Boredom... Is costing me a ton.

[CoryWM]

A few months ago I gave up playing online games due to addiction to them. Now I find myself with tons of extra time, and alot of it spent being bored or hobby searching. I havent found anything occupy my time. Thus leading to looking on ebay etc. Spending money. Lets be real, entertainment costs money. If I wonna go see a movie thats 10 bucks to get in. How does everyone else go about staying entertained while saving money? Mostly so the people living on their own. I have a girlfriend but schooling is keeping us apart at the moment.

Looking for some insight. I've spent roughly 750 dollars so far this month on hobby/being bored category. 500 of which is resellable. Still it seems like there should be some alternatives between online gaming for 15 dollars a month unlimited entertainment.. And 10+ dollars a day. Even books. I had bought 3 financial books used for about 7 dollars each, read one a day.

Part of the problem is, I can't think of a single thing I want to spend money on. I went from part time work, with tons of game playing, to full time job and no game playing. My income quadrupled. However I can't think of a single thing to spend it on, or a hobby to takeup my extra 5-7 hours after work and weekends.

Being a 24yr old male, who doesnt drink or isnt really interested in cars, and is giving up a video game addiction, really leaves holes in the marketing world. Nothing is targeting me to make me want to get involved in something.

[cptacek]

Are you into any sports? Or, can you learn any? There are beginner's leagues in lots of things, and you might find one or two that you will like. Volleyball, rugby, ultimate frisbee, golf, frisbee golf, running, dodge ball (there really are leagues for this), softball, mud runs, kayaking, biking, tennis. Most of these things might cost a league fee every 3 months or so, but nothing too extravagent. Check out your local YMCA or look for clubs in your town. You might stink at first, but that is what beginner's leagues are for.

[tinapbeana]

* go to the library and read

* check to see if your area as an APA league (Amateur PoolPlayers of America). they have 8 bal and 9 ball leagues, you play on a team, and there's a handicap system so anyskill level can be competitive. yearly dues are $20 and i think you pay $6-$10 if you play in a weekly match (like a greens fee in golf). they have tournaments and a championship in vegas.

* check out local volunteer opportunities. some things we have around here that i've looked into or have done: working ona crisis line, the literacy association, meals on wheels (DH does this), volunteering at a homeless shelter.

[poundwise]

How about work? You say that you have a full-time job but why not work a second job? Then you can make money instead of spending it and you'd have plenty to do.

If not that, then why not volunteer? If you are "bored" and want something to do, there are countless organizations that would love a helping hand. Get involved and make a difference.

[autoxer]

Originally Posted by CoryWM

I can't think of a single thing I want to spend money on.

Then quit buying all of that junk.

For movies, I get them all from Netflix. It's a much better deal than the movie theatre. For books, I first check the local libraries, I found a website that will search every public library in my county. I'd rather not buy it, if I'm only going to read it once.

I keep picking up hobbies, some expensive & some aren't. Do you have a bicycle? I started exploring all of the local trails & then joined a fund raiser where 6,000 people ride to raise money for multiple sclerosis. I've just started to learn woodworking. The classes & tools are somewhat expensive, but being able to make something by hand is very rewarding.

[humandraydel]

Learn to play an instrument.
Learn a language.
Play disc golf (best free hobby ever!)

[Scanner]

Write out a 100 things (or 50 or 25) you want to do before you die.

And start working on them, crossing them off one by one.

[Broken Arrow]

There ARE MMOs that are free. Ahem.

[Staceyy]

Biking, running, jogging, cooking, baking, reading, bird watching, The library has free books and movies. Gardening and landscaping, pets, take free classes at Home Depot.

Entertainment costs me hardly anything. My dh is a long distance truck driver, so when I'm bored I travel with him. Previously I was a corporate traveler so my company paid for all of my plane travel. We have a dollar theatre within a couple miles of home that shows pretty recent movies. I cook and bake, am learning to garden, do crafts, read, visit the library and book stores (I jot down titles and authors and buy my books on the internet), I will have a latte and dessert in the bookstore's coffee shop.

A younger friend likes to blog for entertainment, she also belongs to an inexpensive gym for exercise and likes to invite people over to grill or pot luck. Coffee shops are inexpensive hangouts for the younger crowd. Check your local paper for free or inexpensive entertainment. Do you live near a beach? How about investing?

[PrincessPerky]

Come over here I have plenty of work for you to do!!!!

I bet if you had an interest other than gaming you could find a volunteer opportunity to fit...like sports head to big bro and ask for a kid into sports, (playing not watching) books try the library, might meet a new friend or two to invite for potluck (though company is not free)

If you gotta keep games try em free, or try a LAN party (requires computer geek friends)

Can you take another class and get out of college earlier? (if you are in) can you take a certification test and get a raise?

Now most of what I suggest does not fall into the category of pure fun...personally spending too much time on fun means you appreciate it less, trust me I appreciate my free time! (but I do not recommend acquiring three kids just so you start to appreciate free time!)

[PrincessPerky]

Oh to find that volunteer try googling your interest and volunteer....

[poundwise]

Originally Posted by PrincessPerky

Oh to find that volunteer try googling your interest and volunteer....

And/or...

VolunteerMatch: Where Volunteering Begins

[scfr]

These are things I do for free or cheap and healthy entertainment:
- Check out movies & books from the library
- Exercise ~ Casual hiking is a great way to enjoy the out of doors and get some exercise
- Walk a dog (borrow a friend's if you don't have one of your own) ~ This is a good way to meet people too
- Volunteer for something in your community

[disneysteve]

Borrow books from the library instead of buying used.

Rent DVDs or see if library has them for free instead of spending $10 to go to the theater. For $20/month, you can get all you want from Netflix. Also, ask friends and family to borrow movies they own to watch and return.

Set up an automatic investment plan so that a chunk of your income is going away before you have a chance to spend it. Are you fully funding your company retirement plan and/or Roth IRA? If not, start there.

[scfr]

And since you like games, what about an old-fashioned "game night" with neighbors or friends. We did this in my old neighborhood. We'd go to someone's house and bring our board games, then the group would decide which to play. We'd take turns bringing snacks and beverages.

[Vapors]

Don't get Netflix, get Blockbuster instead. You get the same thing but you also get to return the movies to the store and get a movie from them. As soon you as they scan the online sent movie in at the store, it starts the process of sending you the next movie in your queue. So you get double the movies. I get movies from the store and TV shows from the online. If you like games like EQ and WoW, you might like shows like Stargate, Battlestar Gallactica, Stargate Atlantis, etc. I get all of that from the online.

Plus, I get a free game rental a month.

[Ima saver]

I took a beginner bridge class and I loved it. Now we play every week.

[Fern]

Weed my garden.

[intheblack]

Buy a metal detector, the hobby that pencils out to a profit!

Before you doubting Thomas's scoff its not uncommon to dig up things that are quite valuable. The most valuable coin I have dug up is worth $1,400 (1786 NJ Colonial) but I have dug many worth $20-$100 and several worth several hundred. A couple years ago a guy in our hobby dug a 1792 half disme (that's a half dime e.g. 5 cent US coin) it sold at auction for over $20,000.

Then theres gold and silver at lakes and beachs. I moved to the NH shore just a month ago and I have already found about .38 troy ounces of gold. Its also not uncommon to dig up a diamond ring worth thousands, I know several people who have. One guy I know who hunts the beaches on long island digs about 200 gold rings a season over there.

So there you are.

[HiImSeth]

Get into Photography. That is a hobby that can absorb plenty of your extra cash and time. It can also turn out to be something that you really enjoy and may be able to flip it around and actually make money off of it when you get the hang of it. You'd be surprised how many friends/people at church/coworkers ask me about doing portraits or shooting their children's team shots or action shots. Those paying jobs help support my habit of doing something I enjoy.