, more than anything else.
Perhaps that’s not in the spirit of a traditional bucket list which should be filled with big stuff. Maybe I’ll have it down pat by the end of the year. But hey, I’ll take small successes along the journey to my bigger life goals, too. (And once I’ve mastered Mermaid, Crow Pose is waiting in the wings.)
Having a low-cost goal means one less thing to fund in my spending plan. Thus, I have a little more each month to divert to the thirsty categories that do need money. Like funding a once-in-a-lifetime New Zealand trip!
Don’t forget to include the granular alongside the grand.
It’s all about values
The bucket list concept is really a lens through which to view your precious life. It’s a manifestation of your values. That’s why it’s super powerful.
Sometimes confronting, sure. Should you let one long-held dream go to make way for another? There’s such energy in those decisions; in making those bold calls, and then creating space for them in your spending plan.
.png)
From there, YNAB will support you with the monetary minutiae and you get to bring your dreams to life (whether it’s New Zealand like me, a National Park road trip with your loved ones, or something much closer to home).
App, journal, spreadsheet—a scroll of ancient parchment if that’s your vibe. However you dream best, open up your imagination and craft a list of life goals that gets you giddy. Then give them a home in your spending plan.
What’s on your bucket list? Start funding the life you want with YNAB. It’s free for 34 days!
