Author Topic: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?  (Read 20193 times)

carozy

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Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« on: July 14, 2014, 04:44:21 AM »
Thought it'd be fun to start a thread on favorite fun free stuff to do.

Here are some of my favorites:

Duolingo ~ www.duolingo.com Learn languages in a fun way for free

Discover and Go ~ if you live in the Bay Area, see museums in the area free through your local library.  Just google the city in which you have a library card and Discover and Go for museum passes

I guess this thread could also include stuff like kayaking that might need an initial investment but from then on is free.

basd

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2014, 02:42:02 PM »
Running. Good for the body, even better for the mind. Running attire can be bought on the cheap, although decent shoes might set you back a little more, but from then on it's pretty much free.

LatteLaura

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2014, 02:52:32 PM »
Reading books- I don't buy books and stick with the library only.  Gotta watch those late fees though!

mrsggrowsveg

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2014, 12:17:50 PM »
Yoga.  Every night I take my mat out to our gazebo in the trees.  I use my ipad and pick a 20-40 minute youtube yoga class. 

sobezen

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2014, 06:32:39 PM »
Some of my favorite activities are urban hiking and exploring San Francisco's majestic hills/views.  There are so many hidden gems here, especially if you love architecture and stairs.  :P

This thread might interest you too: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/reader-recommendations/sf-bay-area-visit-museums-for-free/msg300039/#msg300039

Cheers!

carozy

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2014, 03:02:39 PM »
Thanks!  I do not have a B of A card, but there are a lot of free days in SF so I added a link I found:

http://freemuseumday.org/sf.html

davef

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2014, 05:10:48 PM »
Hiking (theres gear, and gas to get to the trailhead but free other than that)
Kyacking (theres the kyack but free after that)
I do some online games that are free every now and then.
Volleyball at a park down the street (can usually get a pickup game in the summer)
On our block we have 3 young couples, We kind of rotate entertaining for wine/ dinner at least once a week. We always do it as a potluck and have a great time. Not free, but a very fun cheap evening.
I read on airplanes. I buy a few books or rent and trade with friends.

I spend most of my "Free time" on yard work or fixing things around the house. Since I do all of my home/auto maintnance myself, and some for friends/neighbors it adds up, but I enjoy it.

Spartana

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2014, 05:19:42 PM »
I have a long long list of free things I like to do - mostly physical activities and recreation stuff since I can do them year round here in SoCal. Top ones here are: beach volleyball, indoor volleyball (dollar court fee), running, trail running, hiking, road biking, Mt. biking, kayaking, walking, swimming, body surfing, body boarding, surfing, Frisbee, disc golf, skateboarding, baseball, football, soccer, tennis, rollerblading, kite boarding, SUP, snorkeling, climbing, etc.... Some require you to purchase or rent equipment, some don't. I try to do the many things that don't require expensive equipment to buy or rent unless I already have it.

ETA: in my "downtime" between free activities I borrow (for free!) DVDs, books and CDs from my library for entertainment.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2014, 05:22:51 PM by Spartana »

AlmostIndependent

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2014, 12:20:33 AM »
For the SF folks; http://sf.funcheap.com is a great website that has lots of activities that are (surprise, surprise) fun and cheap.

lizzzi

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2014, 06:49:01 AM »
Reading library books, walking, singing.

Matth

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #10 on: July 21, 2014, 10:14:31 AM »
Walking, hiking, flânerie (if you're in a good city for it)
Canoeing
Card games (favorites are euchre and cribbage, bridge sounds like a lot of fun, all are great for the mind)
Reading

But:
My best score was sailing. In college, I stumbled across a forum for sailboat owners in Chicago. Turns out there's a glut of crew for sailboats: most people who know they like to sail own a boat, and so they're willing to let people do crazy things like go on four-day racing adventures with all expenses paid just because they need an extra set of hands.

I'm not sure how to find the crew forums for any given area, but yacht clubs could probably point you in the right direction. It took me two days to have three boats I crewed regularly. With a year or two of experience, you can often get a spot on the top boats and do the serious racing circuits, again with all non-equipment expenses paid (entry fee, food and drink, etc).

Spartana

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2014, 02:21:23 PM »
My best score was sailing. In college, I stumbled across a forum for sailboat owners in Chicago. Turns out there's a glut of crew for sailboats: most people who know they like to sail own a boat, and so they're willing to let people do crazy things like go on four-day racing adventures with all expenses paid just because they need an extra set of hands.

I'm not sure how to find the crew forums for any given area, but yacht clubs could probably point you in the right direction. It took me two days to have three boats I crewed regularly. With a year or two of experience, you can often get a spot on the top boats and do the serious racing circuits, again with all non-equipment expenses paid (entry fee, food and drink, etc).
^This! I have crewed for free on many a sailboat (butt ballast!). It's a great way to sail in your local area and to meet people with boats, and not have the hassle and expense of owning or even renting a sailboat.  Check out local marinas and sailing mags to find people looking for day crew to sail with them on their boats.

Also, you can also sign on as crew for some very long distance trips all around the world. Many hostels in port and marinas in cities have lists of boat owners looking for crew to travel the 7 seven seas - literally. Of course you do run the risk of getting on a boat with a crazy or inexperienced captain who you're stuck with until you land in some port and can get off the boat (sometimes very very far from anywhere). But it's a great way to travel the world for free.

Wolf_Stache

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2014, 03:38:48 PM »
My best score was sailing. In college, I stumbled across a forum for sailboat owners in Chicago. Turns out there's a glut of crew for sailboats: most people who know they like to sail own a boat, and so they're willing to let people do crazy things like go on four-day racing adventures with all expenses paid just because they need an extra set of hands.

I'm not sure how to find the crew forums for any given area, but yacht clubs could probably point you in the right direction. It took me two days to have three boats I crewed regularly. With a year or two of experience, you can often get a spot on the top boats and do the serious racing circuits, again with all non-equipment expenses paid (entry fee, food and drink, etc).
^This! I have crewed for free on many a sailboat (butt ballast!). It's a great way to sail in your local area and to meet people with boats, and not have the hassle and expense of owning or even renting a sailboat.  Check out local marinas and sailing mags to find people looking for day crew to sail with them on their boats.

Also, you can also sign on as crew for some very long distance trips all around the world. Many hostels in port and marinas in cities have lists of boat owners looking for crew to travel the 7 seven seas - literally. Of course you do run the risk of getting on a boat with a crazy or inexperienced captain who you're stuck with until you land in some port and can get off the boat (sometimes very very far from anywhere). But it's a great way to travel the world for free.

Ok, that is just cool. Too bad I get seasick just taking a 15 min ferry ride!

My free hobbies are writing and reading.

Spartana

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #13 on: July 22, 2014, 03:51:17 PM »
My best score was sailing. In college, I stumbled across a forum for sailboat owners in Chicago. Turns out there's a glut of crew for sailboats: most people who know they like to sail own a boat, and so they're willing to let people do crazy things like go on four-day racing adventures with all expenses paid just because they need an extra set of hands.

I'm not sure how to find the crew forums for any given area, but yacht clubs could probably point you in the right direction. It took me two days to have three boats I crewed regularly. With a year or two of experience, you can often get a spot on the top boats and do the serious racing circuits, again with all non-equipment expenses paid (entry fee, food and drink, etc).
^This! I have crewed for free on many a sailboat (butt ballast!). It's a great way to sail in your local area and to meet people with boats, and not have the hassle and expense of owning or even renting a sailboat.  Check out local marinas and sailing mags to find people looking for day crew to sail with them on their boats.

Also, you can also sign on as crew for some very long distance trips all around the world. Many hostels in port and marinas in cities have lists of boat owners looking for crew to travel the 7 seven seas - literally. Of course you do run the risk of getting on a boat with a crazy or inexperienced captain who you're stuck with until you land in some port and can get off the boat (sometimes very very far from anywhere). But it's a great way to travel the world for free.

Ok, that is just cool. Too bad I get seasick just taking a 15 min ferry ride!

My free hobbies are writing and reading.
sea sickness - yep that can be a problem :-)! I use to own (and live on) a small sailboat and spend years at sea on ships in the coast guard but still get sea sick sometimes.

Here's one website that offers crew opportunities if anyone is interested. Many more out there:  http://www.crewseekers.net/sailingopp.aspx

WESTOFTHEHUDSON

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2014, 12:41:06 PM »
Not sure if this counts but my local church and library both have knitting groups. Yarn is donated and the knitters/crocheters can come, pick it up knit a few different projects and then return them to the church/library for distribution to the groups they serve.

I love to knit and through this I've had the fun of making teddy bears and shawls, etc and enjoy my passion without having paid for the materials or have them take up space in my house.

ADV_CJ

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #15 on: August 26, 2014, 03:59:40 AM »
My big thing nowadays is riding my bike.  My wife and I recently upgraded our bikes and now try to pedal nightly. 

1. Bike riding - 5 to 10 miles nightly. Great time to get some excerise and just calm down.  If we do a 10 miles ride, I usually use the first 5 to pedal hard to vent and the last 5 miles to cool down and chill out for the rest of the night.

2. Video Games - I've been trying to play my older games to get some more value out of them rather than play once and shelf.  There are also a lot of free to play games on Steam for PC.  My friends and I have had a lot fun with these.

3. Reselling Tech - I'm a tech nerd... I love tech and historically have always had the latest and greatest.  With that being said, it doesn't really follow the mustachian methodology.  So, I've been going through all my stuff laying and around and trying to get a little money back. 

4. Budgeting - this is the most important for me.  I actually really enjoy budgeting!  My wife hates it, but it allows me to get a grasp our current debt issues and form an evolving plan to living a debt free life.

I like the OPs post. I've been wanting to learn a different language for awhile, but finding affordable online classes that work for me is tough.

C. K.

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #16 on: August 26, 2014, 05:07:07 AM »
A while ago I fatigued on consumption, including information consumption. I realized I'd read a lot, taken in information and now it's time to give.
 
I began to take my blog seriously and regularly schedule posts. Once I begin to think of others and what they need, satisfaction set in during my hobby time.

And it's all free.

Elderwood17

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #17 on: August 28, 2014, 06:26:10 PM »
We are minutes from the blue ridge parkway, the Appalachian trail, and the mountains to sea trail so we do a ton of hiking and nature picture taking.  When we lived in big cities - pre mustachian days - all our entertainment cost money (pro sports, restaurants, theater), but we are enjoying the outdoor activities much more than we ever did those things.

Nyarlathotep

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #18 on: August 31, 2014, 01:39:08 PM »
Getting out doors is probably your best bet for truly cost effective hobby. Like other posters have said an up front investment in equipment if required and the rest is free. Personally I really enjoy weight lifting (I got lucky and picked up an Olympic weight set for $100), running, hiking, Geo-caching, snorkeling, reading, baking and recently I started to learn to play the guitar.  After reading this thread it seems to me that the most quality things to do really are free or almost free.


Great thread by the ways.

Colgate_Toothpaste

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #19 on: August 31, 2014, 07:55:47 PM »
Music. 

You can go on Craiglist or find good instruments in yard-sales that are either free or close to free.  For a minor initial investment, you can be on your way to a lifetime of fulfillment making music. 

Personally, I play the guitar.  If you can get yours hands on a decent guitar, there is extremely little expense-wise that comes along with it.  A lot of people barely get 1 month out of a set of strings, but I have been able to get 3+ years out of a single set even when I used to practice for 4 hours a day.  For the record, there are 53 strings on my wall, and I haven't changed any of them within the past year.  I wash my hands before I play, wipe the strings down after, and I never have any issues with corrosion or crud build-up.


Metta

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #20 on: September 01, 2014, 08:32:06 PM »
Board games - Sometimes you don't even have to buy the games. Your game obsessed friends will do that for you.
Hiking, running, Coursera courses. Reading is a mixed bag of paid and free in my life.

zip2zap

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #21 on: September 24, 2014, 09:01:27 AM »
I just started my first free class on https://www.canvas.net/

I did buy one $15 book, but there was probably a less expensive alternative.

MrsK

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #22 on: September 25, 2014, 03:11:49 PM »
I live in a place with almost no light pollution, so star gazing has become my hobby.  After the kids are in bed, I hike across the street with a blanket and the dog (and sometimes my husband) and just get amazed.  What is that song about how at night the stars put on a show for free?

We also rent a place with a lemon tree, so my recent hobby has been researching lemons and making things out of lemons.  I have learned the hard way that lemons are a natural laxative.  :)  But have also found lots of fun recipes and beauty hacks that use lemons. 

And I like to study other topics online and at the library just for the fun of it.  Last year, I studied shipwrecks of the 18th century for almost the entire year.  It is fun to have a research obsession and simply binge study just for my own pleasure. 

Perhaps this is not a hobby, but rather just part of my joie de vivre, but I have been giving myself more time to enjoy my breakfast.  I love my coffee and cream and toast and jam.  I love it more if I can have a good 30 minutes to savor and think about my upcoming day.  Quiet time is free, but hard to come by so I value it very much.




sobezen

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #23 on: September 25, 2014, 04:10:38 PM »
@ MrsK: Star gazing is awesome! I love it! Moon gazing is pretty cool too!

Oh and I agree libraries are magical places. Countless stories waiting to be told. Truly a wonderful place to spend time visiting with a loved one and especially by yourself too.

If you are in San Francisco I recommend stair hiking http://www.sisterbetty.org/stairways/stairways.htm? Get more ideas here http://www.urbanhikersf.com/#!hikes/cq4e and also check out free City tours http://www.sfcityguides.org/

Cheers! :)

KayakMom

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #24 on: September 25, 2014, 05:03:16 PM »
Geocaching!!
I know it was mentioned in a laundry list in one of the earlier posts, but it deserves a little more attention. 
Free and fun and versatile. You can do it almost anywhere and it can be as easy or hard as you like.

2ndTimer

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #25 on: September 30, 2014, 10:21:59 AM »
I have just started "active reading," that's reading with a pencil in my hand and outline what I read.  Makes reading much more interesting.  My current subject is history but it could be applied to anything.  I find that I take away much more from the material this way.  An added advantage is that I go through a book much more slowly so it's easier to justify ordering exactly what I want from Half-Price books.  The disadvantage is that unlike quilting or knitting, you don't wind up with a useful Christmas gife.

C. K.

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #26 on: September 30, 2014, 12:58:39 PM »
I have just started "active reading," that's reading with a pencil in my hand and outline what I read.  Makes reading much more interesting.  My current subject is history but it could be applied to anything.  I find that I take away much more from the material this way.  An added advantage is that I go through a book much more slowly so it's easier to justify ordering exactly what I want from Half-Price books.  The disadvantage is that unlike quilting or knitting, you don't wind up with a useful Christmas gife.

It also makes re-reading the book much more interesting with your own comments in the margins. Sometimes my opinion has changed and I'll note that with the date.

Fatmouse

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #27 on: October 11, 2014, 08:36:59 PM »
Mine is knitting!

It's not free, but I believe it does pay for itself.  For pennies I can purchase supplies to make beautiful, special and personal gifts.  I can also make things like hats, gloves, wool socks, and even household goods at higher quality than is even available for purchase, regardless of price.

Pairs well with meditating, traveling, audiobooks, and conversations with loved ones.

:)

Tabitha

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #28 on: October 21, 2015, 12:04:02 AM »
Mine is knitting!
It's not free, but I believe it does pay for itself. 
Acquiring yarn is my weakness, constantly guarded against. I knit quickly, and have made some beautiful pieces, but at this point I have at least two year's worth of wool already on hand.
Thrift stores are hit and miss for yarn. I've found post Christmas sales, or small market to be the most frugal options.

carozy

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #29 on: October 21, 2015, 02:10:33 PM »
If you have a laptop* and like to write, participating in Nanowrimo is a lot of fun.

www.nanowrimo.org ~ National Novel Writing Month: write 50,000 words of your novel in the month of November.

Once you sign up (free), you can meet up with other wrimos and attend write-ins at local cafes, libraries, Whole Foods, what-have-you (not always free depending on what you spend at said cafe, etc.).

The website has a wealth of info and support, and forums.  Your local region has a "Municipal Liaison" or ML (or two) who will help you stay informed.  Anyone can host a write-in or join one (it will be listed on your calendar for your local region).  My region, SF, just had their kick-off party which was fun!  Then there's the TGIO party in December (Thank God It's Over).  There's also a Night of Writing Dangerously - but you need to fundraise a certain amount to attend that.

It's pretty big in SF (where it was founded) but now it's international and thousands upon thousands of writers and amateurs take part.

Anyway, lots of fun.  (And can be free or cheap too.)

*No, you don't need a laptop -- you can write on any computer, typewriter, or notepad.  Of course you need something portable if you want to attend a write-in.

jaye_p

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #30 on: October 21, 2015, 08:35:46 PM »
Hiking, kayaking, stargazing, camping at free campgrounds, reading books from the library, inviting friends with kids over to our house for dinner and conversation every Friday night (adults socialize with each other, kids play and tear the house apart).

gliderpilot567

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #31 on: November 22, 2015, 07:34:53 PM »
Any kind of outdoor physical activity. Especially when kids are involved.
Today I biked, ran, took the kids mountain biking, played ball in the backyard with another of my kids, great day great time.
I sustained myself by picking and eating oranges from the backyard. Probably ate five or six oranges today, right off the tree. Free oranges!

mrpercentage

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #32 on: November 23, 2015, 12:28:40 AM »
Taking my dog for a walks
Climbing up on my roof like a teenager and looking at the stars
Tinkering with just about anything
Creating just about anything-- peom/drawing/painting/sculpting/hand made arrows with turkey feathers and sinew
Editing video-- I love it. If only I had Final Cut
Editing music-- garage band is great too
Clash of Clans!!
Xbox. I downloaded every free game from gold. I probably have a years worth of playing to do.
Archery in my back yard
My family-- well that isnt really a hobby just the axle of my wheel

startswithhome

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #33 on: November 26, 2015, 07:50:54 PM »
Foraging - learning about wild edibles in your local area can be a lot of fun and generally free. (Pay for help if you want to learn about mushrooms, can be tricky)
Decluttering and going to swap nights- practically a hobby of mine thanks to being a mom with two kids with lots of mom friends. Everyone brings stuff they don't want/need and a snack, everyone eats yummy food, grabs some stuff they do want/need and the rest goes to a charity shop that has scheduled pickup the next day.
Songza playlist family dance parties.
Playing a musical instrument - okay, initially, you need to buy one, but there's lots of free videos and stuff to teach you on youtube. I'm working on the ukelele. All I bought was the uke.
Learning new skills, like coding. I really enjoy some of the coding stuff on khan academy. Also I've got some free books from the library.
Cooking, not theoretically free, but you do have to eat. I enjoy getting into the rhythm of chopping, or tweaking the ingredients/spices of a recipe and seeing how it turns out.

bauhauss

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #34 on: November 26, 2015, 08:04:47 PM »
Geocaching!!
I know it was mentioned in a laundry list in one of the earlier posts, but it deserves a little more attention. 
Free and fun and versatile. You can do it almost anywhere and it can be as easy or hard as you like.

What about that Google geocaching game, ingress? Havê you ever tried it? I tried myself a little some time ago, but here the game isn't a big issue...

aFrugalFather

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #35 on: December 27, 2015, 12:46:59 PM »
Geocaching!!
I know it was mentioned in a laundry list in one of the earlier posts, but it deserves a little more attention. 
Free and fun and versatile. You can do it almost anywhere and it can be as easy or hard as you like.

I've been meaning to get  into this, looks like there is a monthly fee for some tiers and a lot of the mobile apps cost money, what is the best way to do it free?

kpd905

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #36 on: December 27, 2015, 12:58:21 PM »
My friends and I used to go disc golfing about once a day for years.  All you really need is one $10 disc.

FunkyChopstick

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #37 on: January 15, 2016, 03:44:54 PM »
Does reading MMM with my dog next to me count? In the winter I spend my time curled up with a book and hot tea...and reading financial/frugality websites for inspiration. And Pinterest. Lots of Pinterest.

Metta

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #38 on: January 20, 2016, 05:53:43 PM »
Geocaching!!
I know it was mentioned in a laundry list in one of the earlier posts, but it deserves a little more attention. 
Free and fun and versatile. You can do it almost anywhere and it can be as easy or hard as you like.

I've been meaning to get  into this, looks like there is a monthly fee for some tiers and a lot of the mobile apps cost money, what is the best way to do it free?

There is a fee to view the premium caches but most caches are not premium. Generally the hider chooses premium if he is worried about having too many people come by or if he wants to support geocaching.com. You can always do this old school for free. You go to the website, view the cache you want, print it out on paper, and then key in the coordinates to your phone or GPS. Totally free. (Well ok, it costs a few drops of ink and a piece of paper plus the phone/gps.)

bobechs

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #39 on: January 20, 2016, 05:58:58 PM »
Dumpster diving

Pleasuring myself

Walking around cursing

Not all at the same time, though

Helvegen

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #40 on: January 22, 2016, 12:44:53 PM »
I love hiking, but it isn't 100% free. Could need national/regional/state/local passes depending on area, gas to get out there, backpack, quick dry convertible pants, good boots, at least one hiking pole for bad stream crossings and steep downhill descents (these murder my hips without the poles), snow/ice traction footwear, GPS/10 essentials can be helpful just in case.

Also there is the risk that you injure yourself in an expensive way. All three of us have slipped and fallen on icy trails, tripped over rocks and branches, lost footing and slid, had rocks roll over on hands, fallen nearly facefirst into a mudpit after underestimating the depth (go me - busted open my hands though), had very unexpected encounters with wildlife. Lucky no broken bones or maulings so far, but that is always a risk.

This Wife's Life

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #41 on: January 22, 2016, 08:54:44 PM »
Following this thread...thanks for the tips

NestEggChick (formerly PFgal)

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #42 on: January 25, 2016, 11:27:17 AM »
This is a great topic!

Reading and listening to audio books, all free from the library.

Writing. I have a couple of blogs - one is free and one is nearly free (one has paid hosting and one doesn't.)

Personal finance is now a hobby, and I'm constantly helping others with their budgets (and sometimes even getting paid for it!)

Walking outside (just the cost of sneakers.)

Knitting and crocheting are big hobbies of mine. You might be surprised how much yarn you can get for free if you post on Facebook and tell your friends you'd like to help them clear out their stashes. I've even gotten a lot of free knitting needles and crochet hooks without even asking (and of course I've also given away extras that I had on hand - it's great to share.) I also do paid projects, so I buy yarn for those, but I make a small profit off of them.

Hanging out with friends and family is free (except for sometimes bus fare or gas) and taking nieces and nephews to the playground is always fun.

I'm sure there are more, but those are the big ones that come to mind. I'm loving reading everyone else's hobbies, too!

Kitsune

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #43 on: February 04, 2016, 06:35:41 PM »
Reading. Mostly library books, some Ebooks, more fanfic than I should probably admit to in public. According to my Goodreads account, even without counting blogs/articles/fic, I've read 11 books so far this year.

Cooking: only as cheap as your ingredients, but a skill that can make cheaper ingredients taste amazing.

Honestly, spending time with my kid is basically my favourite. She's almost 2, and is developing a great sense of humour and loves to read and go to the library and cook and go swimming and fix things with screwdrivers; she's actually super fun as a person, and we laugh a lot. Parenting ain't free, but it's definitely a rewarding "hobby" for me!


Parizade

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #44 on: February 05, 2016, 03:37:39 PM »
Coloring. I had colored pencils already but you can purchase a nice set of Prang pencils for under $10. The adult coloring books are fairly inexpensive, but you can also just download and print free coloring designs from many websites.

It is fun, relaxing, creative, and research has shown it has as many health benefits as mediation.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/therapeutic-science-adult-coloring-books-how-childhood-pastime-helps-adults-relieve-356280

carozy

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #45 on: February 07, 2016, 11:58:03 AM »
Don't really have anything new to add except I've realized how much I enjoy biking for my errands.  It really makes them pleasant and enjoyable, particularly if I get to go by interesting or pretty places.  Biking has become my #1 preference for getting around.  I can bike at night, when it's cold, and thanks to my poncho, even when it's rainy (doesn't snow in my area).  I have gotten to know the best bike routes for where I want to go.  I like biking with a purpose - like for an errand or to get something or go somewhere - but I think my girlfriend and I will be planning some bike rides just to get out.

I'm also looking forward to hiking this spring and summer.   My girlfriend is very outdoorsy and knows many places to hike and has lots of plans in that department.  Sounds fun to me. :)

Reading is another hobby I am enjoying lately.  I keep costs down by using the library or "buying" the free offers through BookBub on my Kindle.

Wekeeprollingdowntheroad

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #46 on: March 26, 2016, 01:21:11 PM »
I just did a quick skim, and didn't see a mention of disc golf.
We discovered this a few weeks back and was kind oftaken aback by how popular it is and free to play! We travel full time, into some very rural areas and there are courses everywhere! Disc golfers as a whole seem to be a very friendly sort, and come in a huge variety of sizes and backgrounds. We've met more interesting folks since picking up ths game, than in the 11 months before on the road
You can leisure it along, or if you want to up the exercise, sprint disc golf! You only "need" one disc to play and you can get them new for $15

Also didn't see  paddleboarding (can be a little spendy for a board then free)  slack-lining (less than $100 then free)

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #47 on: March 26, 2016, 01:36:14 PM »
Wow! Today I learned the term flânerie, which is basically what DH and I often do.

Reading, bonus points if it's outside- a lot of libraries have ebooks you can access for free, so with a kindle you're set.

Puttering on my lawn is oddly rewarding- pulling some weeds, watching a bug, letting my dog flop in the yard. Only applicable with decent weather, sadly.

I love having fires. It's pretty easy to get free or cheap wood from CL or similar, and a fire pit is always fun. Much less need to "do something" than when you spend time otherwise.

First sunny day in a while and all I can think of are spring/summer type activities, go figure!

Oh, all seasons and generally free: sex! An awesome hobby =P

carozy

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Re: Favorite Free Hobbies/Activities?
« Reply #48 on: March 26, 2016, 03:44:12 PM »
I'd like to add: learning how to program.  There are a lot of free resources online including:

https://www.codecademy.com

https://www.freecodecamp.com

http://learnrubythehardway.org/book/

and there are more.

I'm starting with Learn Ruby the Hard Way and so far enjoying it.

Bonus: this free activity could potentially lead to future employment or a nice skill to create your own work.