As someone with a lifelong passion for equestrian sports, I often think how much easier (and so much cheaper!) my life would be if I’d chosen a cheaper thing to feel so passionate about. Because, honestly, horses cost everything you have - a liver, and a kidney, too. And, although I’m too late to be saved, you might not be. A good way to start looking for inexpensive hobbies would be to learn from other people’s experiences and see what suggestions they have. Of course, we know just the place to do it - this glorious Reddit thread where people share their ideas for cheap hobbies!
So, what kind of fun hobbies does this list have in store? Well, for starters, tons and tons of cheap hobbies to do alone! From something like whittling to perfect your craftsmanship if you’re into handmade stuff, to taking up a pencil to draw, and from walking (yeah, walking! It’s an excellent hobby idea if you love to explore) to running or lifting homemade weights while following a trainer on YouTube. And you know what the best part here is? No matter which one of these cheap hobbies to get into you choose, they are all really useful for personal growth and learning new skills as opposed to just spending your time mindlessly. Oh, and if you’re a person who loves to spend their time in a crowd, how about volunteering? It can be both fun and extremely gratifying.
Right-o, ready to find your next fun, cheap hobby? If so, just scroll down below until you reach the submissions we borrowed from this awesome AskReddit thread. Give your vote to the hobbies that you think deserve to be on top of this list, and share this article with your friends who might also be looking for a new activity to get into!
#1
"Gardening. You get a lot of satisfaction from very little money. You also learn a lot. You can start for free with some cuttings or seeds."
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30points
#4
"Cat spotting! Go out in your neighborhood and count the cats. Go multiple times a different times and you'll never see the same ones. You can even draw a map of where you're guessing they live/have their territories. And like, half of them will want you to pet them!"
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24points
#5
"Drawing. $2 plus tax at the dollar store and you've got yourself a notebook and a pack of pencils. Go wild."
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23points
#7
"When we were teenagers my friends and I used to organize these scavenger hunts over the summer and one around Halloween, but instead of finding things, they involved doing things. The list was something that was always growing and I think we had like 175 things on the final one and it was always fun to sit around and brainstorm things to do.
Some of the tasks were simple like taking a picture with 5 strangers or forming a human pyramid. Some were really silly like holding a conversation with a street sign for 5 minutes or pretending to be the official door opener for a store. We also had some eating challenges that cost money, but not a lot like eating 6 raw eggs or eating an onion like an apple.
The scavenger hunts made our summers really fun and we also made lots of great memories. The first hunt was just 4 of us, but by the last one we had like 35 people in teams competing for a trophy we got a thrift store."
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23points
#8
"Knitting honestly isn't too expensive if you make the same stuff and stay on the same size needles. I have three different pairs of needles to make hats, cowls, and scarves. Yarn can be super cheap, the outcome is incredibly rewarding, and it calms my anxiety with repetitive movements and soft materials."
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20points
#9
"I hunt the local beaches that are long abandoned for sea shells, sea glass, and driftwood. I make all kinds of stuff, usually a trip to the Goodwill inspires me - like old wind chimes, lamps, and mirrors. I make nautical crafts. It’s not very lucrative but it’s soothing for me."
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19points
#10
"Origami! There are tons of free patterns online and you can even get whole books with a little ingenuity.
I particularly recommend modular origami, where you make a big thing out of lots of small identical pieces. Usually, the small unit is very easy to fold, putting them together is quite simple, and you can make something really amazing.
It also kind of primes your brain for making three-dimensional shapes in any medium, especially glass."
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18points
#12
"Dancing.
Don't even need music. All you need is a parked car to show your reflection. And some confidence. Can't forget that part."
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18points
#13
"Language learning. Not sure about every language but as a native English speaker learning Spanish there are lots of free resources. It's time consuming but very fulfilling and doesn't ever have to cost a dime."
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16points
#14
"Learning how to Cook well. Sure it costs some money (especially when you screw up a dish and it's inedible), but we all need to eat so learning how to cook, and be creative with limited ingredients will save money in the long run."
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16points
#15
"Whittling. You can start with a $3 knife from a gas station and some sticks. Learn the basics (take off the bark, make a point, make a sphere), then work your way up."
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15points
#16
"Stargazing if you live somewhere dark enough! You don't need a scope to still see and identify stars/planets. If you want a hobby that requires money, but saves you money in the long run, try getting better at cooking. I started baking my own bread all the time and stopped buying bread because it's cheaper to get flour and yeast in bulk."
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15points
#17
"Most certainly an unpopular opinion, but cycling. You can get an old road bike at a Thrift store and ride it until you have the cash to upgrade. I rode a $20, 30-pound mountain bike on the road until I saved up to buy a decent ride. You don't have to have the best equipment and the latest tech to have fun."
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15points
#18
"Writing. It can be done for virtually no money. Between public libraries with computers and google docs, you have everything you need. Or you can pick up a free pen at your local bank and random paper fliers around town if you want to go old-school.
If you're willing to shell out a bit more, a pack of pens and a decent lined notebook is less than ten bucks, and even the most lightweight Linux distro on the shittiest computer either has web access or a way to get an open-source word processor."
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14points
