From celebrity selfies to falling in love: the nation’s ‘50 over-50′ bucket list revealed
Our life’s dreams and ambitions are only £8,191 away, according to the British public.
New 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.”
Keep up to date with the latest from Staysure at:
Facebook.com/Staysure
Twitter.com/Staysure
Staysure.co.uk
*Research conducted by OnePoll in July 2015 from a poll of 2,000 UK adults aged 50+
STAYSURE’S 50 OVER 50:
Top 50 things people over 50 want to do (full list)
Travel to an exotic destination
Fly first class
See the Northern Lights
Visit 5 continents
Dine in a world class restaurant
Go on a cruise
Spend time living abroad
Learn about your family tree
Fall in love
Learn a new language
Buy a house
Tell someone you love them
Go on a hot air balloon
Get married
Go to a casino in Las Vegas
Reconnect with a childhood friend
Go to a music festival
Learn how to play a musical instrument
Write a novel
Drive a racing car
Raise money for charity
Go on holiday by yourself
Climb a mountain
Change career
Sleep on the beach
Stay out all night
Go scuba diving
Go skinny dipping
Have sex in a public place
Go on a roller coaster
Have a one night stand
Forgive someone you’ve held a grudge against
Go skydiving
Bear all on a nudist beach
Go glamping
Eat sushi
Take a selfie with a celebrity
Have a ménage à trois
Get a tattoo
Watch the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy
Do karaoke
Watch ‘The Godfather’ trilogy
Run in a big race
Quit Facebook
Read ’50 Shades of Grey’
Go to the Tomatina festival
Experiment with illegal drugs
Do stand-up comedy
Run with the bulls in Pamplona
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
**Total ‘top 10′ bucket list cost: £16,285
All prices correct as of 06.10.2015 and are presented for illustrative purposes only
All travel destination costs correct as of 06.10.2015 and courtesy of Staysure Travel. These costs are a guide and prices will vary depending on chosen dates and length of travel, please visit the website http://travel.staysure.co.uk/ or call 0800 088 4775 for a quote.
1. Travel to an exotic destination
• Flights to and a Hotel in the Bahamas – £1,901 per person
2. Fly first class
• First class flights to New York – £3,854 per person
3. See the Northern Lights
• Northern Lights cruise – £1,000 per person
4. Visit 5 continents
• Flights to New York – £350 per person
• Flights to Brazil – £500 per person
• Flights to Rome – £100 per person
• Flights to Bangkok – £458 per person
• Flights to Sydney – £728 per person
• Total per person = £2,136
5. Dine in a world class restaurant
• Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester: 8 course meal and champagne for 2 people: £460
6. Go on a cruise
• 8 night Norwegian Fjords cruise – £1,000 per person
7. Spend time living abroad
• You can rent a three bedroom apartment (with garden and pool) in Mallorca for 6 months at: £5,256
8. Learn about your family tree
• Ancestry.co.uk costs £13 a month: assume it takes 6 months to trace your family back this would be: £78
9. Fall in love
• According to research in this Mail Online article men can fall in love after one date and be absolutely head over heels by 3 dates – but women need at least 6
• Average cost of a date dinner (£40), bottle of wine (£20) x 6 = £360
10. Learn a new language
• Rosetta Stone learn Italian package: £240
Total: £16,285
All flights and holidays shown above can be booked by Staysure Travel. Please note these prices are a guide and costs will vary depending on chosen dates and length of travel. Please visit the website visit http://travel.staysure.co.uk/ or call the contact centre on 0800 088 4775 for a quote.
