Do you want to find a fun and exciting hobby that’s also educational, fulfilling and will enhance your life? There are tons of mental health benefits associated with having hobbies. Plus they’re often very cheap or even free! Many of these hobbies can be done from home and are interesting ways to pass the time.
Many people don’t have inexpensive hobbies because there is a misconception that inexpensive means boring. The truth is inexpensive doesn’t mean a lack of excitement, discovery, creativity, self-expression or satisfaction. Inexpensive hobbies are accessible, easy to do and are great opportunities to connect with activities that bring you joy.
Here are 50 inexpensive activities to start today!
50 Low-Cost Hobbies
1. DIY
Taking on a project is a great way to tackle hobbies to do at home. Buy a book on DIY and start on anything that needs fixing around your house, make your own clothes or give your friends self-made presents. You’ll learn a new skill while improving your home! Check out these easy DIY jobs for a good way to get started.
2. Write A Themed List, And Work Through It
Make a list of things you want to do or see. It could be anything from films you want to watch to local places you want to visit. Try to work through your list in a month!
3. Watch Online Documentaries
Educating yourself is one of those interesting hobbies you can do almost any time. You can find lots of free documentaries on the websites of TV channels, or even on Youtube, covering hundreds of subjects, such as history or the ocean. You could also finally watch your favorite actor’s, author’s or musician’s biography.
Some documentaries ideas for you:
50 Best Documentaries Of All Time That Will Change Your Life
4. Learn New Things
Educating yourself doesn’t have to be boring. What are you passionate about? It could be science, the oceans, or even horror films. Google your interests and become as knowledgeable as you can about your passions.
5. Gardening
Gardening can be fulfilling and therapeutic, as well as entertaining. Growing a garden from a pack of seeds is both cheap and fun. You can also find lots of tips on gardening online.
6. Go Camping
Try going camping with your friends during the weekend. All you need is a tent, some snacks, and drinks. If you don’t live near woods or a forest, you can even try camping in your back garden! You will be surprised by how much fun it is!
7. Play Board Games
Set aside an evening to play board games with your friends or family. This fun and interesting hobby is a low-cost way to spend time with your loved ones, as you only need to buy a secondhand boardgame – or it is free, if you already have some laying around!
Here’re some nice board games to try:
25 Awesome Board Games That Will Make You Smarter And More Creative
8. Discover New Music
Look for new music on music websites or Youtube or Spotify by searching for your favorite genre. You could find a band you love!
9. Scrapbook Important Events
Scrapbooking is an awesome way to help you remember all the best parts of your life. You could make a scrapbook about a friendship, a holiday, or even your school years. Supplies are cheap and you can find free printable ideas on Pinterest.
10. Start Knitting
Knitting makes you happier. This low-cost, handy hobby can help pass the time – and you could even knit people birthday presents! You’ll never be bored on a train ride again, if you always have your knitting supplies at hand.
11. Learn How To Cook
Cooking is a useful life skill as well as a fun way to spend your time. Invest in cheap ingredients and learn how to cook all of your favorite meals. You can find free cooking course on YouTube and similar websites.
12. Try Drawing
Drawing is a really enjoyable way of expressing yourself. There are lots of different ways to draw, from painting to sketching to doodling, so choose one you are comfortable with and give it a go!
13. Go To Free Community Events
It is likely your local government or local organisations regularly holds meetings and events. Check your community’s homepage to see when the next festival, open air movie night or workshop is.
14. Start Investing
Investing is a great way to earn some extra money, just make sure you do your research properly when you first start. You don’t have to invest large sums, but small ones will be just as rewarding if you have a plan.
15. Start Budgeting
Set aside a night of the week to create a spending budget. This hobby is a great way to get your finances in order and save you some money. Plus, with this technique you might be able to start a more expensive hobby in a year or two.
16. Volunteer
If you have the free time available, volunteering is a great hobby to pick up, as it is one that will benefit many others. You could help people in need, fight for the environment or take care of homeless animals.
17. Yoga
Use videos on Youtube to master some yoga positions. It’s low-cost, and good for your mind and body! You can also find lots of useful tips for yoga beginners online. Yoga is a very rewarding sport that can easily be practised at home.
18. Writing
Writing is one of the cheapest ways to have fun. From blogging to trying your hand on a book, there are lots of different ways to enjoy writing. All you need is a pencil and paper to get started.
19. Play Cards
Invite some friends over, and get a pack of cards. There are hundreds of different games you can play with cards, and a pack is fairly cheap.
20. Learn To Dance
This low-cost hobby is great for your body and an enjoyable pastime. Use Youtube videos and tutorials to teach yourself new dance moves, such as this video teaching you basic steps for beginners.
21. Reading
Reading is a cheap hobby to do at home and a great way to exercise your mind. You can choose to lose yourself in a fictional world, learn more about your own world, or read the autobiography of someone you admire. If you decide to pick reading up as a low-cost hobby, consider getting a library card for your local library. They will have a huge selection of books and best of all – it’s free!
22. Teach Yourself A Language
You can use lots of free resources online to help you learn another language. Try downloading some podcasts and listening to them during the evening – you could be speaking another language in no time!
23. Explore Where You Live
Going out to explore is both cheap and easy. Exploring all of the streets, tunnels and bridges in the area you live in, can be fascinating. You will learn about where you live and its history – but be careful not to trespass!
24. Keep Up With Current Events
Keeping up-to-date with what is going on in the world is very important. If you already keep up with the news in your country, consider learning about current affairs in other countries. Remember that there is a whole world out there!
25. Learn Magic
Find a book or an online tutorial on magic, and teach yourself a few tricks to show to your friends and family. The suprised faces of your friends, when you make things disappear and reappear, will be the best reward.
26. Play Free Games
There are many websites online where you can play popular games for free, against yourself or another player. You will soon find out how much fun it is to create your own character, go on adventures and fight your opponents.
27. Learn Origami
Origami is a beautiful art, and this low-cost hobby can help you produce beautiful decorations for your home. I know, it looks like it’s super difficult, but I promise you it’s actually quite easy if you know the tricks.
28. Surf The Web
It is very likely that you already surf the web as a hobby, but there are always new and exciting things to do online. Consider watching videos on YouTube, reading stories on Reddit, or finding a forum about something you are passionate about, from a computer game to running.
29. Write A Song
If you are creative, try your hand at writing a song. You could really enjoy yourself, or discover that you have written something you love. If you know how to play an instrument, you can be your own band.
30. Try To Beat A World Record
If you have any interesting or weird skills, check online to see if other people have done them – and how well they did. Then try to beat the record yourself!
31. Visit Local Museums
It is possible you live near a museum that offers free entry. Try visiting your local museum with your friends to see what you learn. You might be astonished by what a rich history your community has.
32. Play Sudoku
Sudoku books are reasonably cheap, and will fill many hours of your time. This fun low-cost hobby is also a great way to sharpen your mind.
33. Start running
If you already have a pair of good quality trainers, then picking up running as a hobby is completely free. Running is great for your body and helps you clear your head, and there are lots of free apps to help you track your progress. Look online to find running meet-ups.
34. Practice Meditation
If you have patience, try practicing meditation to help find inner peace. There is nothing more rewarding than letting go of all your stress. Check out free tutorials to make sure you’re doing it right.
35. Start a blog
A blog is a great way to express yourself and find like-minded people. Try WordPress – it is completely free and hosts thousands of blogs.
36. Listen To Podcasts
There are funny podcasts, educational podcasts, podcasts with celebrities – you get the idea. Whatever you’re interested in, it is very likely there are podcasts about it. Search online and see if there are any that grab your attention.
37. Photography
If you love taking pictures wherever you go, consider making a hobby out of it. There are free photography tutorials and applications online similar to Photoshop, available to anyone. You don’t need an expensive camera, you can also take good pictures with your phone.
38. Cycling
Cycling is a great form of exercise, and you can plan trips with your friends or discover beautiful nature. If you don’t have a bike yet, you can either borrow one from a friend or buy a cheaper model.
39. Whittling
Try whittling if you want to learn a useful skill that only requires a stick and a knife. It’s creative and easy to learn with some helpful tutorials.
40. Join A Sports Team
If you enjoy sports, go down to your local gym or park and see if there are any teams playing. Often there are free games going on that you can join, or you could even join a free team.
41. Mentoring
Mentoring is a really helpful and fulfilling way to spend your free time. If you are an expert, or extremely knowledgeable in one area, think about helping others to further their knowledge.
42. Stargaze
For this fascinating hobby, all you need to do is buy a second-hand beginners telescope and find somewhere where the skies are clear. Learn to identify the stars and amaze yourself.
43. Build A Kite
If the weather is appropriate, kite-building can be a fun and rewarding hobby to pick up, and you can find many useful websites online to help you.
44. Learn Computer Programming
You can learn how to a computer programme for free thanks to websites and downloadable tools online. Start learning this handy skill with Youtube tutorials. This will not only offer you better job opportunities but is also a fun activity in your free time.
45. Teach Your Pet Tricks
If you have a pet, this can be a really enjoyable way to spend your free time. They probably already know the basic commands, so try to teach them something more challenging, like ‘play dead’.
46. Start A Club With Your Friends
If you and your friends all love something similar, you could start a club themed around the thing you love. From comedy films to skateboarding, you could meet up and watch videos or discuss the subject.
47. Do Calligraphy
You can buy the paper and special pens for this low-cost hobby in your local craft stores, and there are lots of helpful videos online. If you become skilled at it, you could even make a little money creating beautiful wedding invitations!
48. Collect Something
Collecting is a fun and low-cost hobby, and you could even end up with a very valuation collection! You can collect almost anything, from coins to clothes to comics.
49. Start People Watching
One of the best, cheap hobbies doesn’t cost anything at all. If you catch yourself people watching often, make a hobby out of it! Take a trip to a busy area and settle down to watch the bustling activity.
50. Try Geocaching
Geocaching is a fascinating and exciting hobby that costs very little, all you need is a GPS capable device! There are many adventures to go on though geocaching.
In conclusion, inexpensive hobbies are a great way to relax and have fun. They can also be an inexpensive substitute for more expensive ones that you may not want to spend the money on right now. If this article has given you some new ideas or if it’s reminded of old favorites, please share your thoughts in the comments below!
