Creative Long-Term Bets with Friends: From Weight Loss Challenges to Bucket Lists

A little healthy competition among friends is a good thing. When you are tight with a group of buddies, there are natural moments that occur where you want to get the better of the situation. It leads to memories and stories that will last a lifetime.

Some of the best bets to make are the ones that last a while. Creating a long-term bet can be easier than you realize, keeping your already tightly-knit friend group even closer than ever. Check out these long-term bet suggestions and come up with your next group challenge.

6 Long-Term Bets with Friends

Bucket Lists

Bucket lists are a common thing in life. For those who don’t know, the bucket list is essentially a “to-do” list involving ideas or wishes in a person’s life. For some, that might mean traveling to a particular destination. For others, it is achieving a particular feat.

A great way to challenge your friends can be to work on those personal bucket lists. The best part about this is that the bucket lists don’t have to be comprised of the same things. Compare lists and set a goal, it doesn’t matter how simple or complicated. Maybe it’s the first to check off 10 items on their list or it involves specific challenges.

Taking on the bucket list challenge not only creates healthy competition but gives you a reason to attack that list. By the end of the competition, both parties will feel like a winner because of how many things they finally got around to doing.

Sports Teams

Professional sports are popular the world over. Sports are also a common ground for friends to come together, either by rooting for the same team or liking the same sport. While you could wager on individual games, you can add a lot of drama and interest by making it a season-long endeavor. Using a social betting platform like WagerLab to track, tally, and settle social bets, the process becomes even easier.

If you and another friend root for opposite teams, betting on things like overall team record or who will make it further in the playoffs is a great place to start. Best of all, it doesn’t have to be for money. Friends who bet on their favorite team can suggest certain activities or fun punishments for the loser. There is a lot of wiggle room when it come to creating a fun, season-long bet with friends.

We see this most commonly in the form of fantasy sports. A group of friends play in the same league, talking trash to one another throughout the year, all in the quest for supremacy. Whether you make an individual bet with a friend or participate in fantasy sports, it can be a great bonding experience.

The Beard Bet

This one’s for guys only, but it is a fun one. Though beards are popular these days, not everyone has an affinity for beards. For some, it is a simple matter of not being able to grow what is considered to be a proper beard.

If you want to make things interesting between friends, consider the beard bet. The idea is simple and easy to execute. Pick a day where everyone involved shaves their face clean, including any slight stubble that may be creating a five o’clock shadow.

When the challenge begins, the goal is to continue growing the beard until the other people drop out. It doesn’t require much effort and can last for months at a time depending on how competitive the people involved are.

For those who really want to win, it will create an interesting look. Growing the caveman beard may deliver you sweet victory but it may also garner you a few sideways glances. Just remember to set a few ground rules about basic grooming and wait to see who can make it the longest without feeling like they can’t take it anymore.

Weight Loss Challenges

Weight loss challenges are quite common but for good reason. Competition is meant to be friendly and healthy, so keeping the challenge positive is critical. In a weight loss challenge, both parties can come out better for it regardless of who wins.

Another major perk is being able to set the goals. Whether it be the first to lose 10 pounds or hitting individual milestones, there is a lot of flexibility. Weekly weigh-ins can provide something to look forward to and the motivation needed to live a healthier lifestyle.

The weight loss challenge is a great way to get those competitive juices flowing. Ideally, when the competition comes to an end, both sides are not only in better shape but a better place with their physical health.

The Cross-Country Bet

If you want to make things really interesting, a race across the country can make for some interesting competition. Pick a point on the map and decide how feasible it is for both parties to get there by driving in a realistic time. While these bets are meant to stretch over time, not everyone has the chance to spend a week driving across the country.

Pick a start date, set the ground rules, and see who reaches the destination first. The concept itself is simple but it opens the door for a lot of fun. Imagine sending taunting pictures to your competitor by hitting a key milestone before they do. Constant friendly jabbing and taunting could be had as part of the mind games involved.

Perhaps the best part about this offer is that it helps you to get out and see the country. While there may not be enough time to stop in every city and destination, it will create a unique, one-of-a-kind experience.

The Clothing Bet

The hallmark of a great long-term bet is one that anyone can do at any time. It doesn’t have to be some great physical feat or require the ability to foresee the future. Sometimes a simple piece of clothing can do the trick.

Pick an item of clothing like shorts or a t-shirt and see how long you can wear it. Friends who are in on the bet will have a laugh every time they see you and strangers will wonder, “wait, is that guy wearing the same shorts?” Simple, effective, and a great competitive option for friends to enact on a whim.

The good news is that there are any number of bets that can fit the bill. It provides entertainment and something to look forward to that can bring even the closest friends closer together.

Fun Bets with Friends that are not money related

Betting doesn’t have to be about putting your hard-earned dollars on the line.  Here are our five best non-monetary bets…

• Changing team names
• Cooking a meal
• Loser buys
• Gift cards
• Charity donations

Read the full list: Fun Bets with Friends