Author Topic: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?  (Read 29341 times)

lifejoy

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What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« on: October 29, 2013, 11:31:05 AM »
I'm trying to replace my hobby of shopping (facepunch) with something that is free or verrrrrry cheap.

Outdoor activities are good ideas, but not ideal for me because it is now -10 celcius or 14 fahrenheit outside, and I get cold very easily.

So far my ideas are:

-reading
-movies from the library
-weight lifting and yoga at home
-talk to friends
-baking and cooking
-sell stuff online
-play accordion
-free trials at gyms
-write letters to people and mail them
-blogging

I'd love to hear your ideas! I want to stop cruising ebay and etsy just to fill the time.

lauren_knows

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2013, 11:36:39 AM »
Trying not to repeat the ones you've already mentioned:

- Hiking
- Free online video games like Minecraft
- Group card games like Euchre
- Board games
- Web Programming (learning new things about it)

Jimbo

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2013, 11:38:06 AM »
Sex

hybrid

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2013, 11:40:21 AM »
Disc golf and face-to-face strategy boardgaming (Eurogames)
Online strategy boardgaming at Yucata.de
Canning pickles, preserves, salsa for home use and as gifts (not the lowest costs here even when the produce is home grown or picked, but still a great value)

MissStache

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2013, 11:52:10 AM »
Sewing or quilting, especially if you get your supplies from yard sales or estate sales!

Once you get good enough to make your own clothes, you won't WANT to shop!

starbuck

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2013, 11:58:42 AM »
Cat + laser pointer!

4alpacas

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2013, 11:59:38 AM »
Disc golf and face-to-face strategy boardgaming (Eurogames)
Dammit Hybrid you beat me to it :)

Disc Golf when it warms up, you just have to buy a disc for $10-20 (or troll the courses for lost discs, that's how we got most of ours) and you're set


You can usually find used discs at Play It Again sports for about $5 each. 

StarryC

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2013, 12:50:43 PM »
I second sewing if you are interested in fashion.  It isn't exactly "cheap" in that it usually is no cheaper or slightly more expensive to make an item than buy a similar item, in addition to the time. 

However, it is cheap in the sense of time of enjoyment/ frustration/ learning per dollar.

If I buy the fabric for a dress, (say, 3 yards) at 40% off with a coupon, it is probably $20 Thread, zipper, new needle, other notions, $5.  $25  If it is a complex enough dress, It could take me up to 15hours of cutting, basting, adjusting, sewing, finishing, ironing, shopping, selecting a pattern, etc.  That's $1.66 an hour. 

Knitting can be the same, especially if you knit with small yarn- socks, mittens, gloves, hats.

zweipersona

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2013, 12:51:38 PM »
Video games are inexpensive.  There's not much else where you can shell out 40-50 dollars and spend 500+ hours keeping yourself entertained.  Of course, if they're free or cheap games, all the better.

Bruised_Pepper

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2013, 12:53:39 PM »
Writing. 

It's rewarding and (if you care about this sort of thing) leaves behind a legacy after you're gone.

Bruised_Pepper

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2013, 12:57:36 PM »
Video games are inexpensive.  There's not much else where you can shell out 40-50 dollars and spend 500+ hours keeping yourself entertained.  Of course, if they're free or cheap games, all the better.

Especially if you go with older games.  I recently found my Sega Genesis and can still replay some of those old games countless times.

In my old city, we had a neat used video game store that carried even the oldest games (NES and Atari stuff).  Flea markets usually have something like this, too.  You can buy Genesis games for $2-3, except for a classic like Sonic the Hedgehog, which might go for $5-8.

EDIT: There are also many underhanded, illegal ways to pursue this hobby. 
« Last Edit: October 29, 2013, 01:02:53 PM by Bruised_Pepper »

Albert

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2013, 12:59:43 PM »
You must be living very far north for it to be so cold already. If you are willing to brave the cold at all I'd suggest cross country skiing.

Reading books, particularly if from library, is difficult to beat in terms of being cheap and entertaining.

No Name Guy

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #12 on: October 29, 2013, 01:03:55 PM »
Quote
Outdoor activities are good ideas, but not ideal for me because it is now -10 celcius or 14 fahrenheit outside, and I get cold very easily.

I'll second hiking, but specify day hiking, in lieu of backpacking / overnight hiking. 

Gear needed:  pretty minimal.  Have a book bag type back pack already?  No?  Thrift store / Goodwill it.  How about a 1 liter soda / water bottle from the quickie mart (only cost $1.49 and comes free with a liter of soda, rinse out after drinking free soda, fill from tap).  Rain coat?  Most folks have those already.  Running / athletic shoes?  Ditto, most folks have those already.

As for the cold, well, that's what wool socks, long johns under the pants and a warm top layer or three are for.  Or, just increase the pace heading up hill.  :-)

clutchy

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #13 on: October 29, 2013, 01:08:38 PM »
reading books
I play disc golf
hiking
R/C helicopters... no wait not that one.

LisaLou

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2013, 01:55:02 PM »
...it is cheap in the sense of time of enjoyment/ frustration/ learning per dollar.


I feel the same way about a lot of crafts...you do usually have to spend a little money to get something going, but there are a lot of hours of fun (and/or irritation, LOL) to be had. I'm making my son a set of play felt fish and a fishing pole. It's going to take me HOURS to make them all and the supplies were <$9, including some stuff I got on clearance, thrifted items and items repurposed from around the house.

lifejoy

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #15 on: October 29, 2013, 02:29:43 PM »
I *LOVE* these ideas! You guys are the best!!!

I had no idea disc golf was so popular. I have played it on a disc golf course here, and we used frisbees. Seemed to work pretty ok.

New idea: Make cards! All you need is paper and an exacto knife / pens / felts or pencil crayons :)

I'm also going to dust off my Nintendo 64. Mario Kart, anyone? :D

frugaldrummer

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #16 on: October 29, 2013, 02:35:12 PM »
Write a novel:
http://nanowrimo.org/

National Novel Writing Month starts soon!

netskyblue

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #17 on: October 29, 2013, 02:39:18 PM »
Write a novel:
http://nanowrimo.org/

National Novel Writing Month starts soon!

Thanks for the reminder, I'm teetering on the edge of wanting to try.  I know it will cost me nothing to try.  I just don't want to lose interest and FAIL to get my 50k words!

StarswirlTheMustached

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #18 on: October 29, 2013, 02:43:25 PM »
Drawing is another one -- pencils and paper are pretty cheap.
Or you could get into digital art; there's probably cheap or free open source programs.

Cross country skiing and snow-shoeing are both relatively inexpensive if you can get used gear. Embrace the winter! It's not nearly as cold if you're moving.

Come spring, fishing! Or ice-fishing in another month, but since all you do is sit there... that IS cold.

Write a novel:
http://nanowrimo.org/

National Novel Writing Month starts soon!

Thanks for the reminder, I'm teetering on the edge of wanting to try.  I know it will cost me nothing to try.  I just don't want to lose interest and FAIL to get my 50k words!
Ah! I almost forgot. And I'm only working part-time this year, so I've no excuse!

esperto

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #19 on: October 29, 2013, 02:52:14 PM »
Write a novel:
http://nanowrimo.org/

National Novel Writing Month starts soon!

Thanks for the reminder, I'm teetering on the edge of wanting to try.  I know it will cost me nothing to try.  I just don't want to lose interest and FAIL to get my 50k words!

If you fail to get those 50k words in November, keep writing in December, January, and February.  Just finishing a novel is a great accomplishment, even if it took longer than a month.  Every month is writing month when you're a writer.

HappierAtHome

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #20 on: October 29, 2013, 04:21:32 PM »
Crochet! I'm making a whole scarf out of a $1 ball of yarn. Crochet is easier and faster than knitting :-)

Paul der Krake

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #21 on: October 29, 2013, 04:57:00 PM »
Sports of any sorts are usually pretty cheap if you know what you're doing and shop around.

Here's my current breakdown:
- tennis: courts are often free if you're willing to cycle a little to get to them, a $80 racket will last you years.
- running: replace shoes (bought on sale) every 1000 miles. If you run an 8:00/mile, that's roughly $.75 per hour of running, assuming a $100 pair of shoes.
- golf: $25 per greenfee when you shop around, for 4 hours of fun. Still pretty cheap.
- swimming: get your employer to pay for your YMCA membership or other gym with a pool.
- cycling: what do you mean, you don't already have a bike?
- basketball, touch football, soccer, anything that can be organized with 10 friends and a ball: virtually free. There are pickup "leagues" everywhere.

Chess too. Chess is awesome.


cmk

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #22 on: October 29, 2013, 05:13:04 PM »
Geocaching is fun!  www.geocaching.com   Hidden treasure that you can find almost everywhere!  You will need a gps unit, or if you have a modern smart phone, you can use that.  We've enjoyed it for almost 10 years, and have geocached in many states during our vacations.  It adds a challenging little twist to your hikes!

davisgang90

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #23 on: October 29, 2013, 06:13:35 PM »
Running
Biking
Hiking
Volunteering

Noodle

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #24 on: October 29, 2013, 06:36:48 PM »
Here are suggestions of things I do or would like to do:

I always think reading/watching movies is especially fun if you pick a theme, like "All the winners of Best Picture Oscars" or "All the Newbery Award winners."

I cook a lot for entertainment...One craft/food hybrid I have always wanted to master is fancy cookie/cake decorating.

Some years ago I discovered the "escape the room" genre of online puzzle/game which I find very entertaining. This is the best website I have found listing them: http://jayisgames.com/tag/escape

Jigsaw puzzles (they do cost a little, but can be found fairly cheaply). Or if you like word puzzles, a book or magazine with lots of puzzles is not too expensive. I have a tablet, and get the annual subscription to the NY Times crossword for about $15. I also play Scrabble online against a couple of family members. (Found the app on sale, that company usually does a big sale at the end of the year).

Podcasts: Many, many choices but I especially like the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR.

Small cost, but you could stretch it out over many weeks...If you live in a city, pick some inexpensive food item and try as many different ones as you can in search of the "best." For instance, the city's best chocolate chip cookie.

Art gallery exhibit openings, which often involve free food! If you are near a college or university with a music program, there are often free or very cheap musical performances because the students have to do recitals and participate in music groups as graduation requirements.

Learning the rudiments of a foreign language. Lots of free/cheap resources out there.

netskyblue

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #25 on: October 29, 2013, 07:29:14 PM »
I'm a knitter.  A fast knitter.  I have to purposely NOT knit, or I use up yarn sooo fast.  I can knit a sweater for myself in about 10 days!

One way to get cheap yarn though, is to shop thrift stores, and look for nice quality (as in, fiber content and overall condition) sweaters on the cheap that you can frog and re-use the yarn.  Extra great find if you can find an XL cashmere sweater for cheap cheap.  And it isn't too difficult to dye animal fiber yarn, either, if you didn't like the color.

sleepyguy

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #26 on: October 29, 2013, 08:27:24 PM »
- Tennis (although I kinda make it expensive)
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Pool/Snooker (find halls with discounted odd hrs)
- Video Games (can be cheap)
- Netflix
- Hiking
- Canoeing
- Fishing (again I make it expensive)


aj_yooper

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #27 on: October 29, 2013, 08:45:24 PM »
Reading, cooking, gardening, walks, bike rides, word games

olivia

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #28 on: October 29, 2013, 09:02:50 PM »
-Adult sports leagues (soccer is what I play!) are relatively inexpensive, and there are usually regular pick up games that are free.

-Bike riding, of course!  Pick scenic routes if available.  Near my parents' house there are battlefields that are paved and very quiet, so biking there is totally different than biking on the roads!  There's also a super long bike trail near me that goes through a combo of forests and towns.  Maybe there are bike trails near you that are similar?  Even though it's getting colder I get warm pretty quickly riding as long as I wear gloves and a scarf.

-Reading is my favorite free indoor hobby, but I'm assuming by your username you have the whole library book thing covered.  :P

-Crossword puzzles.

-Learning, perhaps picking a new skill?  You can take free classes on CourseEra about various subjects and I've read here about low cost classes on computer programming.  (Not a computer person but I know I've seen threads on it!)  If you have any interest it could be a way to develop a side gig.

bikebum

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #29 on: October 29, 2013, 09:07:39 PM »
Watch TV shows online for free at cucirca.eu Not the most mustachian thing to do, but you can choose what and when you watch (unlike cable). Kind of annoying to get through the pop-up ads at the beginning of the shows, but definitely worth the price! Paying for Netflix may be worth it if you plan on watching much.

How about taking college courses online? Lots of websites offer this. I haven't tried it but it sounds cool.

That is awesome that you play the accordion, BTW!


Insanity

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #30 on: October 29, 2013, 09:12:10 PM »
Volleyball (unfortunately the free open gym I play at might be closing or at least cutting down to only an hour so I'll have to find another place).

Trying to keep a low information diet by reading lots of blogs at night..

Playing with my kids and dog.


ShortInSeattle

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #31 on: October 29, 2013, 09:12:58 PM »
Meetups.
Cooking (hey, you gotta eat!)
Find a good movie from the library or Netflix, pop some corn, and have movie night!
Board gaming potlucks with friends.
Some cities have one day a month where museums are cheap or free.
Check out city/county arts organizations for free cultural events.
Organize/Declutter your home.
Free classes through Coursera.com
....

And yes, NanoWrimo!

:)

Tyler

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #32 on: October 29, 2013, 10:31:43 PM »
Sketching is a favorite of mine.  Beyond pencils, charcoal and pastels are also cheap and fun to use.  And you can often find good paper on sale at local art supply stores.

I also like digital photography.  Once you have a camera, taking pictures is free.  ; ) 

Will

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #33 on: October 29, 2013, 10:53:11 PM »
I like to play online games at www.pogo.com

They have all types of games that you can play for free:  card games, board games, hidden object games, puzzles, word games, casino games, arcade games, even sports games!  I've even opted to join Club Pogo, which has a yearly subscription cost but is totally worth it to me (comes out to about a dime a day).  If anyone else on here plays on Pogo, shoot me a message and maybe we can play something together!

vern

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #34 on: October 30, 2013, 01:53:41 AM »
XC skiing
Kayak fishing
Chess
Chinese Chess
Sunday Crosswords (in ink of course!)
Reading books from the library

lizfish

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #35 on: October 30, 2013, 02:08:17 AM »
Sudoku, and another type of puzzle called hanjie. You can buy books of both for not very much. You can also play online or in apps, but you are often charged to get access to certain games ( not that much)

Origami. The proper paper is quite expensive but you can use any paper you like even newspaper. teaching yourself is fun and there are loads of free models on line and YouTube videos. There are also a load of models which invoke putting lots of elements together. Sometimes tricky, but an acheivement!

I second learning something. How about another language on duolingo? Or something else for using around the home/ in your job to make you more self-sufficient and resilient?


Sneezy

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #36 on: October 30, 2013, 04:37:23 AM »
Volunteer proofreading at www.pgdp.net.

Answering questions at khanacademy.org.

Answering questions on stackexchange.com and related sites.

Melody

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #37 on: October 30, 2013, 04:39:44 AM »
If your employer provides a subsidized gym membership this can be a very cheap hobby.
If your employer will subsidize education (degree, community college course, MBA etc) do it - a fantastic free use of time!
Playing music - you can go one further and start recording stuff with a laptop.

But mainly, keep a list in your phone and whenever you come up with an idea of something you would like to do add it.
For example, you might catch yourself thinking "I wish I had time to clean out this cupboard" - add it to the list, or "so and so on the MMM forums just mentioned doing free singing lessons on you tube - sounds fun!" - and then do it. You'll never be bored and you might discover some hobbies too!

Generally any hobby that requires a one off upfront purchase (eg cycling, surfing, playing keyboard etc) will have a next to nil cost if you buy the item second hand and sell it if you are no longer using it. Total cost of ownership should be almost zero. Avoid hobbies that need lots of consumables (unless its something like cooking where you need food anyway, or maybe sewing where you can avoid buying clothes) or a monthly fee (e.g. gym, yoga class etc).

chasesfish

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #38 on: October 30, 2013, 05:26:41 AM »
It depends on cheap....some things my employer subsidizes (client entertainment) that are very cheap that would not be otherwise (golf, golf, golf, & sporting events)

Outside of that:

Fishing - Used to be a lot cheaper when I lived next to a river I would wade out into
Running - Minus those darn expensive shoes and the garmin watch I got one year
Hiking
Posting on MMM

lifejoy

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #39 on: October 30, 2013, 07:16:21 AM »
These are great ideas!

I will collect the ideas and list them in my original post :)

hybrid

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #40 on: October 30, 2013, 07:27:20 AM »
There are a few games that are great to play over and over again so you can just buy it once and have endless fun (if you're a dork like me...): Ascension, Dominion, and The Awful Green Things from Outer Space (just found this one..so far so good) are all great for just 2 players

If you enjoy two player games you simply must get a copy of Carcassonne: The Castle.  It is a two player game (only) and me and a gaming buddy play this at lunch in about 45 minutes.  We have been playing for the past five years or so, on average once a week.  That's 250 plays.  The game never, ever gets old.  Simple game but great strategy elements to it.  Just the right blend of not too light, not too deep.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2013, 07:34:51 AM by hybrid »

rubybeth

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #41 on: October 30, 2013, 07:31:42 AM »
I use Pinterest for craft/home ideas on the cheap (using stuff I already have, like searching "1 skein yarn project" or "halloween decorate cheap" or whatever). I also use Pinterest for fashion ideas to re-use things I already own. Sometimes when stuck for an outfit idea, I will search the main item I want to wear (like "brown ankle boots outfit" or "brown ankle boots style") and get ideas for putting it with things I already have. I'm looking for a good "shop your own closet" app so I can have it randomize the things I already own into outfits I'd never think of.

I also really like doing Sudoku (free online http://www.websudoku.com/) and crosswords. You can get a book of easy crosswords at any gas station for a couple bucks, and it will entertain for literally hours and hours. I keep a book of crosswords in my purse. My husband and mom also like crosswords and word puzzles (my mom loves the Jumble, we recently got her some books of these, and she loves them) so they like to chime in and help when I get stuck.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2013, 07:34:50 AM by rubybeth »

hybrid

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #42 on: October 30, 2013, 07:32:40 AM »
I had no idea disc golf was so popular. I have played it on a disc golf course here, and we used frisbees. Seemed to work pretty ok.

Disc golf is like bicycling.  Better to bike on a cheap bike than not at all, and better to use frisbees than not at all.  They will work fine.  If the game gets its hooks into you then you will ultimately graduate to better, but still cheap, discs.

To the poster who mentioned finding the occasional lost discs, I suggest this to all disc golfers.  Name and cell phone number in Sharpie on the bottom of your disc.  Most folks are decent enough to return lost discs (as I am sure the poster does as well).  If I find one with no name or number?  Finders keepers....

citrine

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #43 on: October 30, 2013, 08:32:50 AM »
Refinishing furniture...relatively free since we have all the paint, stain, and tools from past projects.  The furniture is also free...curbside or freecycle.  It keeps DH and I busy and out of trouble and we either use the piece in our home or sell it :)

Osprey

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #44 on: October 30, 2013, 08:59:42 AM »
+1 to sewing - it's not cheap, but an easy way to get into it is to alter second hand items. Hours and hours of entertainment and learning, even if the end results come out a bit off.
and +2 to Meetup.com! I joined two months ago and the events and people I met through the site have very literally changed my life.
and and... +3 to blogging. I love your tumblr by the way.

Rachelocity

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #45 on: October 30, 2013, 09:27:21 AM »
Mystery shopping is one of my hobbies/side hustles.  It takes care of my shopping urges and brings in a few extra bucks, or items for which I am reimbursed (usually items that I wouldn't buy such as bath and body products, chocolates, etc.)  The merch gets gifted, and the money gets stashed.   For me, it's a win-win.

lizfish

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #46 on: October 30, 2013, 11:59:15 AM »
Volunteer proofreading at www.pgdp.net.

I really enjoyed pgdp. It's a great project with an excellent structure and good support. Great for people who love to read and who love to pick holes in what people write. ;-) this is a great thread for ideas for other people to try out.

In a similar vein to pgdp, if you like maps and things and you drive, www.waze.com is a crowd sourced navigation app that needs volunteer editors to keep the map up to date. It's a bit involved but if you're a geeky whatsit like me, you'll love it.

NinetyFour

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #47 on: October 30, 2013, 12:10:14 PM »
A couple of folks have mentioned.  I like Ken Ken a lot more.  It is free at kenken.com

I think it would be great for elementary school students to do routinely.

dude

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #48 on: October 31, 2013, 08:21:28 AM »
Climbing -- rock walls/icefalls/mountains.  Initial layout for gear and technical clothing isn't cheap, but most stuff lasts for many years, some even decades, so overall cost averaged out over the life of gear is very low.  Ropes need to be replaced every 1-3 years depending on use, but they can be found for <$150.  Travel associated with climbing in distant locales (out West, other countries) can cost a bit, but primarily for flights, as camping is usual mode of shelter.  Otherwise, a tank of gas gets me to any number of very good climbing areas in and around New England.  And I've seen people still climbing in their 70s and 80s -- climbers are a very fit bunch.

KingCoin

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Re: What are your favourite free or VERY low cost hobbies?
« Reply #49 on: October 31, 2013, 10:16:35 AM »
Photography is another one that will require an initial outlay, but $300-$400 spent judiciously can buy you gear and software capable of taking and editing professional level photos. It's a hobby that allows for artistic expression, documentation of life and travel, and that you can even turn into a side hustle if you start developing some chops (local graduation, engagement, baby photos etc.).