Are there are no cheap hobbies left?
Thursday, 13 Mar 2025
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reading and gaming
Reading.
Bird watching
Disc Golf
Nature walks
Writing is free and invigorating. It gives you something to think on and plan out during boring times.
Archery
I literally just got into rock tumbling. Aside from the start up cost (which honestly is around what you said anyway) you could easily do it for less than $200 a year.
I personally am ordering all my rocks to start (which honestly isn’t bad), but a lot of people go “rock hounding” and find all their own rocks themselves. That way it kinda turns into 2 hobbies, finding rocks, then tumbling them.
Drawing
I collect squirrel pubes. Easy to find if you leave near a tree.
Programming. Digital Art. Map making for games. For $225 you can even get your first electric guitar + amp (used, obviously).
Board games don’t have to be expensive. I know lots of guys who show up to game night and don’t bring games.
Running, video games (especially if you use gamepass), Reading (free at the library), Hiking, Cycling (once you have the bike), Singing, learning a second language.
What have you already tried so far? Having a list of things that don’t work could help provide options.
could just go hiking or something. the only money would really be gas money to drive to and from whatever hiking trial.
and people always laugh at it, but you could just do exercise at planet fitness for less than 225/year
Dipping your socks in river water
Trying your hand at music could be something too, there is some beginner instrument you could easily get for that price and the rest of the investment is just time.
Doom scrolling
Singing, hiking, reading…
Drawing
Whittling and basketweaving
Some guys wear a ski mask, cut a hole in a blanket, hang it over a door in their apartment, invite guys over on an app called Grindr and videotape the interaction from their side, then post it online. It’s free.
Pireting
Programming, writing, art, and graphic design are all very cheap at the entry level assuming you already have a computer.
On the active side: hiking and body weight exercise are completely free.
Vermiculture lol. In fact, if anything I’ve made or at least saved hundreds of dollars over the past year.
Collecting rocks
lol most hobbies can be this cheap. Doing sports in a group like handball/volleyball/football etc cost all around this much for a yearly membership.
Running (the shoes) are much cheaper. Biking is free if you just use your normal bicycle. Hiking also cost next to nothing.
Reading, learning new stuff like coding, creating/modding video games and e.g. cooking (you have to pay for food anyway) are all either free or very cheap.
Even going to the gym for the 4-6 winter months and getting a set of dumbbells is in this pricebracket. Heck my entire steam library is barely more expensive and I am gaming for 15 years now + have 100+ games for free with epic.
What are hobbies that are more expensive on a simple beginner level?
Embroidery is pretty low expense unless you REALLY get into it with the fancy threads. You can find hoops all the time at the thrift store and the hobby stores put the thread on sale all the time.
Warhammer 40k (just started, already deeply in dept)
Drawing
Drawing
Walking, you just need a pair of legs
Making chainmail while watching nextflix. Can get all the matterial and tooling for under 100, can get nice tools for under 225
gambling
Art, exercise, media content, photography, sewing, knitting, thrift flipping, performance art, singing, skating, community center swimming.
Get creative you’ll find an interest.
F2P games, buy a single at home dance pad and become a DDR/ITG/PIU legend and fix your health at the same time, fasting and dieting, get a VR and sub to Supernatural and get shredded again, hiking, a ton of art mediums from paint (water color, diamond) to coloring, crochet, sculpting, DND, volunteering with animals, reading, buy a used instrument and learn it by watching tutorials online, photography and/or urban exploring, geocaching.
Gunpla. HG kits are around 11-25 US dollars a pop, and all you need to do them is a 6 dollar pair of nippers and a 10-ish dollar hobby knife which comes with a bunch of replacement blades. And those 2 tools will last years, easily.
It’s actually the first time i’ve seen this template since the protest
you can totally get into any trading card game with under 200 a year
Hiking! You really don’t need much for hiking (as long as you’re doing ones that don’t go overnight). A good pair of shoes/boots, a good pair of jeans, a water bottle, and depending on the weather a jacket.
How much does your internet cost a year? More then $225.
You can get a full skateboard setup and helmet for like 150 bucks and then go to skateparks or any paved area for free!
You do have to pay with your body sometimes, but it’s worth it I swear.
Rock collecting.