Awesome Hobbies That Won’t Break Your Bank
Start your New Year off with these awesome hobbies that won’t cost you a lot
With the New Year just kicking off, why not get into a Hobby that will keep you active for the year and simultaneously make the year more enjoyable and successful?
The following is a list of exciting hobbies that are affordable and maybe even free depending on what you put into them. This list will allow you to still sit at home like knitting or get you outdoors camping. There is bound to be something on this list for everyone.
Here are the hobbies that we think will interest you
1. Gardening
Spending time outdoors feels positive; research has shown it can improve your mood, putting you in a more positive, peaceful frame of mind. Gardening is also a delightful and handy way to make your home more enjoyable and better looking. Try planting flower seeds in window boxes or creating a windowsill herb garden to start.
We actually start our seeds indoors so we have full growth when we go to put things outside when it is time to. We use these awesome grow lights to help in that process if you want to get into doing that. It’s always rewarding when you plant your things outdoors and have full-blooming flowers or vegetables right away and it’s especially great when you don’t have to spend a fortune at a Nursery for flowers and vegetables to plant.
2. Camping
Travel can be an expensive hobby, but camping can be done on a budget and scratch that travel itch. After all, renting a campsite for a night is a lot cheaper than booking a hotel. Plus the sound of birds and the view of constellations at night can be priceless.
I used to camp all the time with my friends when we were younger. We would build camps out in the woods on property that one of our friend’s grandfathers owned. We built lean-tos and spent off-school nights in them overnight. Spending time with friends around a campfire drinking pop and eating junk food was such a fun time.
later on, we got tired of the lean-tos and raised money through bottle drives to buy a nice big tent and that thing lasted a few years until we all got older and the life of a grown-up took over.
3. Support Local Musicians
Instead of buying tickets to watch famous musicians play in large stadiums, try a creative way to save some money. Check out some more affordable and talented local musicians. You’ll support the local music scene, get out of the house, and enjoy live entertainment in one fell swoop. What’s more, many towns have totally free concerts in warmer weather.
I used to love going to huge concerts when I was younger and Mom and Dad paid for the tickets. But these days the really big bands that play in the big arenas now are way too expensive. It’s crazy how much they charge for tickets! After a while, we stopped going and just went bar hopping to watch the bar bands play.
Or you can host your own party and DJ for your groupies with a DJ controller with party lights!
4. Cooking
Learning to cook well is not only an affordable hobby, but it’s also a smart way to save money on food by not being as tempted to dine out. There are many ways to do this: Local extension courses, free videos on YouTube or public broadcasting shows, or simply looking up recipes online and teaching yourself some new skills.
We have a bad habit of ordering takeout a lot because we just don’t feel like cooking the same old thing every single day and, to be honest, it’s getting expensive!
Maybe a good cookbook to change things up is just what the belly ordered.
5. Painting
Having finished elementary school, there’s no reason to stop doing arts and crafts. Spending some quiet time with a paintbrush in hand can be very relaxing. Whether you use oils, acrylics, or watercolors is totally up to you, as is the subject matter, from a self-portrait to a landscape to an abstract canvas. If you want to learn how to use basic materials in creative ways, you can find videos online, inexpensive books, and local classes.
I actually took up an art course several years ago. It was one of those art courses you take at home on your own time. I actually learned a lot from that course and have created a lot of nice art if I must say so myself. I’ve put it off for so long now that I no longer have all the supplies because I moved a bit and things just ended up lost. It would be nice to get back into it again, but I would have to get a new and complete painting kit again.
6. Drawing
Like painting, drawing is a way to tap into your artistic side, and only requires paper and a pencil. Or buy a basic set of pastels or charcoal sticks (a dozen will set you back just a few dollars; handy for trying out various shading techniques). And, if you are a student, you might benefit in other ways: There are scholarships available for hobbies and extracurricular activities, including art.
As previously mentioned in the Painting hobby my art course also taught me techniques in drawing that came in really handy in my pursuit of becoming the next Andy Warhol. It was so handy that I think I was even better than Andy Warhol, LOL! For a hobby like this, you’ll need to get yourself a good Drawing kit that will pay for itself when you sell your works of art.
7. Working Out and Exercising
Walking, swimming, or playing pickleball are all fun, inexpensive hobbies that can help you stay fit and healthy. Private Pilates lessons can cost a lot of money, but there are plenty of free options as well. If Pilates calls to you, check out the free online videos first.
Exercise and I are like oil and water. We just can’t go together. My main hurdle is the motivation to get up off of my butt and do something about it. I have heard that Pilates is something you can start off small with. Even something as simple as using resistance bands to help you burn some fat is very helpful. So if I can sit on my butt and exercise with Resistance bands, I might get a wee bit of motivation.
8. Starting a Podcast
Is there a topic you’re passionate about, whether it’s local politics, fiction, or travel? You can start a podcast and find a community of people who share similar interests. This can be a very low-cost project if you own a computer, and you can experiment with microphones, editing software, and podcast hosts. There is no need to spend more than $200 on your investment.
We are actually thinking about starting a Podcast this year sometime as soon as the drama we’re having to deal with right now is over. It’s not an expensive hobby to start and is something that can actually become profitable depending on how well your audience grows. The Podcast equipment isn’t really expensive either. So hopefully you’ll all stick around for that and become fans of the show.
9. Smartphone Photography
When it comes to smartphone photography, you can skip all the expensive equipment and become an expert. You might be able to find free classes in nature photography at your local nature center. You can unleash your creativity by shooting local architecture, bicycle races, and other areas of interest.
Way back in the day which was many moons ago, I was into photography and I had purchased an $800 DLSR Camera to go around and take nature pictures that I planned on selling on those sites where you can post your work and other people can find and buy them. It wasn’t profitable enough to make a living at it and I might have made enough money to pay for the camera in the end.
With today’s smartphones, the cameras in them are way superior and better quality and you can carry them everywhere with you, unlike a large DSLR Camera. You can even get Camera Lens Kits for your smartphone now! I wish these were around when I was into photography.
10. Learning an Instrument
Another awesome creative outlet is learning how to play a musical instrument. If you have a musical instrument gathering dust in the closet or attic, go get it and brush it off. You can also check local Facebook groups, Craigslist, and freecycle sites to find one cheap if you don’t already have one.
I’m gonna probably expose my age here, but when I was in school, we had a Music class and after we learned how to play the recorder, we leveled up to the Ukulele when we mastered annoying our family with the recorder.
With today’s technology and the internet, you can teach yourself how to play the Ukulele easily with this Mechanics of Music Concert Ukulele Bundle.
Conclusion…
This is just a sample of all the wonderful hobbies that anyone interested can start to get into. We plan on posting more next week and we hope you come back for more of them. I have to admit that a lot of these brought back old memories of times when these were hobbies of mine back in the days when we were younger.
Sorry for not having anything posted yesterday, the owners of the site were unable to provide us with the material for yesterday’s post. Let’s hope they get that mess sorted out soon right?
If you have any hobbies you’d like to share with us and possibly have them included in next week’s posts, post them in the comments below, and hopefully, we’ll get them up and credit you and your website if you have one.
Cheers!
