Can you hear the tick, tick, tick?

Time's a wastin', adventurous souls, and there are plenty of friendly reminders out there to let us know we have a whole lot of living to do.

Go to the Super Bowl. Get a personal chef. Visit as many countries as years you've lived.

They're all part of the new "Things to do while you're alive" ad campaign for Visa Signature.

Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it's not likely most of us will ever "see all 38 of the 7 Wonders of the World" (as Visa advises). And while we'd love to claim we've read the classics - all of them, as the credit-card company would have us do - simply tackling the Cliffs Notes versions would be a stretch.

Taking a tango lesson in Buenos Aires? Enticing. But, if you're not rich - or are simply unwilling to go into severe, inescapable debt - there are some inexpensive local alternatives. Many perfect for a spring-break treat, as well.

Best get started now.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Visa's things to do while you're alive

• Drink a mint julep at the Kentucky Derby.

Estimated price: Expect to spend around $350 for airfare and bring a tent - rooms for this year's event are booked solid. Pay $520 for infield bleacher seats and $9 for the drink served in a commemorative glass. Or, for big spenders, try the $1,000 mint julep (served in a gold-plated cup with a silver straw and made with mint from Morocco, ice from the Arctic Circle and sugar from the South Pacific).

• Drink a pint in Dublin.

Estimated price: $680 round-trip ticket, 4.2 euros, or $5.50, for a pint of Guinness and about $440 for a night's stay at the luxurious Shelbourne hotel in Dublin

• See a Broadway show, front-row center.

Estimated price: $300 for current hit Mary Poppins, $25 for a souvenir T-shirt, about $220 for round-trip airfare and about $300 a night for a Times Square hotel room. Food and taxis extra.

• Do a wine tour of Italy.

Estimated price: We found a three-night "Classic Chianti" wine-tour package in Tuscany starting at $890 per person (airfare and travel not included) at selectitaly.com.

• Straddle the international date line.

Estimated price: $1,090 for round-trip airfare and five nights in Fiji

FYI: The international date line, on the 180º line of longitude in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is the imaginary line that separates two consecutive calendar days.

Things to do in Denver when you're dead-broke

• Why bother leaving the comfort of your own home for a race that lasts just two minutes? On May 5, hunker down in an overstuffed armchair and tune in to the race, scheduled to air on NBC around 3 p.m. (Or, better yet, TiVO the darn thing, fast-forward through the boring pre-race banter and watch at your own convenience.) Forget the fussy fancy hat and opt for your favorite worn-in baseball cap. And, of course, be sure to pour yourself a homemade mint julep.

Early Times Mint Julep

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Sprigs of fresh mint

Crushed ice

Early Times Kentucky Whisky

• Make simple syrup by boiling sugar and water for five minutes. Cool, place in covered container with six sprigs of mint and refrigerate overnight. Fill julep cup with ice, one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times. Stir rapidly to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with mint.

Source: kentuckyderby.com

• Drink a pint at the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub, 2796 S. Broadway, Englewood

Price: A pint of Guinness costs $4.95, or $4.25 during happy hour.

• Show up early to snag a front-row seat at the local Buntport Theater Company, where seating is general admission. (But note: The front row isn't necessarily the best seat in the house at this theater.)

Price: $4 to $7. Visit Buntport.com for upcoming shows.

• The Denver Art Museum offers free admission the first Saturday of the month. Go to denverartmuseum.org for times and offerings.

Price: You guessed it - free

• Sample flavors from around the world during tastings at local wine stores. One to try: Divino Wine & Spirits, 1240 S. Broadway, with tastings from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturdays

Price: Free. (But we bet you'll want to buy a bottle or two.)

• Straddle the four corners. Gas up the car and head to the Four Corners National Monument (west of U.S. 160, 40 miles southwest of Cortez). Put a hand and a foot in each of four states (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona) at the same time at the only place in the country where four states meet at one place.

Price: $3 a person, plus the cost of gas and motel

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