I couldn’t believe this stat when I first saw it, but the average person watches 141 hours of tv a month! Imagine what else you could spend your time doing in life…
Yes, stepping outside sometimes means spending money. But not all activities have to be expensive or cost a fortune. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of fun and random cheap hobbies you can try for little to nothing.
Cheap Hobbies to Try
Having a few good hobbies is so important, because they can give you a sense of purpose, encourage physical activity, and help to relieve stress. Also, some scientists even suggest that trying new things can make it feel like time is moving slower, which sounds pretty incredible. So feel free to give all of these a try!
1. Community Theater
Were you born for the stage? Do you love to entertain? Then community theater could be a great way to have fun and meet new people at the same time.
Whether it’s acting or working behind the scenes, there are so many different jobs to do at theaters, mostly run by volunteers. Even if you’ve never acted a day in your life, you can still learn valuable skills by helping out with set building, lighting, sound, or becoming a part of the stage crew.
Even if this one isn’t for you, local theaters are also great places to find out about other fun live events in town, and their performances make for a great affordable date night or activity.
2. Join an Intramural Sports Team
Kickball, dodgeball, ultimate frisbee, pickleball, etc. You name it, there’s probably a local group that plays it!
And you don’t even have to be super coordinated to join in on the fun. I, myself, joined a local softball team having never played a single sport in my entire life. Don’t let being a newb stop you from finding a team and getting active.
You can also try searching Google for “urban sports” and check out the social groups in your city that experiment with all outdoor games.
Meet people, get some fresh air, and exercise. Sounds like a win-win-win to me!
3. Learn a New Language
As a kid, my dream was to learn a new language with my friends so that we could talk about whatever we wanted without anyone else understanding what we were saying.
Although my four years of high school Italian didn’t stick, I’ve actually had some success with the popular Duolingo App! Plus, it’s a great alternative to scrolling social media when you get bored, and can enhance your experience when traveling to another country.
You can also learn sign language for free at ASL University!
You’d be surprised at how much you can learn in just a few minutes every day.
4. Budget Baking & Cooking
This one is a total win, because this hobby can actually help to save you money!
It’s no secret that eating at home is typically much cheaper than eating out. Plus, getting a little gourmet at home will make you less tempted to grab takeout.
There are tons of recipe blogs online with cheap recipes that actually taste incredible. BudgetBytes & StruggleMeals are good ones to check out!
This is one the best cheap hobbies that doubles as a social experience as well. Invite a few friends over or get your kids involved to turn this into an even more exciting activity.
5. Smartphone Photography
You don’t need expensive cameras or lenses to have a photography hobby.
Learn the basic smartphone tips and you can practice anywhere. Uploading your shots to free image sites can help you build a portfolio that others can use/enjoy.
Plus, with a little practice, you could even turn this into a side hustle! There are plenty of photographers who offer smartphone shoots on Airbnb Experiences!
6. Coding, AI, or Career Courses
You don’t need to move back into a dorm room to keep learning. There are tons of educational freebies you can take advantage of from the comfort of your own home!
Plus, learning a new skill is a surefire way to make yourself more valuable in the workforce.
Right now, Google has a free Elements of AI course, which takes about 30 hours to complete. They also offer a huge range of free learning courses for coding, career advancement, digital marketing and more.
7. Creative Writing
Perhaps one of the best cheap hobbies you can start doing stat is writing! Do you have any areas of expertise you want to share with the world? Have an idea for a fantasy novel that came to you in middle school? You don’t have to let the dream die. Crack open your laptop and get to writing.
This is one of the easiest hobbies to do because there are very few startup costs, and you can do it pretty much anywhere. A local lake, the mountains, or the beach can all become your workspace if you bring a pen and some paper.
8. Gardening
Gardening is a great way to relieve stress, and make your home or apartment a little more beautiful.
While you will need a few basics to get started, you can likely get everything you need for under $100, or consider asking a neighbor to borrow their equipment. Plus, if you start a vegetable garden, you could even save a few bucks on groceries!
There are tons of websites that can give you tips on how to start gardening for the first time. Growing in the Garden as well as Better Homes and Gardens can provide you with tons of insight for getting that garden up and running without spending much at all.
9. Learn an Instrument
While a musical hobby comes with the obvious start up cost of purchasing an instrument, it can provide you with hours and hours of free entertainment in the future. Some instruments are cheaper than others, but getting a starter guitar or keyboard on Facebook Marketplace can be surprisingly affordable.
For example, I got my first guitar in college for just $10 from someone looking to get rid of it on Facebook, and it was honestly a pretty decent instrument. That guitar got me through the first two years of my music program!
Once you’ve secured your instrument, you can take advantage of millions, and I mean millions, of free lessons on YouTube. For guitar lessons, Andy Guitar as well as Marty Music are great options that will get you playing fast. For free piano lessons, check out Become a Piano Superhuman.
10. Painting/Drawing
Again, even just pencil and paper can get you far with this hobby. Also grabbing a few watercolor paints from the craft store likely won’t break the bank. Again, there are tons of Youtube channels that can teach you the basics, but the best thing about drawing and painting is that there is no wrong way to do it!
If creating your own designs isn’t your jam, consider checking out a stress relieving coloring book. Coloring books aren’t just for kids, and you can find more intricate coloring books on Amazon for under ten dollars.
Another way to get creative is to grab a bunch of magazines and make a collage with a canvas board and a little mod podge. Check out Pinterest if you need some creative inspiration.
Best of all, your completed masterpieces can double as decor for your home!
11. Speedrunning Video Games
If you already have a video game console, why not try breathing some new life into your favorite games?
Speedrunning is when you try to beat a video game in as little time as possible, sometimes utilizing glitches and other techniques.
Usually, each game has a bunch of different categories you can try, such as “any percent” where you usually just beat the game as quickly as possible, “glitchless,” where you cannot use any glitches, or “100%” where you need to fully complete the game, collecting all necessary items.
You can check out the world records for your favorite games here, and also find tutorials on how to get started on YouTube.
12. Join a Book Club
Lastly, we all know that reading can be one of the ultimate cheap hobbies, thanks to your local library! Reading is a great way to learn new things, travel to different worlds, and practice empathy.
However, to get even more out of this hobby, consider joining a book club. This is such a great way to take a deeper, more analytical look at what you’re reading, and make more friends in the process.
If you can’t find a book club to join, consider taking the initiative to start one yourself. You’ll be surprised at how many people might be interested in joining. The bibliophile hobby path is one of the best routes to take.
The Bottom Line:
Hobbies are a great way to build confidence, become a more interesting person, and help to relieve the stress from your day. Plus, building strong cheap hobbies now can prepare you to better enjoy retirement when the time comes!
At the end of the day, frugality is only boring if you let it be. With a little creativity, you can enjoy hours of entertainment without having to break the bank.
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