there has to be a list of hobbies one can try that cost practically nothing:
Solving Rubik cubes (a high quality speedcube is about 20$)
Crocheting/stitching (needles and yarn after cheap)
Writing (free)
… (please expand if you have any ideas)
surely your hobby can't be that expensive
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Comments
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Rinn@awful.systems 2 weeks ago
Crocheting/knitting is cheap to try out but once you really get into it (and start worrying about yarn quality and so on), the money pit opens.
Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
As someone who owns a spinning wheel, you can dye and spin yarn at home to make the money pit even wider and deeper!
Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
My wife has enlisted friends to help me sell her yarn stash if she dies before me. There’s probably 10 large worth of high value lines sitting in bins around me. Her work includes a $200/month yarn shop stipend, and has for many years now.
LillyPip@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Yep. Often when I wear a new jumper or whatever around people who know I knit, I get asked ‘oh, that’s pretty, did you make it?’
Lol no, that would have cost me like 5 times more. I couldn’t afford to make it myself.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
ok but that’s in you for getting expensive yarn.
CobblerScholar@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Not no-cost but cooking, gotta feed yourself anyway might as well have fun with it
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Cooking is cost negative relative to eating out. You just need a decent kitchen and plenty of free time
Emi@ani.social 2 weeks ago
Drawing, pencil and paper for start and drawing tablets are not that expensive for starter ones and there’s free open source drawing software.
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
D&D costs $90 for the hard cover core book set and $0 for the pirated pdfs.
Biking can have a high upfront cost, but I’ve been using the same bike for 20 years with tune-ups and replacements running in the low three figures over that time.
I’m a big fan of podcasts, particularly ones that cover old movies. Criterion collection films are everywhere and they’re classics for a reason.
iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
There are cheaper and better TTRPGs.
TheGuyTM3@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
Drawing (stop pretending you need expensive material do draw nice things, pencils and erasers are the only requirement, and a good sketch book can be found for less than 15 bucks)
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
who even says that drawing is expensive? it’s so obviously cheap thing to do. we did it so much as children. if it was expensive no kids would be allowed to draw
Asetru@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Hiking? I mean, the world is just out there.
Other outside activities that need minimal equipment come to mind. You ever played discgolf? Or went running? Or geocaching?
But yeah, lots of activities aren’t expensive. Draw something. Paint something. Sing! Or do some sports! Yoga only requires a mat if you do it naked.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
although the entry bar is theoretically non existent. practically? not really.
Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
Writing (free)
Maybe if you only write in dirt with your finger. Orherwise you need writing implements and something to write on.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
If you’re reading this in a computer, then you already have what you need. otherwise, it’s like you said, the cheapest thing on the list
madjo@feddit.nl 2 weeks ago
For walking/running you need proper shoes.
Skipcast@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Software development is free if you already have a computer
Coolcoder360@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
“needles/yarn after cheap”
That’s a lie. My wife is into knitting and crochet, I’ve seen $300 purchases for yarn only, for just one dress. Not to mention $50-100 needles or swifts or yarn caking tools
Zink@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
I got caught up on that too.
I don’t do anything with yarn, but will sometimes use fabric to make puppets and other toys with my kid.
Even buying the cheapest fabric from the lowest priced outlets (cheaper than even the random alphabet soup brands on amazon) in bulk, it adds up so fast when you’re actually creating things!
Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
IMO piracy and self hosting has great cost benefits.
Sure it costs money to buy a mini computer and a hard drive, but after, you can spend a long time building that library and it won’t cost you a dime.
And the computer and hard drive is more like an asset, you don’t really lose money when you buy it.
And it kind of pays you back, eventually you get a little tired of building your library but then you can use said library and integrate it into your lifestyle while you get a new obsession.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
also, there’s a high when you hoard data like a dragon
9point6@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
There are plenty of hobbies where you can happily enjoy it and only ever spend little if anything.
On the other hand, I’ve found it’s pretty uncommon to find a hobby where you can’t optionally fall down an expensive rabbit-hole of some kind, usually around any kind of equipment or tools you might need as part of some hobby.
Thankfully for most hobbies that kind of thing is not required to enjoy it. You don’t need a fancy guitar to enjoy playing; you can read books from the library, you don’t need to collect your own; in most big enough cities (in Europe at least) you don’t even need to own a bike to go for a cycle (though regularly using bike rental schemes might be a sign to just get a bike)
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
all hobbies have a cost floor for entry and a cost ceiling. one is the actual cost, and the other one is a made up number based on the richest person who does that hobby.
sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Entirely seriously, learn how to make a game in Godot.
Its literally completely free, only costs you time, and assumes you have at least some kind of existing computer.
Alternatively: Find a video game you like.
Make mods for it.
Here’s another one that’s basically free:
Becoming/Staying fit, gaining strength and agility.
Make ‘weights’ out of milk jugs with water in them.
Maybe get a resistance band or two, they’re not that pricey.
You can absolutely do a ton of stretches and light to modetate muscle group workouts with basically just random shit lying around a typical home or apartment.
You can find basic guides for these excercises often just freely available from reputable medical organizations.
You can literally just go on a 20 minute walk, 3 times a week, and be in better physical shape than something like half of the US adult population.
Back to computer shit:
Blender is free.
Learn 3D modelling, rigging, UV wrapping, how texturing works, how to make animations, etc.
Same with Krita.
Become artist. Draw stuff good.
You can find probably literally millions of free tutorials for how to do basic and intermediate level concepts.
Whsitling/Singing/Voice Acting.
These are developable skills much more so than they are just… things you either can or cannot do, for some reason.
You can teach yourself how to do these, again to a basic or intermediate level, for pretty much free.
Same thing with at least some kinds of dancing.
If you’re feeling more EXTREME: Parkour and/or Urbex.
Lockpicking.
Go find the Lockpicking Lawyer on youtube.
Pretty sure he can recommend you a not too pricey basic starter kit for learning the basics.
… I could go on, but my hands are tired from what I’m going to call ‘autism posting’, one of my totally free, personal hobbies that I often indulge in.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
music, cooking, public librarying (that’s too complicated for one post)
Postmortal_Pop@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ceramics is stupidly cheap to get into. All the tools can be replaced with your hands and a needle, finding workable clay in nature is stupidly easy if you know what to look for and even the garbage clay can be made usable. Most ceramic shops let you rent a shelf on the kiln for like $5. Your first ceramic statue is literally 2 hours of research and $5 away no matter where you are in the world.
Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
finding workable clay in nature is stupidly easy if you know what to look for
Workable clay may be hundreds of kilometers away, depending on where you live.
I mean, I’m in the Netherlands, i literally can’t avoid the stuff, but not everyone lives in a giant river delta.
exasperation@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Cooking is basically better than free.
Yes, ingredients and equipment cost money, but the end result averages out to be cheaper than if you didn’t know how to cook. And even if you take on more expensive ingredients or tools, you’re probably offsetting even more expensive restaurant meals that you would’ve eaten.
CouldntCareBear@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Any art or craft or sport is pretty much free when you weigh up the hours vs the outlay required.
Except skiing and motorsports. That eats money.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
or boating, or equestrianism, or space travel.
exasperation@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Skiing can be cheap if you just happen to be local to where you want to go. Used equipment can be cheap and last a long while and season tickets can be a good bargain on a per day basis at that point. I used to do that when I lived basically on a ski mountain.
But then you catch the bug and then you have to plan out $2000+ trips just to be able to do that once after you move away.
yucandu@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Papercraft is pretty cool. If you have some thick card stock paper, a printer, a knife, and some glue, you can find 3D designs online for almost anything. I made an IL2 Sturmovik.
hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Reading (libraries)
callyral@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
Digital art. Potentially expensive at first, but if you already have a working computer, tablet, or even a phone, all you need¹ is to buy a drawing tablet, which can have a screen or not², and the screenless ones are way cheaper!
When it comes to software, I’d recommend Krita or ibisPaint (for phones) which are free (Krita is free and open-source - no ads, ibisPaint is free as in “it costs $0 but has ads”). There are lots of other software for digital art, and basically everything other than Adobe software (🤮) shouldn’t be super expensive.
¹ You can use a mouse or a touchscreen instead if you can’t buy a drawing tablet - they’re not great to draw with but still viable for the hobby.
² You’d think a screenless tablet would be hard to get used to, but after some practice you get used to it.
OozingPositron@feddit.cl 2 weeks ago
Tablets with a screen are harder to use for me since they make me cover part of my view with my hand.
Hikermick@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Birdwatching. You can buy a book and binoculars if you like. The app Merlin is somewhat free to ID Birdwatching calls. Birdseed can get expensive or just plant sunflowers.
Wildflower identification. Best in early spring, Phone apps make this a little too easy. Seed collecting and propagation is my next goal. I also pull up invasive plants, mostly garlic mustard.
Gardening. Seeds are cheap but if want to start indoors you’ll need a light and possibly a heat mat. Start outdoors in a makeshift “greenhouse” using a clear plastic jug. Starter plants are cheap
Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
Well, strangling animals, golf and masturbating.
IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
all of those are non like the others
Hikermick@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Choking the chicken? It’s two hobbies in one
Bonson@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Disc golf can be really cheap so long as you just stick to the basics. Lots of free courses or courses that cost like $5 if they’re nice. Basically spent $50 once and then nothing past that. Found a some free discs too that didn’t have any owner identification on them :)
glitchdx@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
My hobby is buying materials for projects and then not doing the projects.
NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Ah, a fine hobby indeed! I have so many arduinos, pis, and various modules strewn about with little to show for it.
Eufalconimorph@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
annoyed_onion@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
As an amateur radio operator, I can confirm this as factual. Over.
Lucky_777@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
MTG really fits the shoveling cash into a furnace thing
ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Software development is cheap, if you already own a PC, which is the most expensive part if you go with open source tools.
BigBenis@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
“Turn your hobby into a business!”, they said. “It’ll be fun!”, they said.
ramenshaman@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Yeah… I recently built my first drone.
Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 weeks ago
Thankfully my hobby is video games so I really only have to buy something to play them on and then I can search for the One Piece if you catch my drift.
Rooty@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Looks at ever growing pile of retro handhelds, tabletop miniatures and BDSM gear
Surely, it cannot.
Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Doing historical reenactment can be done in two ways:
-
spend an absolute fuckload of time on everything.
-
spend an absolute fuckload of money on everything.
The former is more historically accurate, but I completely understand not wanting to pick up flax farming as a side hobby.
-
jaschen306@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Piracy saves money if you’re already paying for subscriptions. Self hosting adds another way to save money.
Warl0k3@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I’ve been into calligraphy for years now - it’s a wonderful hobby with anywhere between absolutely none (pseudocalligraphy with a pencil/bic) and a very low cost to entry (blackletter with a parallel pen) that I seriously encourage anyone to try out! Just be warned that it’s a gateway drug to the fountain pen hobby, which uh.
…
…
quickly becomes a not-cheap hobby. Good god.Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Warhammer 40k has entered the chat.
bcgm3@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Pssh, only if you aren’t turning all your hobbies into side-hustles.
What are you afraid of, besides completely burning out and probably still losing money anyway?
LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
That’s how expensive skydiving hobby is. Unless you’re an instructor. Then you get paid to skydive.
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Take up the guitar.
RabbitMix@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Gaming is my hobby. I bought an Xbox Series S for $250 on sale 4 years ago. I buy a couple games on sale each year for usually less than $30. It’s not a lot of money, but I also don’t have a lot of money.
cheesybuddha@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I got into self hosting a while back
EOL enterprise equipment can be very thrifty. But if you ever need something specialty that isn’t available in the second hand market, good luck.
Tigeroovy@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
I live in Canada, do you know how much the standard video game costs here now? Like $90.
Zink@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
I barely spent any money on my hobbies this year. I’m not some kind of sucker!
I merely spent thousands of dollars on materials and tools to build the supporting infrastructure for them!
I also have some very expensive computer parts waiting to be assembled. But they aren’t for any hobby of mine! They’re for the kid so we can play stuff without him using a computer twice as old as he is. 😉
popekingjoe@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
My friends and me with magic the gathering
DoomProphet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
My hobby of flipping antic gold coins into ponds cost me pretty penny but it’s so rewarding! Once I’m good at it I’ll turn it into a side hustle and it’ll have paid for itself in no time!
crumbgrabber@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I thought it said what having a hobby does to a MILF.
lena@gregtech.eu 2 weeks ago
Need… that… new… VPS!!!
JuliaSuraez@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Nothing empties a wallet faster than ‘I’m just trying it out.
Underwaterbob@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Cries in synthesizers.
At least there are a bunch of great budget options these days. Still not cheap though.
early_riser@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Conlanging is a very cheap hobby. Quoth Tolkien:
It is incidentally one of the attractions of this hobby that it needs so little apparatus!
coffee_nutcase207@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Craft beer for me.
zaphod@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
Spending money on hobbies is fine, change my mind.
umbrella@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
zaphod@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
The only people deserving fun are the billionaires.
webp@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
Get into videogames, then you can do both
sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
… so long as it does not materially impact your ability to provide basic necessities for your own wellbeing, food, water, shelter, some level of climate control, etc.
… and you are not directly, indirectly, or functionally spending other people’s money on your hobbies.
Pat_Riot@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
No. I agree with you
rumba@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Spending disposable money on hobbies is fine
Zink@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
I’d say spending SOME money and time on your most fulfilling hobbies is damn near a necessity for a healthy existence.
And yeah sure, plenty of people don’t do that, and plenty of people literally cannot afford to do that here in my dear old US of A.
But you know what else I see a lot of people doing in the US? Fighting mental illness and talking ever more openly about the need for revolution and violence.
DoomProphet@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
As long as “spending money” isn’t the hobby and you actually use it otherwise it’s a waste of resources.