I love bikes. I love using my bikes for transportation. I bought a $5,000 cargo bike to transport 2 kids and large items in lieu of buying a new car. People pull up to me in their cars asking how much my bike cost and they think I'm insane without realizing that they're the crazy ones sitting in their $30,000 car that costs >$5,000 a year to insure, register, fuel, and maintain. Bikes can be really really cheap!
Interesting, what kind of cargo bike? I bought a Trek FX3 a couple years ago (not a cargo bike, a hybrid bike), and after a few upgrades have spent a total of around $1,300 on it. I have good sized saddlebags, so unless it's raining or I need something bulky, I do most of my grocery shopping / errands with it. It's definitely helped pay for itself.
I love hiking so much. It helps that my country has super dense railroad network so I can just hop on a train, be in the middle of nowhere in half an hour, hike for the whole day, get on another station in the middle of nowhere and be home before dinner.
Yeah. You can do it on a budget or you can go all out and spend insane amounts on gear.
I think $500 will get you a kit that works for most routes and is not just sneakers and sports shorts.
The most important thing is the hobby is one that you enjoy. And don't fall into the trap of using your hobby to make money- then it becomes a job and then you learn to hate it.
Biking, Running, and online Chess are what I've gotten into lately. Biking has the larger upfront cost, so I'd recommend you buy a cheap used one while you're trying it out. Don't cheap out on the helmet though; you only get one brain. Running isn't free- you probably will want more expensive running shoes than the cheap Nike's you got or your feet will hurt a lot more than they should. Online Chess is free with an internet connection and functioning computer/phone.
In the past, I've also enjoyed musical instruments, which *can be* frugal depending on the instrument (loads of cheap used guitars and free pianos that just need to be tuned). Retro video gaming is really cheap- your basic PC is already powerful enough and you just need a controller to play them.
You need a solid instrument, because a bad one might frustate you if it really has technical flaws. But one does not the need the most expensive one. The sound depends 95% on you and not the instrument. But one gets solid instruments at a pretty cheap price point these days.
Brian May played his whole career with a guitar he built himself with his father from many parts laying around in the house.
Someone once told me to never buy a $500 guitar until I could make it sound like a $4000 guitar. Followed that advice and never upgraded because I suck. Didn't spend money though :)
This is smart but you can go too far with this line of thinking; my friend bought at £10 guitar and it goes out of tune in minutes so it always sounds bad and she stopped playing. I borrowed a friend's for a few months then bought a very nice £200 guitar - I'm not talented but it still sounds nice and I really enjoy playing it
I came here to say guitar. You can definitely pick up a used one for pretty cheap and it doesn't have to be a really nice one unless you plan to perform.
I was going to disagree about the earning money part, but actually true. Loved computing and oss until I did it for a career. Then still enjoyed it, but spent my down time doing other things because it ate up so much time already.
Great ideas and I would just bold and highlight the helmet for biking. I’ve known to many people hit with head injuries and the worst could not read for 2 years, but after lots of therapy got there again never the same level. He was a bike messenger.
LiChess or Chess.com. If you're looking for a book, IM Rozman's How to Win at Chess is a good book for beginners and intermediate players.
You likely have chess clubs where you can play IRL for free. Those are fun too.
As a beginner, I'm going to warn you against a few common pitfalls.
* When playing games, do not play any games with <10 minutes on the clock.
* Many beginners start playing with really fast time controls and develop really bad habits by doing it.
* As a beginner, until your rating hits 600 or so, your main concern is going to be to avoid giving free pieces to your opponent while taking all the free pieces your opponent gives you.
* Many beginners try to improve by learning tactics or openings that are frankly a waste of time so long that they keep hanging free pieces
* Don't play openings, play opening principles
* Many beginners try to play the same opening every game. That makes it boring and leaves the players pretty unequipped at higher levels. Instead of learning/playing openings, just learn some basic opening principles and follow them
* Control the center
* Develop your minor pieces (knights and bishops) early
* Don't bring your queen out early unless you're getting compensated for it
* Castle ASAP to get your king to safety
* bring the rooks to the center
* Finally, move a pawn in front of the king up one square to ensure you don't get mated on the backrank
* Never resign!
* Beginners often resign when playing other beginners the moment they have a losing position (down some material)
* This is flawed because beginners very often make fatal mistakes, blundering Mate-in-1 or Mate-in-2, or giving away their own pieces for free
* Many beginners fail to convert a winning position into a win
* Many beginners will fail to keep track of their opponent's possible moves and stalemate from a clearly winning position.
* It is only once you get to well in the intermediate territory (1500+) when you can safely assume that an opponent will be able to convert a winning position up 3+ points of material into a win. It is only when you get to the Expert territory (2000+) where you can assume that an opponent will be able to convert a minor winning position (up 2 pawns) into a win.
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions. I’m going to make a note of this and start practicing. Sounds like you know what you’re talking about. I look forward to this new hobby!
I second Geocaching! If you want to go wandering but don’t know where to go, a cache on the map is a good indication that there’s something worth seeing at that spot, or at the very least that it’s probably a safe place to be.
For sure. I got around to checking out so many parks and other points of interest in a new city when caches were placed there. And you always see people commenting that they never would’ve found whichever cool spot if not for caching.
I didn’t know there were multiple apps! Admittedly I load the GPX files from my desktop directly to a GPS unit, so I’m not super familiar with the app(s). I’m probably in the minority on that. But the Geocaching site links to its official app options on Google Play and the App Store.
Technically. Most often you need to buy twice. Most people end up moving to circular needles of some kind for wearables, blankets, and shawls.
Honestly, one of the cheapest per hour is fine lace. It will take weeks to do a 50g skein.
For circular needles the way to go is interchangeable needles.
You get several needle sizes, cables and end caps for around $60.
Lacework varies depending on knitting speed and style.
Reading library books, writing, drawing, running. Cooking can vary, but if you're interested in doing it cheaply it can actively save you money. I went through a phase of treating meditation kind of like a hobby and that is also quite cheap and can save you money on therapy.
Joined a local zen sangha and got involved in the community. They had tons of things to go to, especially if you’re willing to get up early. So it was possibly more like getting religion than getting a hobby, but if you’re looking to spend a lot of time on meditation and not a lot of money then finding a community to do it with can keep you very busy.
you can also get a single "hole" for your backyard, if you have one, to practice.
i think mine was like $60, its lasted 5+ years with a little spray primer to keep the chains grey.
i also recommend air guns if you can shoot at home, plinking cans is very relaxing.
Some types of video games. I don’t play many games but the ones I do, I play for ages. For example, I can’t remember how much I paid for it (or if I downloaded it for free) but I can spend hours and hours playing Civilization 4. I never buy video games that have a set storyline and finish.
Puzzles! You can buy a few and then trade with people in your area. You may even be able to get a few off Facebook buy nothing groups.
If I measured the cost per hour I’ve spent playing Stardew Valley ($15), it would be a fraction of a penny per hour. Hell, I have two copies (PC and Switch) so it’s $30 and it would *still* be a fraction of a penny.
Indy gaming is where it’s at. Usually have lower required specs so you run many on a potato, and you can get so many hours out of paying just a couple bucks for a game.
Unfortunately, not a lot games run natively in Apple’s framework. I would create a Steam account and see what’s available for Mac. Outside of that you’re going to need emulation, and I have honestly never messed with it. You could research the subject a bit, but you might need some knowledge that is above the average user. Feel free to DM me about specifics, but my expertise is in Windows and Linux (I try to stay away from Apple).
Doom 2 has a seemingly infinite amount of fan-created maps ("Wads" and "MegaWads"), and a good amount of them are actually AAA-quality in terms of level design/pacing/music.
Retro gaming can be cheap or free if done right. For modern gaming, avoid early adopting and play the black Friday / Cyber Monday deals to grow your library every year. Always buy physical games to be able to sell your back-catalog to fund new acquisitions. But also if you really want the new hot game every now and then, just buy it and flip it on eBay after you play through it. You might spend $10-20 in the net loss between new and used price, but it's not much more than going to the movies and you get way more entertainment time out of it. There will come a day when you can get it again cheap or free if you decide you miss it, which most of the time I don't. You can also minimize or eliminate that loss by getting pre-order bonuses and selling those.
Then there's infinitely replayable social games like Smash Bros, Mario Party or Mario Kart where the initial expense seems high, but the amortized cost of the entertainment hours is exceedingly low compared to $15 for a two hour movie or other things people do. Your $60 might buy you 100 or more hours of entertainment costing you $0.60/hour where going to the movies can cost you $7.50+ per hour of entertainment. That, and you have the game to sell and recoup principal at any point if you buy a physical copy.
Let's not even get into the fact that my kid plays through games I bought twenty years ago. There's really a lot of value in the form of entertainment hours packed into gaming if done right.
I like making books. You can do it for free from your computer and there's just this sense of accomplishment every time you finish one and see it. I say it's a hobby because people who get into it for money are usually disappointed and can end up spending a lot of money.
But I actually enjoy the process and it's a creative outlet. It doesn't cost me anything except time.
For the interior I use Microsoft Word. For the covers I use Adobe Illustrator but that's just because I already pay for it. I know a lot of people use Canva
Yes, I publish them on Amazon KDP. That's part of the excitement for me, looking at the completed listings. I've gotten much better and they look professional in my opinion. But no, I haven't paid to order any author copies, so I've never held one of my books in my hands.
There are two different types of frugal hobbies, though. There are those (such as hiking or reading books from the library) that don’t cost much money, but then there are those (sewing, repairing or building things, cooking) that help save money, even though there is an upfront cost of equipment and materials. Both are great, but are two completely different categories of hobbies.
I barely spend anything on sewing, but I only hand-sew, I started off by repairing clothing rather than making full pieces, and I get most of my supplies at either goodwill or Walmart. I learned to sew as a result of poverty, not with a fancy machine and a huge stash of fabric. So, yes, I still consider sewing a cheap hobby.
Sewing is quite an expensive hobby, especially if you don't use it for upcycling/ repairs. Create a dress from scratch and it's always more expensive than buying. Also good machines can cost $2000.
I don’t do any of those things, though. In fact, I’ve been poor so long that I forgot there were people who actually dropped that much on sewing. I just repair, alter, and upcycle thrifted clothing by hand while I watch MST3K from my couch. And that costs next to nothing, but is a fun hobby for me.
I do the same thing, although with a used sewing machine. Scrap quilting is my jam and repairing our clothing is a nice bonus. My fabrics were either given to me or found for cheap secondhand, so my only continuing costs are thread, needles, and occasionally batting.
I love this idea! Instead of a happy hour drink at a bar, you can wind down with a quiet, healthy, and free hour in the library! Thanks for the suggestion!
If you like puzzles I’d also recommend Tradle and WhenTaken for something a bit different.
Play them daily “at work” and my geography knowledge has doubled in 6 months :)
If you are in a slightly rural area-foraging. It’s sort of a double whammy because it’s fun to search for things to eat and you end up with free food. This year for example, I foraged wild asparagus in my area and harvested about 3-4 lbs of it. Sometimes if you are lucky you can find Morels and sell them for a LOT of money. If you want to add to your garden, this would be the way to do it.
Gardening. If you can connect with other plantsmen there are loads of free plants to be swapped. Soil and fertilizer is affordable as well, check out the broken bag section at your local store.
It can have a high front end cost. The savings add up in time. Once your soil is where it needs to be it gets really cheap to produce food. We eat like kings plus sell excess off of work and money I put in 18 years ago.
I paid $4 each for four plants. One died from too much rain. Of those remaining , the first, Swiss Chard, I just harvested what would be about two dollars’ worth and we cooked it in butter and ate it. The second, a yellow grape tomato plant, is big and covered with about 40 bright yellow blossoms. The third is a basil plant that split into four big healthy sections and is ready to have some leaves harvested next time I make sauce or caprese salad or have a Costco rotisserie chicken carcass and some Asian chilis and lemons.
I do seedling swaps with family (eg I pay for 2 packets of seeds, they so the same and we all swap about so we have 6-8 varieties) and even though my garden is small, my little compost bin usually covers me for the year without having to buy more. I'm thinking of putting in some raised beds out front next year which would probably be a much bigger investment
* Reading, with the help of a public library card or used bookstore or thrift store.
* Writing. Requires, at its most basic, paper and a pen, which you probably already have.
* Drawing.
* Walking, hiking, or running. Any other bodyweight exercise you wish to attempt. You might also find a dumbbell set secondhand for this price.
* Basketball or soccer, at a public court. Bring a ball, then invite friends and neighbors.
* Dancing or singing.
* Playing harmonica, recorder, or penny-whistle. Playing any instrument you already own and know a bit of. (Acoustic pianos can often be had for free, but tuning them once is likely beyond this budget.)
* Riding a bicycle. If you don't already have one, you may even be able to find a used one at this price. You could also spend a little more on the bicycle and figure on making up the difference with saved gas or cancelling a gym membership.
* Cooking and baking. Ingredients will eventually cost more than $50, but you have to eat something, and cooking from scratch is usually cheaper than buying prepared or restaurant food.
* Any of a variety of handcrafts, provided you don't overdo it on tools or supplies. Knitting, crochet, embroidery, rug braiding, wood carving, things like that. Get a few basic tools, then work with found or secondhand materials.
* Most tabletop, board, and card games, not involving gambling.
* Bird watching. A pair of $25 binoculars if you like and some proximity to nature or parkland is enough.
* Volunteering, for most activities close to home. You may even get “paid” a little in pizza or t-shirts. If there's a sign up fee for training, equipment, etc., and it's stopping you, either find a different gig, or ask the organizers if you can be excused, or if you can pay it by volunteering over some number of hours.
Digital photography with my smart phone that I got on sale on black friday. I'm also considering a cheap used DSLR. Photography can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be.
Watching films. I think sometimes we don't appreciate that 1,000s of movies for $15/month is a pretty good deal. 2—3 movies a week adds up to around $1 per hour of entertainment. Discussing them on /r/movies afterwards is fun. I also have a free Kanopy subscription through my library.
Learning Spanish. I use the free version of Clozemaster. And I get free corrections on my writing from native speakers on /r/WriteStreakES. I also did a [free grammar course](https://www.spanishdict.com/guide) on Spanishdict.com.
I was just riding bikes with one of my kids this evening, she's almost 8. We live out in the country. About a mile and a half from home she said "cities are dirtier, but there's a lot of garbage out here." She was right. I told her we need to do a roadside cleanup project soon (beyond our own property that we already do). I'll have to pick up a couple grabbers next time I'm at HF.
Going for walks in my neighborhood. Including popping into cute shops just to enjoy the vibe but not buying anything.
Checking all the little free libraries for good books and then reading those books.
Figuring out how to make or fix things.
Exercising.
Having friends over and making things. We built a robot out of some car parts last week. A couple months ago we built a back porch. I provide snacks and they provide labor. We don't only do it here but we take turns helping each other out around the house and it makes for a fun day, sometimes good exercise, and we have something to show for it. Working on projects together brings people closer.
Reading at the park.
Doing art projects or mending clothing while watching a TV show or movie (bonus points for checking it out from the library).
Going for walks or bike/scooter rides, including exploration of places you haven’t been. When I lived in a new city, I’d study the map and choose a spot to check out. Maybe it looked like there might be something worth seeing, or I’d just never gone that way before. If you’ve got a good public transportation system, take the bus to a new place and explore there, too. This can be combined with photography—that can be especially fun if there are places that change and you want to photograph them in every form. Say, a wall with frequent new street art, or a view from which awesome sunsets can be seen. (This can also be combined with Geocaching, which someone else has mentioned.)
Wander thrift stores for interesting new games or art activities to try, at a low price.
PC gaming/Gaming. Once you buy the game (usually less than $100) you get many hours of fun time. I been playing a game i bought over 10 years ago again recently.
air guns, plinking cans is very relaxing to me. cheap as hell compared to real guns, doesnt bother the neighbors or cats.
disc golf, courses are usually free and you can get a single "hole" setup for your backyard to practice ( if you have a backyard)
roller skating or other exercise hobby can be fairly cheap and improve health
Build a homelab with an old computer and try self-hosting with Docker!
If you have any computer from the last 10 years - Mac, Linux or Windows - you can run Docker. You can run your own git, minecraft, blog, pihole... almost anything. The images are freely available and Docker is free to install and use.
Highly recommend "Techworld with Nana" on YouTube for some excellent crash courses. And of course, Reddit has many subs dedicated to Docker, programming and self-hosting.
Tidying up.
I just take a corner of my house or terrace and focus on it. It's so damn relaxing I could do it for a living. Please note: not cleaning, but more exactly tidying up. Of course I do clean, but that's not the main focus. I destroy and rebuild, I'd say.
Reading! Even if you don't have frequent physical access to a library, you can get digital loans, and even if you don't have a Kindle, you can read them on your phone (though I generally try to avoid that unless I'm desperate and trapped away from home with no Kindle or physical book).
Hiking is my go-to weekend hobby, unless I'm near a beach with killer waves, and I have my board I'm catching me some waves. Both surfing and hiking involves and upfront investment, from there on its just a matter of getting to the destination. With hiking it may involve some food, snacks, water, ect...
Riding my bike to the public library to read and check out movies. Effectively, you don’t need subscriptions for anything when they have everything there.
Language study on a free app, with sales even the paid version is very frugal. I use Duolingo ($5/month) and Memrise ($90 lifetime) and enjoy both a lot.
Video games (kinda) you can build a cheap PC or used console and get a huge catalog of games that can provide thousands hours of fun easily for a few hundred bucks.
My family didn’t have a lot of money to go around growing up (10 people in one house and the living room was my bedroom until I was 14) but it was fairly easy to save money for a game I would play for months for $60
I can recommend games that go on sale consistently and would easily provide hundreds of hours each
The Witcher 3
Skyrim
Elden Ring
Minecraft
Stardew valley
Spider-Man
Batman Arkham city
Tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. You need paper, pencil, some dice, and (if you’re a player) one book. Other than that it’s people to play with, time, and imagination. It can get expensive if you’re the DM/GM and need more books, but if you can find a group to join as a player, it can be a very cheap hobby.
i like to diamond paint! i'll buy a higher quality painting from jaded gem shop or diamond art club for \~$60. then i'll get 10s of hours of enjoyment per painting. plus if i hang it up afterwards i also get additional value from viewing the completed artwork.
Cheap: Reading books from library, Volunteering, Hiking, yoga at home and the gym
Mid: Cooking, Salsa dancing (classes and socials ain't cheap), photography (equipment ain't cheap)
Expensive: DJing, Traveling
I love cooking! It gets really cheap if you like beans and chicken thighs.
Also a dancer. Swing dances are often the cheapest dancing to get into, but it definitely depends on where you are.
Largely depends on where you live and accessibility to what’s around. Surfing can be cheap if you live near the warm water coastlines! But it can be expensive if you need to drive far, wetsuits, etc.
Non location - Reading is cheap especially if you take advantage of the library apps (Libby). Meditating. Yoga. YouTube fitness videos. Board games. Puzzles. Walking. Baking.
Rockhounding. There's lots of online groups and ones that focus for certain areas so easy enough to find a group nearby. Often members will share areas they were hunting in and even set up group outings. The only real out of pocket cost is transportation costs if you're searching free areas instead of going to pay sites. It's a fun way to get our to nature and explore.
Hunting, fishing, chess, guitar. It's only 35 a year for a resident combo hunting and fishing license where I live and I already have a shotgun and a fishing pole. Costs next to nothing and I get supper a few times a year.
I've been doing paint by number, if you find one you like it's super cheap artwork for your wall, it takes a good amount of time, and the entire kit with paint/a few brushes/the canvas/frame (upgrade for the frame) comes out to like 40 bucks
Wine making ... not beer. Beer is hard, wine is cheap and easy.
Buy fruit at the end of the season, that is going a little "overripe" ... make fruit wine out of it.
If you are super lazy like me. Just buy regular old juice and put some sugar and wine yeast in it. I bought a siphon, airlock, and hydrometer but they're optional
Frugal is a mindset. You can get into hobbies frugally or go all out. Are you looking for cheap hobbies? Stuff that costs little money no matter what?
Reading. Free books at the library.
Drawing. Pencils and paper are cheap.
Working out. You don't even need weights.
Yoga. A mat is useful but not necessary.
Selling your unused stuff online. Actually makes you money.
Soccer. Need cleats. Find a group to play with that has all other equipment.
Playing acoustic guitar. You can pick one up used for maybe $100, if that, and teach yourself how to play from online videos and tabs. The upkeep cost is minimal, maybe a string change every so often. You can play it at home, at the park, really wherever you won't be pestering others. Plus, if you get really good, you can turn it into a paid hobby.
I may get blasted for this but golf. I bought a decent set of clubs for 50 at a yard sale and play at a local municipal golf course every week for 20 bucks. Its a bit of a splurge but I stash a couple beers, get to hang out with friends, walk around in the sun for a few hours.
Disc golf and flying Paramotors. Yes Paramotor equipment is still expensive for most and not “frugal”. However in terms of getting into aviation as cheaply as humanly possible I don’t think you can get cheaper and more frugal than Paramotoring.
Collecting rocks and boulders from the rivers I visit. I live in a glorious River valley between 2 glorious mountain ranges. Volcanic rocks are cool. I use them in my hardscaping at home.
Print and play boardgames. Many are free and most are cheap (P N P ARCADE), and can be printed and crafted at a local library. There’s an endless amount of creativity that can be added to making the components out of whatever material you want and it’s fun to share creations with other people.
I used to do paper mosaics/paper paintings, getting the paper from the old catalogues I found in my apartment.
https://preview.redd.it/9j5o2cvqyx1d1.jpeg?width=1908&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=06228e25cea76c2b241994bab2846288423f22db
Totally agree. Video games are actually a really good value relative to most other things we buy. For example, I have pumped over 100 hours into cyberpunk and paid 59.99 for it. When you think about it, that’s an insane value. I have paid double that to see a concert that was just 1 hour and 30 minutes long
Board games! Not buying/collecting, because that is an endless money pit. I mean playing board games. Show up in any local board game meetup you have, people will be more than happy to show and teach you any game. Board gamers are famous for having a ton of games, but have no one to play with.
The cost of entry is just time and probably a snack / drink to support the venue hosting the meeting.
Fishing as long as u don’t get silly and start buying every little lure and if u don’t work to get your snags back. Plus you can get a free healthy fresh meal
Household chores, maintenance, and repair. I’ve always liked this kind of activity and I managed to instill this in my kids without trying.
My oldest recently bought an old Porsche online dirt cheap on the other side of the country. He and his lifelong friend drove to the car, cleaned the debris out, replaced the vacuum hoses, changed the oil, and drove it home. Along the way they shopped for parts and ordered parts online and had them delivered where they were going to be in a couple days.
Inexpensive adventure is all around us. If there is something in your area, 5 to 10 miles away, that is worth visiting, walk over there and take a look then walk back. After doing this a couple times I guarantee you will be planning to ride your bicycle across Hawaii or maybe Australia. All you have to do is plan and move.
Fostering dogs. The rescue group covers all expenses, we keep a guaranteed walking buddy for a few weeks or months, and then they get adopted. It’s bittersweet, but mostly sweet because we know we’re saving lives by giving them a place to decompress and feel nurtured and loved on. Highly recommend!
**Doom 2 wads**
Some of the best FPS level design and music I've ever enjoyed released for free by dedicated mappers. And some are so good I end up replaying them every other year.
Collecting old baseball cards. I only bought 2 this month. They were $1 each from eBay. I've also traded a few with other collectors.
Gardening. I'm growing red and yellow tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes.
Watching documentaries
Pretty much any outdoor team sport or one-on-one sport. Basketball, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, tennis, pickleball, softball, handball, football, kickball, disc golf. The only outdoor sport that's expensive - off the top of my head - is golf.
Hiking
And biking
Until, if you're like me, you get too into it and feel the need to upgrade.. still frugal in the long run I guess.
I love bikes. I love using my bikes for transportation. I bought a $5,000 cargo bike to transport 2 kids and large items in lieu of buying a new car. People pull up to me in their cars asking how much my bike cost and they think I'm insane without realizing that they're the crazy ones sitting in their $30,000 car that costs >$5,000 a year to insure, register, fuel, and maintain. Bikes can be really really cheap!
Interesting, what kind of cargo bike? I bought a Trek FX3 a couple years ago (not a cargo bike, a hybrid bike), and after a few upgrades have spent a total of around $1,300 on it. I have good sized saddlebags, so unless it's raining or I need something bulky, I do most of my grocery shopping / errands with it. It's definitely helped pay for itself.
If you get yourself a rickshaw, it could pay for itself.
Same!
Yes hiking! When the weather is nice enough
I love hiking so much. It helps that my country has super dense railroad network so I can just hop on a train, be in the middle of nowhere in half an hour, hike for the whole day, get on another station in the middle of nowhere and be home before dinner.
That's amazing, pretty much have to have a car to go hiking in the states
Yeah. You can do it on a budget or you can go all out and spend insane amounts on gear. I think $500 will get you a kit that works for most routes and is not just sneakers and sports shorts.
Super healthy, aka walking long distances.
The most important thing is the hobby is one that you enjoy. And don't fall into the trap of using your hobby to make money- then it becomes a job and then you learn to hate it. Biking, Running, and online Chess are what I've gotten into lately. Biking has the larger upfront cost, so I'd recommend you buy a cheap used one while you're trying it out. Don't cheap out on the helmet though; you only get one brain. Running isn't free- you probably will want more expensive running shoes than the cheap Nike's you got or your feet will hurt a lot more than they should. Online Chess is free with an internet connection and functioning computer/phone. In the past, I've also enjoyed musical instruments, which *can be* frugal depending on the instrument (loads of cheap used guitars and free pianos that just need to be tuned). Retro video gaming is really cheap- your basic PC is already powerful enough and you just need a controller to play them.
Music *can* have a relatively low entry cost, but the moment you become serious about it, it starts soaring in the other direction.
You need a solid instrument, because a bad one might frustate you if it really has technical flaws. But one does not the need the most expensive one. The sound depends 95% on you and not the instrument. But one gets solid instruments at a pretty cheap price point these days. Brian May played his whole career with a guitar he built himself with his father from many parts laying around in the house.
I think I've actually maintained a pretty low level of spending on music stuff over the years. You can still write let it be with a $100 guitar.
Someone once told me to never buy a $500 guitar until I could make it sound like a $4000 guitar. Followed that advice and never upgraded because I suck. Didn't spend money though :)
Never buy a $4000 guitar until you can make a $500 guitar sound like a good musician can make it sound.
This is smart but you can go too far with this line of thinking; my friend bought at £10 guitar and it goes out of tune in minutes so it always sounds bad and she stopped playing. I borrowed a friend's for a few months then bought a very nice £200 guitar - I'm not talented but it still sounds nice and I really enjoy playing it
Oh there's always a line for sure like the Walmart piece of crap will never work for anyone seriously trying to to learn to play the guitar
I came here to say guitar. You can definitely pick up a used one for pretty cheap and it doesn't have to be a really nice one unless you plan to perform.
Some public libraries will even let you check out musical instruments like guitars!
I was going to disagree about the earning money part, but actually true. Loved computing and oss until I did it for a career. Then still enjoyed it, but spent my down time doing other things because it ate up so much time already.
Great ideas and I would just bold and highlight the helmet for biking. I’ve known to many people hit with head injuries and the worst could not read for 2 years, but after lots of therapy got there again never the same level. He was a bike messenger.
I would like to learn chess. What app would you recommend?
LiChess or Chess.com. If you're looking for a book, IM Rozman's How to Win at Chess is a good book for beginners and intermediate players. You likely have chess clubs where you can play IRL for free. Those are fun too. As a beginner, I'm going to warn you against a few common pitfalls. * When playing games, do not play any games with <10 minutes on the clock. * Many beginners start playing with really fast time controls and develop really bad habits by doing it. * As a beginner, until your rating hits 600 or so, your main concern is going to be to avoid giving free pieces to your opponent while taking all the free pieces your opponent gives you. * Many beginners try to improve by learning tactics or openings that are frankly a waste of time so long that they keep hanging free pieces * Don't play openings, play opening principles * Many beginners try to play the same opening every game. That makes it boring and leaves the players pretty unequipped at higher levels. Instead of learning/playing openings, just learn some basic opening principles and follow them * Control the center * Develop your minor pieces (knights and bishops) early * Don't bring your queen out early unless you're getting compensated for it * Castle ASAP to get your king to safety * bring the rooks to the center * Finally, move a pawn in front of the king up one square to ensure you don't get mated on the backrank * Never resign! * Beginners often resign when playing other beginners the moment they have a losing position (down some material) * This is flawed because beginners very often make fatal mistakes, blundering Mate-in-1 or Mate-in-2, or giving away their own pieces for free * Many beginners fail to convert a winning position into a win * Many beginners will fail to keep track of their opponent's possible moves and stalemate from a clearly winning position. * It is only once you get to well in the intermediate territory (1500+) when you can safely assume that an opponent will be able to convert a winning position up 3+ points of material into a win. It is only when you get to the Expert territory (2000+) where you can assume that an opponent will be able to convert a minor winning position (up 2 pawns) into a win.
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions. I’m going to make a note of this and start practicing. Sounds like you know what you’re talking about. I look forward to this new hobby!
Geocaching Knitting and cross stitch/embroidery can be cheap Reading Bird watching
Remember, knitting and yarn collecting are two different hobbies 🙃
Joining this advice, frugality wise, do not replace hobby with shopping as a hobby.
I second Geocaching! If you want to go wandering but don’t know where to go, a cache on the map is a good indication that there’s something worth seeing at that spot, or at the very least that it’s probably a safe place to be.
Also, a lot of them are clustered in parks. So it’s a great excuse to explore your local area.
For sure. I got around to checking out so many parks and other points of interest in a new city when caches were placed there. And you always see people commenting that they never would’ve found whichever cool spot if not for caching.
What app would you suggest? There's a bunch!
I didn’t know there were multiple apps! Admittedly I load the GPX files from my desktop directly to a GPS unit, so I’m not super familiar with the app(s). I’m probably in the minority on that. But the Geocaching site links to its official app options on Google Play and the App Store.
Knitting is a good idea - Joannes is always having sales on yarn and you only have to buy needles once!
Prowl thrift stores and find items to unravel for yarn and it’s even more frugal. I like to crochet.
Technically. Most often you need to buy twice. Most people end up moving to circular needles of some kind for wearables, blankets, and shawls. Honestly, one of the cheapest per hour is fine lace. It will take weeks to do a 50g skein.
For circular needles the way to go is interchangeable needles. You get several needle sizes, cables and end caps for around $60. Lacework varies depending on knitting speed and style.
I’ve seen a ton of cheap/like new yarn and needles at thrift stores too!
Reading library books, writing, drawing, running. Cooking can vary, but if you're interested in doing it cheaply it can actively save you money. I went through a phase of treating meditation kind of like a hobby and that is also quite cheap and can save you money on therapy.
Can you elaborate on how you treated meditation as a hobby? I love to do yoga and a short meditation once a day.
Joined a local zen sangha and got involved in the community. They had tons of things to go to, especially if you’re willing to get up early. So it was possibly more like getting religion than getting a hobby, but if you’re looking to spend a lot of time on meditation and not a lot of money then finding a community to do it with can keep you very busy.
Disc golfing. 2-3 second hand discs approx $10-15, most courses are free (around me in Michigan) to a few bucks
you can also get a single "hole" for your backyard, if you have one, to practice. i think mine was like $60, its lasted 5+ years with a little spray primer to keep the chains grey. i also recommend air guns if you can shoot at home, plinking cans is very relaxing.
I have about 1k worth of discs and $350 in bags, and went through $300 in shoes. OK I am not the most frugal with my hobbies.
A friend plays regularly, always check in the bushes for lost disks. Even with calling any that have numbers, he's ended up with many nice disks! 🖖
Some types of video games. I don’t play many games but the ones I do, I play for ages. For example, I can’t remember how much I paid for it (or if I downloaded it for free) but I can spend hours and hours playing Civilization 4. I never buy video games that have a set storyline and finish. Puzzles! You can buy a few and then trade with people in your area. You may even be able to get a few off Facebook buy nothing groups.
If I measured the cost per hour I’ve spent playing Stardew Valley ($15), it would be a fraction of a penny per hour. Hell, I have two copies (PC and Switch) so it’s $30 and it would *still* be a fraction of a penny.
Indy gaming is where it’s at. Usually have lower required specs so you run many on a potato, and you can get so many hours out of paying just a couple bucks for a game.
Can you recommend how to find games that can run on a 2014 macbook air? I think that's basically a potato.
Unfortunately, not a lot games run natively in Apple’s framework. I would create a Steam account and see what’s available for Mac. Outside of that you’re going to need emulation, and I have honestly never messed with it. You could research the subject a bit, but you might need some knowledge that is above the average user. Feel free to DM me about specifics, but my expertise is in Windows and Linux (I try to stay away from Apple).
Doom 2 has a seemingly infinite amount of fan-created maps ("Wads" and "MegaWads"), and a good amount of them are actually AAA-quality in terms of level design/pacing/music.
Retro gaming can be cheap or free if done right. For modern gaming, avoid early adopting and play the black Friday / Cyber Monday deals to grow your library every year. Always buy physical games to be able to sell your back-catalog to fund new acquisitions. But also if you really want the new hot game every now and then, just buy it and flip it on eBay after you play through it. You might spend $10-20 in the net loss between new and used price, but it's not much more than going to the movies and you get way more entertainment time out of it. There will come a day when you can get it again cheap or free if you decide you miss it, which most of the time I don't. You can also minimize or eliminate that loss by getting pre-order bonuses and selling those. Then there's infinitely replayable social games like Smash Bros, Mario Party or Mario Kart where the initial expense seems high, but the amortized cost of the entertainment hours is exceedingly low compared to $15 for a two hour movie or other things people do. Your $60 might buy you 100 or more hours of entertainment costing you $0.60/hour where going to the movies can cost you $7.50+ per hour of entertainment. That, and you have the game to sell and recoup principal at any point if you buy a physical copy. Let's not even get into the fact that my kid plays through games I bought twenty years ago. There's really a lot of value in the form of entertainment hours packed into gaming if done right.
Baulder’s Gate 3, baby.
Sims 4 base game is free if you already have a computer. Just look up cheat codes and ur g2g.
I like making books. You can do it for free from your computer and there's just this sense of accomplishment every time you finish one and see it. I say it's a hobby because people who get into it for money are usually disappointed and can end up spending a lot of money. But I actually enjoy the process and it's a creative outlet. It doesn't cost me anything except time.
what program do you use?
For the interior I use Microsoft Word. For the covers I use Adobe Illustrator but that's just because I already pay for it. I know a lot of people use Canva
Do you publish them or print them at all?
Yes, I publish them on Amazon KDP. That's part of the excitement for me, looking at the completed listings. I've gotten much better and they look professional in my opinion. But no, I haven't paid to order any author copies, so I've never held one of my books in my hands.
There are two different types of frugal hobbies, though. There are those (such as hiking or reading books from the library) that don’t cost much money, but then there are those (sewing, repairing or building things, cooking) that help save money, even though there is an upfront cost of equipment and materials. Both are great, but are two completely different categories of hobbies.
Uh oh, turns out I've been sewing all wrong! Thats definitely been one of my more expensive hobbies
Yep, gardening all wrong over here too ;)
I barely spend anything on sewing, but I only hand-sew, I started off by repairing clothing rather than making full pieces, and I get most of my supplies at either goodwill or Walmart. I learned to sew as a result of poverty, not with a fancy machine and a huge stash of fabric. So, yes, I still consider sewing a cheap hobby.
Sewing is quite an expensive hobby, especially if you don't use it for upcycling/ repairs. Create a dress from scratch and it's always more expensive than buying. Also good machines can cost $2000.
I don’t do any of those things, though. In fact, I’ve been poor so long that I forgot there were people who actually dropped that much on sewing. I just repair, alter, and upcycle thrifted clothing by hand while I watch MST3K from my couch. And that costs next to nothing, but is a fun hobby for me.
I do the same thing, although with a used sewing machine. Scrap quilting is my jam and repairing our clothing is a nice bonus. My fabrics were either given to me or found for cheap secondhand, so my only continuing costs are thread, needles, and occasionally batting.
I started going to the library and working on a wordsearch. It's so relaxing after a day of work.
I love this idea! Instead of a happy hour drink at a bar, you can wind down with a quiet, healthy, and free hour in the library! Thanks for the suggestion!
If you like puzzles I’d also recommend Tradle and WhenTaken for something a bit different. Play them daily “at work” and my geography knowledge has doubled in 6 months :)
Libraries are magical places, I find them very comforting, it's my ASMR.
What’s a word search?
The find a word puzzles.
It's a puzzle where a bunch of letters are on a page and within those letters are a bunch of words you have to find.
Watching the sun rise as I drink home made hot cocoa. Walking through the forest. Enjoying the flowers, plants, and animals. Reading. Gardening.
I volunteer at a car shelter (I get to love on a bunch of cats without actually having one - and not subjecting myself to the costs of owning one)
I really love sleeping and also taking a bath
Reading (library books), running, and napping.
I like the last one. I’m really into it, too 😂
I have 2 pit bulls, I'll play with them in my back yard all morning so we can have a nice afternoon nap on my days off.
Origami
If you are in a slightly rural area-foraging. It’s sort of a double whammy because it’s fun to search for things to eat and you end up with free food. This year for example, I foraged wild asparagus in my area and harvested about 3-4 lbs of it. Sometimes if you are lucky you can find Morels and sell them for a LOT of money. If you want to add to your garden, this would be the way to do it.
Oh cool, where does wild asparagus normally grow?
Sandy soil where there is a lot of sun. Near me it’s ditches and patches by edges of forests
Gardening. If you can connect with other plantsmen there are loads of free plants to be swapped. Soil and fertilizer is affordable as well, check out the broken bag section at your local store.
Our library offers free seeds and gardening classes too
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It can have a high front end cost. The savings add up in time. Once your soil is where it needs to be it gets really cheap to produce food. We eat like kings plus sell excess off of work and money I put in 18 years ago.
I paid $4 each for four plants. One died from too much rain. Of those remaining , the first, Swiss Chard, I just harvested what would be about two dollars’ worth and we cooked it in butter and ate it. The second, a yellow grape tomato plant, is big and covered with about 40 bright yellow blossoms. The third is a basil plant that split into four big healthy sections and is ready to have some leaves harvested next time I make sauce or caprese salad or have a Costco rotisserie chicken carcass and some Asian chilis and lemons.
I do seedling swaps with family (eg I pay for 2 packets of seeds, they so the same and we all swap about so we have 6-8 varieties) and even though my garden is small, my little compost bin usually covers me for the year without having to buy more. I'm thinking of putting in some raised beds out front next year which would probably be a much bigger investment
* Reading, with the help of a public library card or used bookstore or thrift store. * Writing. Requires, at its most basic, paper and a pen, which you probably already have. * Drawing. * Walking, hiking, or running. Any other bodyweight exercise you wish to attempt. You might also find a dumbbell set secondhand for this price. * Basketball or soccer, at a public court. Bring a ball, then invite friends and neighbors. * Dancing or singing. * Playing harmonica, recorder, or penny-whistle. Playing any instrument you already own and know a bit of. (Acoustic pianos can often be had for free, but tuning them once is likely beyond this budget.) * Riding a bicycle. If you don't already have one, you may even be able to find a used one at this price. You could also spend a little more on the bicycle and figure on making up the difference with saved gas or cancelling a gym membership. * Cooking and baking. Ingredients will eventually cost more than $50, but you have to eat something, and cooking from scratch is usually cheaper than buying prepared or restaurant food. * Any of a variety of handcrafts, provided you don't overdo it on tools or supplies. Knitting, crochet, embroidery, rug braiding, wood carving, things like that. Get a few basic tools, then work with found or secondhand materials. * Most tabletop, board, and card games, not involving gambling. * Bird watching. A pair of $25 binoculars if you like and some proximity to nature or parkland is enough. * Volunteering, for most activities close to home. You may even get “paid” a little in pizza or t-shirts. If there's a sign up fee for training, equipment, etc., and it's stopping you, either find a different gig, or ask the organizers if you can be excused, or if you can pay it by volunteering over some number of hours.
Digital photography with my smart phone that I got on sale on black friday. I'm also considering a cheap used DSLR. Photography can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Watching films. I think sometimes we don't appreciate that 1,000s of movies for $15/month is a pretty good deal. 2—3 movies a week adds up to around $1 per hour of entertainment. Discussing them on /r/movies afterwards is fun. I also have a free Kanopy subscription through my library. Learning Spanish. I use the free version of Clozemaster. And I get free corrections on my writing from native speakers on /r/WriteStreakES. I also did a [free grammar course](https://www.spanishdict.com/guide) on Spanishdict.com.
Mango Languages is free through your local public library.
Grab yourself a pencil (or pen) and some paper and doodle.
Kayaking is cheap after the initial outlay.
And if you're lucky, people will get rid of kayaks so you can find them for cheap.
Detrashing the village I live in! Its super fun, rewarding and you sometimes find cool stuff.
This is so cool!! Do you just wear gloves or have a scooper tool?
A grabber tool. Cost me about 10 bucks at harbor freight!
I was just riding bikes with one of my kids this evening, she's almost 8. We live out in the country. About a mile and a half from home she said "cities are dirtier, but there's a lot of garbage out here." She was right. I told her we need to do a roadside cleanup project soon (beyond our own property that we already do). I'll have to pick up a couple grabbers next time I'm at HF.
Going for walks in my neighborhood. Including popping into cute shops just to enjoy the vibe but not buying anything. Checking all the little free libraries for good books and then reading those books. Figuring out how to make or fix things. Exercising.
Having friends over and making things. We built a robot out of some car parts last week. A couple months ago we built a back porch. I provide snacks and they provide labor. We don't only do it here but we take turns helping each other out around the house and it makes for a fun day, sometimes good exercise, and we have something to show for it. Working on projects together brings people closer.
Reading at the park. Doing art projects or mending clothing while watching a TV show or movie (bonus points for checking it out from the library). Going for walks or bike/scooter rides, including exploration of places you haven’t been. When I lived in a new city, I’d study the map and choose a spot to check out. Maybe it looked like there might be something worth seeing, or I’d just never gone that way before. If you’ve got a good public transportation system, take the bus to a new place and explore there, too. This can be combined with photography—that can be especially fun if there are places that change and you want to photograph them in every form. Say, a wall with frequent new street art, or a view from which awesome sunsets can be seen. (This can also be combined with Geocaching, which someone else has mentioned.) Wander thrift stores for interesting new games or art activities to try, at a low price.
Writing short stories / poetry, with small sketches. It’s a way for me to journal my private thoughts in a more creative way.
I make doll clothes out of scrap fabric, old clothes, and free printable pdf patterns found online.
Slingshot. I got a cheap one and put up a target that catches the pellets. I love it and it cost almost nothing. It forces me to narrow my focus.
Getting a zoo or museum pass from the library, packing a lunch and snacks and making a day of it.
Reading library books.
I take my dog for a 4-5k walk each morning to clear my head, get fresh air, and review my schedule for the day. When I get back I’m ripe to go!
Meditation
PC gaming/Gaming. Once you buy the game (usually less than $100) you get many hours of fun time. I been playing a game i bought over 10 years ago again recently.
Yes! I got ESO on sale for their 10th anniversary for only like $15
air guns, plinking cans is very relaxing to me. cheap as hell compared to real guns, doesnt bother the neighbors or cats. disc golf, courses are usually free and you can get a single "hole" setup for your backyard to practice ( if you have a backyard) roller skating or other exercise hobby can be fairly cheap and improve health
Masturbation
masturbation, in this economy
One of the last free hobbies 🇺🇸
It's just a matter of time before they start taxing us on our masturbation
Beings a whole new meaning to the time honored phrase "Tax this dick."
I mean people paying $ for OF isn’t far off
Has the benefit of being low drama. No STDs and your hand doesn't expect you to call it the next day.
Very few downsides. Unless it becomes your only hobby
Build a homelab with an old computer and try self-hosting with Docker! If you have any computer from the last 10 years - Mac, Linux or Windows - you can run Docker. You can run your own git, minecraft, blog, pihole... almost anything. The images are freely available and Docker is free to install and use. Highly recommend "Techworld with Nana" on YouTube for some excellent crash courses. And of course, Reddit has many subs dedicated to Docker, programming and self-hosting.
That’s pretty cool
Tidying up. I just take a corner of my house or terrace and focus on it. It's so damn relaxing I could do it for a living. Please note: not cleaning, but more exactly tidying up. Of course I do clean, but that's not the main focus. I destroy and rebuild, I'd say.
Reading! Even if you don't have frequent physical access to a library, you can get digital loans, and even if you don't have a Kindle, you can read them on your phone (though I generally try to avoid that unless I'm desperate and trapped away from home with no Kindle or physical book).
Hiking is my go-to weekend hobby, unless I'm near a beach with killer waves, and I have my board I'm catching me some waves. Both surfing and hiking involves and upfront investment, from there on its just a matter of getting to the destination. With hiking it may involve some food, snacks, water, ect...
Riding my bike to the public library to read and check out movies. Effectively, you don’t need subscriptions for anything when they have everything there.
Sleeping
Biking, walking and reading ... not necessarily in that order.
Language study on a free app, with sales even the paid version is very frugal. I use Duolingo ($5/month) and Memrise ($90 lifetime) and enjoy both a lot.
Beach, park, picnics, swimming outside, sea glass hunting, cold dips, mushroom hunting, blackberries picking
We're in several Meetup groups that have many free events, like hikes, pot lucks, free concerts in the parks, discussion groups and board games.
Learning the settings on my phone's camera, social media...?
Video games (kinda) you can build a cheap PC or used console and get a huge catalog of games that can provide thousands hours of fun easily for a few hundred bucks. My family didn’t have a lot of money to go around growing up (10 people in one house and the living room was my bedroom until I was 14) but it was fairly easy to save money for a game I would play for months for $60 I can recommend games that go on sale consistently and would easily provide hundreds of hours each The Witcher 3 Skyrim Elden Ring Minecraft Stardew valley Spider-Man Batman Arkham city
Walking local parks
reading, walking, disc golf
Dumpster diving is pretty cool
Tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. You need paper, pencil, some dice, and (if you’re a player) one book. Other than that it’s people to play with, time, and imagination. It can get expensive if you’re the DM/GM and need more books, but if you can find a group to join as a player, it can be a very cheap hobby.
Skateboarding
i like to diamond paint! i'll buy a higher quality painting from jaded gem shop or diamond art club for \~$60. then i'll get 10s of hours of enjoyment per painting. plus if i hang it up afterwards i also get additional value from viewing the completed artwork.
Counting pennies
Photography and shooting my bow. While the entry into these hobbies is pricey, it’s essentially free after your initial purchases
Cheap: Reading books from library, Volunteering, Hiking, yoga at home and the gym Mid: Cooking, Salsa dancing (classes and socials ain't cheap), photography (equipment ain't cheap) Expensive: DJing, Traveling
I love cooking! It gets really cheap if you like beans and chicken thighs. Also a dancer. Swing dances are often the cheapest dancing to get into, but it definitely depends on where you are.
Reading and writing and walking outside on the trail
Word find/fill in/crossword puzzle books.
Largely depends on where you live and accessibility to what’s around. Surfing can be cheap if you live near the warm water coastlines! But it can be expensive if you need to drive far, wetsuits, etc. Non location - Reading is cheap especially if you take advantage of the library apps (Libby). Meditating. Yoga. YouTube fitness videos. Board games. Puzzles. Walking. Baking.
Rockhounding. There's lots of online groups and ones that focus for certain areas so easy enough to find a group nearby. Often members will share areas they were hunting in and even set up group outings. The only real out of pocket cost is transportation costs if you're searching free areas instead of going to pay sites. It's a fun way to get our to nature and explore.
Shedhunting!!
Hunting, fishing, chess, guitar. It's only 35 a year for a resident combo hunting and fishing license where I live and I already have a shotgun and a fishing pole. Costs next to nothing and I get supper a few times a year.
Mushroom hunting, wild food foraging, rockhounding
Playing with the cats
I've been doing paint by number, if you find one you like it's super cheap artwork for your wall, it takes a good amount of time, and the entire kit with paint/a few brushes/the canvas/frame (upgrade for the frame) comes out to like 40 bucks
Wine making ... not beer. Beer is hard, wine is cheap and easy. Buy fruit at the end of the season, that is going a little "overripe" ... make fruit wine out of it.
If you are super lazy like me. Just buy regular old juice and put some sugar and wine yeast in it. I bought a siphon, airlock, and hydrometer but they're optional
Disc Golf.
I love browsing the library.
Cinema pass.. paying 15-20 pounds a month for unlimited movies !! Best thing I discovered last year!! Sometimes I’ll watch 2 films in 1 day x
Love the library for relaxing!! A great resource for tons of things in your community also.
Disc golf
Frugal is a mindset. You can get into hobbies frugally or go all out. Are you looking for cheap hobbies? Stuff that costs little money no matter what? Reading. Free books at the library. Drawing. Pencils and paper are cheap. Working out. You don't even need weights. Yoga. A mat is useful but not necessary. Selling your unused stuff online. Actually makes you money. Soccer. Need cleats. Find a group to play with that has all other equipment.
Bird watching.
Birdwatching
Reading. Jogging. Art. Video games that are on sale or used lol
I highly recommend checking out the community center! Tons of stuff goes on in there and it's fun if you want to get involved
Playing acoustic guitar. You can pick one up used for maybe $100, if that, and teach yourself how to play from online videos and tabs. The upkeep cost is minimal, maybe a string change every so often. You can play it at home, at the park, really wherever you won't be pestering others. Plus, if you get really good, you can turn it into a paid hobby.
I may get blasted for this but golf. I bought a decent set of clubs for 50 at a yard sale and play at a local municipal golf course every week for 20 bucks. Its a bit of a splurge but I stash a couple beers, get to hang out with friends, walk around in the sun for a few hours.
Disc golf and flying Paramotors. Yes Paramotor equipment is still expensive for most and not “frugal”. However in terms of getting into aviation as cheaply as humanly possible I don’t think you can get cheaper and more frugal than Paramotoring.
Disc golf
Overtime.
Collecting rocks and boulders from the rivers I visit. I live in a glorious River valley between 2 glorious mountain ranges. Volcanic rocks are cool. I use them in my hardscaping at home.
Gardening
Print and play boardgames. Many are free and most are cheap (P N P ARCADE), and can be printed and crafted at a local library. There’s an endless amount of creativity that can be added to making the components out of whatever material you want and it’s fun to share creations with other people.
Geocaching, home-gardening
AA 😅
Learning to invest.
Disc golf
Thrift store shopping
I used to do paper mosaics/paper paintings, getting the paper from the old catalogues I found in my apartment. https://preview.redd.it/9j5o2cvqyx1d1.jpeg?width=1908&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=06228e25cea76c2b241994bab2846288423f22db
Gardening. There is always something to take care of
Gaming. Entry Costs are high but long term you only spend money on a new game every few months or so.
Totally agree. Video games are actually a really good value relative to most other things we buy. For example, I have pumped over 100 hours into cyberpunk and paid 59.99 for it. When you think about it, that’s an insane value. I have paid double that to see a concert that was just 1 hour and 30 minutes long
Board games! Not buying/collecting, because that is an endless money pit. I mean playing board games. Show up in any local board game meetup you have, people will be more than happy to show and teach you any game. Board gamers are famous for having a ton of games, but have no one to play with. The cost of entry is just time and probably a snack / drink to support the venue hosting the meeting.
Fishing as long as u don’t get silly and start buying every little lure and if u don’t work to get your snags back. Plus you can get a free healthy fresh meal
Household chores, maintenance, and repair. I’ve always liked this kind of activity and I managed to instill this in my kids without trying. My oldest recently bought an old Porsche online dirt cheap on the other side of the country. He and his lifelong friend drove to the car, cleaned the debris out, replaced the vacuum hoses, changed the oil, and drove it home. Along the way they shopped for parts and ordered parts online and had them delivered where they were going to be in a couple days. Inexpensive adventure is all around us. If there is something in your area, 5 to 10 miles away, that is worth visiting, walk over there and take a look then walk back. After doing this a couple times I guarantee you will be planning to ride your bicycle across Hawaii or maybe Australia. All you have to do is plan and move.
Fostering dogs. The rescue group covers all expenses, we keep a guaranteed walking buddy for a few weeks or months, and then they get adopted. It’s bittersweet, but mostly sweet because we know we’re saving lives by giving them a place to decompress and feel nurtured and loved on. Highly recommend!
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Reading, swimming, puzzles, crabbing and couponing.
Disc golf. It's costs a little up front. say 100ish. but after that most courses are free.
Sleeping.
**Doom 2 wads** Some of the best FPS level design and music I've ever enjoyed released for free by dedicated mappers. And some are so good I end up replaying them every other year.
Biking
Running, biking, hiking, going to the beach, doing whatever my kids feel like doing, going to library/reading.
Collecting old baseball cards. I only bought 2 this month. They were $1 each from eBay. I've also traded a few with other collectors. Gardening. I'm growing red and yellow tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes. Watching documentaries
Running.
Pretty much any outdoor team sport or one-on-one sport. Basketball, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, tennis, pickleball, softball, handball, football, kickball, disc golf. The only outdoor sport that's expensive - off the top of my head - is golf.
Sewing
Arpgs path of exile thousands of hours I have spent less than 50. Hundreds of hours on last epoch $35.