Low Cost Hobbies

[abowers]

I have a couple hobbies:
1. Knitting -- Luckily I have all imaginable sizes of needles from my grandma, who used to knit. It can be expensive depending on what kind of yarn you buy, but if you knit for gifts (i.e. I made my sister a nice blanket for her birthday, I made my friend a felted tote, I made another friend a nice cashmere scarf) then it can be worth it. I liked knitting a lot but didn't have a need for 20,000 scarves so I learned how to make felted bags, and I sell them. So the knitting pays for itself.

2. Biking -- I bought the bike for $400, it's a nice bike, a comfortable seat, and I use it a lot -- sometimes for getting around, I used it to ride to work last summer before we bought the 2nd car, and also ride it a lot for exercise (went for a 5 mile bike ride yesterday). It was expensive at first, but it has been totally worthwhile, i think it's paying for itself.

3. Reading-- I got a free membership for the public library and have been taking full advantage of the books the library has to offer.

[contrary1]

Knitting, sewing, crocheting, playing the piano, gardening.

Can be close to free or at least frugal................or I could go crazy and spend big money on almost all of them.
I chose to go the other direction and make money from them..........I can sell my creations from knitting/crocheting and sewing, I can teach beginning piano and I manage to feed all of us for months with a good garden.

I can put together some great gifts too from my list of hobbies.....saving even more.

I think saving money and stretching $$$'s is a hobby for me too!

[funnyvalentine]

I'm a beader and jewelry maker, but I comb flea markets for ugly jewelry to take apart and revamp.

[Haku]

Damn, you people are impressive.

I am a bit lacking in this area. Like many of the "younger generation", I enjoy video games greatly. Alas, they are expensive and it's hard to turn it into a money maker. That is, short of selling everything, which is what I did with my PS2 not too long ago.

I do have a list of cheap to free activities I like to do, and they include taking a stroll at a nearby park, pencil drawing (ok, doodling), calisthenics, and programming (since I already have a computer).

[funnyvalentine]

Hey, I LOVE computer games! When I started grad school, my (now ex) husband used to buy me one after every semester, so I could veg out on my breaks...I still love "Rollar Coaster Tycoon". It's my fave!

Originally Posted by Haku

Damn, you people are impressive.

I am a bit lacking in this area. Like many of the "younger generation", I enjoy video games greatly. .

[sakigt]

Lots of little things:

Although my car wasnt cheap, keeping it clean is. I can spend a whole saturday washing and waxing it and when you figure I spend about $50 on materials a year, thats pretty cheap.

My favorite video game is an old computer game I can play for hours at a time. Only cost me $40 about 6 years ago, lol

Reading is cheap fun as well, but I need to get a library card.

[acezz4e_tish]

I pay 89 dollars a year for my premium membership for my euchre league online, to start it was free and ive made alot of friends, people ive even met, from all over us, ca, i even have friends i havent met yet in nz and au. My 89 also covers 5 leagues online. I play euchre, backgammon,canasta,pinochle and holdem poker. I also make graphix and webpages. A friend gave me my psp9, it cost me nothing, i also got my better then paint program, microsoft picture it express 7.0 from getting my pix on disc at walmart, cost me about 2.98. My nic on here i made for free using a banner generator and image magik studio, all free. plus i pay 50 a month for my cable to be online. it was 32 for dial up, but i tell ya, the 18 bux diff for cable is well worth it! i do pictures of family online and make them all so pretty and sizes i want, and make discs, take and pass out to family, thats priceless.

[funnyvalentine]

I guess one of my "hobbies" is running my Freecycle board; I spend about an hour a day on it (we have 8000 members and one other mod) , and I have to say that I really enjoy it, while at least thinking I'm helping others preserve the environment.

[Thrifty Ray]

My low cost hobbies:

1. Playing with my grandbabies is #1 on the list. Give us a cardboard box and check back in a day or two...lol

2. This site. This site and all the links provided has become a great hobby...and it keeps me frugally- focused.

3. Reading...my library card is one of my favorite possessions.

4. Knitting....I was given a HUGE box of yarn last year so I shouldnt hvave to spend money on this hobby for a long time.

5. Camping...our trailer is paid off...so basically the gas to get us to the campsite is our only expense...and we have LOADS of fun, family time while there.

6. Cooking from scratch. I have been learning how to do this the past year and truly enjoy it!

[Haku]

Originally Posted by funnyvalentine

Hey, I LOVE computer games! When I started grad school, my (now ex) husband used to buy me one after every semester, so I could veg out on my breaks...I still love "Rollar Coaster Tycoon". It's my fave!

An excellent sim from what I understand. I'm mostly a FPS shooter and turn-based tactical gamer. I still love video games. That's why I had to sell my console... because I was afraid I would keep caving and buying more games to play. Sigh.

And yes, I agree this is a great site that doesn't cost anything. In fact, the valueable information I have gleamed so far has probably saved me much more in the long run. For that, I thank you all.

Just... no more jokes about this place being sold to some money lender.

[contrary1]

Knitting for me too...........it can be done inexpensively. Buying yarn on line has helped, as has picking up yarn on freecycle. Knitting can also pay.....I can teach others or sell my finished items
Gardening is a cheap to free hobby for me too.........and it can pay for itself in groceries. Since we're on a well, I'm not paying monthly for water........... Comes out pretty inexpensive.

These days photography is a pretty cheap hobby here............since I'm not having to actually develop and buy film. The camera was an initial outlay, but for the number of pictures I'm able to take, as well as make gifts with........this evens out.

[funnyvalentine]

gardening can be a cheap hobby if you trade seeds or are on a seed box bulliten board.

[shelbylovesmelby]

I garden too. You can even buy seed packets in late winter for .10 a pack or buy them @ end of season sales the previous years for a fraction of what they sold for @ the beginning of the season You can also harvest & store the seeds from the plants you do have.

rummage sales <-- I don't know if you'd want to call it a hobby but it's fun because you'll never know what you'll find & it's cheaper the going to the thrift stores. But with the gas costs lately it's only with going within a short range

playing computer games

surfing the net for freebies & coupons

[shelbylovesmelby]

Also fishing is fairly inexpensive once you have everything of course

[kealina]

1. cross stitch, takes tons of time and relatively cheap if you don't buy kits... i actually buy my stuff at yard sales when people clean out their stocks... lol, then recently cleaned out mine...
2. reading... public libraries are great
3. internet for all kinds of stuff....