Cheap Hobbies?

[Rugger]

Here's the thing...I need a hobby that takes up a lot of time and isn't expensive. Right now my two can take up anywhere from 4-12 hours of my time, which is a good thing: 1) Golf - speaks for itself 2) Poker, even at lowest limits, I can't afford the necessary bankroll and i hate the swings. What else is there? Fishing is kind of there but I don't have a boat.

 

[steviecakes]

Thrifting. I thrift once a week, and it's always an adventure. I'm a broke college student so it's fun to find pieces I can incorporate into my wardrobe, practice sewing on, give to friends, and trade with other thrifters.

Car detailing. This can become obsessive. Browse any car detailing forum and you'll realize how many days (yes, days) you can spend detailing a car.

 

[Manton]

Learn to cook. You have to eat so you need to spend the money regardless.

 

[GQgeek]

MMORPGs

thank me later!

 

[Mandrake9072]

While I don't spend hours daily, I've really taken a liking for Tea.

I incoroporate drinking tea several times a day, no matter how busy I may be. I've been collecting teas and the culture itself is fascinating. The variety of teas (all from one plant) is just staggering.

While it may not be your thing, you can employ this for just about anything be it coffee, alcohol, cigars, etc...

*Edit*: Just wanted to add a caveat that it will become expensive fast as your tastes change.

(Luckily I'm not quite there yet)

 

[KJT]

Learn to cook. It's a necessary skill for life anyways and you're already spending money on food. If you eat out a lot now, it'll actually be less than cheap - it will save you money. I'm not an artistic person, but I get great satisfaction in the transformation of basic ingredients to a composed dish, and the joy it can instill in others when sharing.

edit: Manton beat me to it.

 

[Gus]

Originally Posted by Manton

Learn to cook. You have to eat so you need to spend the money regardless.

+1, plus women love it when a guy cooks.

 

[willpower]

Open mic stand up comedy. That's my hobby. Not easy and you learn a lot about yourself. Don't worry about not being funny - few people are.


Learn a foreign language. Spend an hour a day for a year and you'll see some real progress.

 

[Piobaire]

Weight lifting, hiking, cycling. A large initial investment is not needed for any of these hobbies although one can spend thousands if so inclined.

Cooking is a great idea.

Reading? Library card = free.

MMOs are actually not a bad suggestion given the OP parameters.

I've kicked around making podcasts. Just not sure how to do it exactly.

 

[word]

Play an instrument.
Draw.
Run or hit the gym.
+1 cooking.



The only way an MMO saves you money is because you'll be at home playing it instead of going out. You also have nothing worthwhile to show for your time wasted in the game. Any other hobby will get you in alright physical shape or develop a skill that has some sort of tangible benefit.

 

[Milpool]

Cooking is a great one like others have mentioned. You can try new things quite regularly. Basic things, like bread, are very cheap to make and as a result you can make it frequently and get a lot of practice very quickly. As you get better, you can take your "errors" (e.g. loaves that were less than perfect or pastries that didn't quite turn out how you wanted, but which are still excellent and when cut into small portions, no one will notice) to work to share with others and gain serious favor that way.

If you are artistic, something like wood carving can be relatively inexpensive and take TONS of time. You could also recoup your costs by selling pieces.

You could find a local club sport like softball and join a team. Biggest expenses would be beer and pizza.

I had a gf that painted. . . oil paints get expensive in a hurry, but watercolor is fairly cheap.

 

[NAMOR]

gardening. sow your wild oats

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by word

Play an instrument. Draw. Run or hit the gym. +1 cooking. The only way an MMO saves you money is because you'll be at home playing it instead of going out. You also have nothing worthwhile to show for your time wasted in the game. Any other hobby will get you in alright physical shape or develop a skill that has some sort of tangible benefit.
I don't play MMOs anymore but trying to say that any other hobby will get you in good shape and provide a tangible benefit just makes me lol.

 

[Kslim]

Driving range!

 

[Mblova]

Some of the cheaptest hobbies are the most fulfilling and can really allow you to develop some personality. A few that come to mind have already been mentioned here, but I will repeat them.
Weightlifting(joining a gym is cheap and the internet is a great place to start learning), cooking(there is a TON of variety with stuff for begenniers to experts), learning a language, sports(basketball, soccer, baseball, etc. It's cheap enough to join an adult league and meet some new people).