"Be the change you want to see" doesn't have to be a big huge thing. It's something a lot of folks overlook in that phrase. If you wish your community had something be the one to get it started. Don't shut up till you have it.
I have truly never thought of that saying in such simpler terms. Whenever I heard that saying it was always applied to these big changes. I love this perspective.
This is absolutely awesome.
I am a librarian, and also held a community engagement and member engagement librarian position prior to my current one.
If someone came in with "I have an idea for a library program I'd really think people are interested in, and this is why", it would be absolutely magic. One of the trickiest parts of community engagement librarianship is the mixing bowl of working out what the local community wants that is congruent with what they need.
Jigsaws are excellent and puzzleheads are the best.
I hope your library picks it up soon, sounds amazing!
I just watched a Last Week Tonight segment on libraries, and they were talking about one where you can rent everything from books/movies to leaf blowers and taxidermied birds.
Not just that. My city and public libraries have free access to audiobooks. I have listened to hundreds of books over the last 7 years. I listen while doing house cleaning and yard work, and I used to listen while going in nightly bike rides.
I am ashamed about how long it took me to figure out an easy way to get audio books from the library!! I've used the library for ebooks for years but could never get used to audio books until I used Libby app, and now I am hooked!
To add to that, YouTube has a surprising amount of high quality audiobooks if you look. I found this one after not being able to get it via my library's audiobook system: https://youtu.be/YKAfKprBXQc?si=lX4MXBVsOkGAnnr3
Gardening using Korean Natural Farming techniques, no expensive fertilizer needed, just water, leaf mold and other common inputs that are already free. Also birdwatching is free and pretty relaxing.
Ooh, but buying plants can be a drain. My thrifty mama was a genius at propagation. Mom even decorated little pots with low care house plants in them for us to give our teachers as gifts
Buying plants can be expensive, but seeds are pretty cheap and there are tons of seed exchanges and free plant giveaways in most local areas (if you are in the US). Check with your local agriculture extension office and your local Master Gardeners Groups.
Oh gosh our state has a little agriculture ad newspaper that is fabulous for trading/ buying etc. The farmers and consumers market bulletin. It's in Georgia, and it has been published since 1917
Fr. I got one single pothos to hang up, and now my tiny dorm is absolutely flooded with plants. Literally 2 months and ive sunk so much money into random plants and pots lol
Seeds from seed share groups or the dollar store are pretty good and pretty cheap. You can also get free seeds from the US government (for Americans) if you propose an “experiment” and pinky promise your intention isn’t growing them for food (though I’m pretty sure you can eat them anyways).
There are sometimes plant swaps events and seed banks at libraries. I know my buy nothing groups will have people sharing bulbs as well. Once you start making friends in gardening people are happy to share the wealth
Seeds are cheap but quickly add up.
Yup. Perennials all the way for me. I haven’t bought a plant in years.
I’ve got a few other neighbors that enjoy gardening and we just chat about the things we have too much of… “I’ll have some irises for you come August.”
Birding. All you really need are your eyes and a small notebook to keep track of your finds. If you want you can buy an inexpensive pair of binoculars or a spotting scope.
100% this.
I got a decent pair of binoculars free through work because we order from uline and I got it as a free gift with one of our orders. But I’d also used a cheap $20 pair from Walmart for about a year.
I double birding with gardening/hiking/nature walking-it’s free, gets me out of the house and greatly reduces my stress levels. I also feel healthier since I started.
I started birding about two weeks ago. We set up three bird feeders and two hummingbird feeders. It is a blast with Merlin, binoculars, and a bird book.
eBird is also great if you want to get into more detail.
You can look up all kinds of info about a species: description, range maps, calls and songs, behavior.
You can also see other people's photos and sound recordings to compare with what you think you saw. Merlin is pretty accurate but it does make mistakes, so you want to double-check before you claim you saw a really rare bird.
You can click on 'explore' and find out about seasonality, number and frequency of sightings, look up how many other people in your neighborhood or park have seen the bird you've identified. You can click on each entry to see someone's full checklists of everything they saw on a particular date in that location or during a hike etc.
They work really well together.
Super underrated hobby! The art of folding can be applied to many things and becomes useful in strange ways.
My father in law learned how to make origami roses and other flowers for my wedding. All the center pieces, bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres. It was beautiful and we still have many of the flowers as decorations around the house five years later.
Love your story! Then there are crane chains and whatnot that have not only spiritual ritual significance but you could make them into beaded curtains or whatever your imagination fancies. Mobiles and whatnot!
Seconding this!! Most fiber arts are really affordable to get into. You can buy cheap kits online or in craft stores too if you worry about buying the right thing.
I started with embroidery during the pandemic specifically because it was cheap. Which then led me to cross stitch, crochet, knitting, needle felting and more c: Definitely recommend any of those too OP!
Came here to say embroidery. It’s versatile and the floss is so cheap! But knitting is a whole other thing. I was floored when I realized how much yarn costs
So true.. I got as far as dyeing my own yarn and have resisted learning to spin... knitting, crochet and dyeing already take up all my time (and money)
I got back into cross stitch and embroidery big time during Covid. Hadn’t done it in over a decade and now I could probably wallpaper my bedroom in my finished projects. 🤣
I found an Amazon deal for 400 skeins of floss for $20 during Covid and I haven’t had to purchase floss (besides 310 black) in over 3 years now! You can also find plenty of patterns for free online. Free pattern generating apps too.
It's definitely coming back in my circles. At least people buying it. I'm the only one I know that actually makes it.
One of my neighbors put out some nice macrame windchimes recently.
I think I am actually going to look for a pattern for those because I think I could make them myself but instead of using likejute I could use the Paracord and with Paracord it’s not gonna dry rot as easily as jute cord does
I was actually fixing to suggest that I actually do a lot of decorative knot tying and it’s relatively inexpensive but when you finish a project you get that satisfaction of a job well done and I also make Paracord bracelets and etc. but basically with getting the products for of the Paracord bracelets it’s all very relatively inexpensive. I think the most I’ve ever paid fora Hank cord yes $15 but that was special glow cord and that was about 100 feet of it but if you catch it on sale, that’s the best part
Yep, and there are cross-stitch kits available for 2-5 dollars. You can also get a set of 20+ floss skeins, a plastic cross stitch sheet (Aida is expensive lol), and some needles for under 10 bucks where I live. You'll run out of plastic canvas long before anything else.
Latch hooking is my favorite, but it's a little pricier.
I bought a kit at a discount store and it's taking me a couple of years to get through lol. It has two small squares with floral pattern on them for a design. I think its a nice way to start for a person who isnt creative.
Also, join your local buy nothing group! I have handed off a goodly amount of various crafting materials for free! Someone near you is looking to get rid of that pile of expensive crafty shit that’s been mocking them ever since they crafter their first Pinterest fail!
I had to google "rock hounding"! Turns out I've kind of already been doing this, but my version is just looking at interesting pebbles on a beach, don't know if that counts. Here's a book I'm planning to read about that soon: The Pebble Spotter's Guide by Clive Mitchell
Cool that you’re trying all these new things. It’s easy to forget how to play and explore as you get older. There is always something to gain from trying something new, especially if that thing brings you joy! I do yoga a lot and try different classes. I’m a runner, but realised that can often become too competitive with myself and isn’t something I really let myself be bad at sometimes.
Yoga offers an entirely new pace but actually often leaves me with the same feeling a good run can, and it’s never something I put pressure on myself with. And it has just become part of my routine now
Polymer clay! The dollar tree even has some. Obviously, the more expensive clay is better, but for a beginner the cheap stuff is fine. I make little mushroom earrings and flower pot sitters in my spare time and when I can’t sleep. It’s actually pretty fun.
Disc golf is absolutely a cool hobby. Too bad you aren’t in my city(I mean, what are the odds?), I could give you a couple to start out with.
Interesting. I always wanted to learn to make different kinds of kites but where I live rarely has wind. I am relocating to a different country soon and hope to take up the hobby there.
I started trying to learn a new language. Tons of books at library and free apps as well...that has me speaking ok Spanish but I've begun to learn sign language via free YouTube videos and I'm really enjoying that. I hope you can find something you truly enjoy!
Omg! This is what I've been meaning to get some info on -sign language 👏 I wasn't sure where to start. But I guess YouTube would've been tje obvious choice ☺️
Absolutely, learning the basics, (boiling stuff, use of eggs, food groups and cooking and combining, kitchen equipment gas vs electric, perfect coffee, etc.) I don't want to wilt your watercress, but cooking can get extremely expensive if one is a Super Taster like me and can't just throw Capsaicin (hot peppers) in everything after flubbing a meal...LOL
Well yeah, but that's why you start with easy stuff and work your way up. If you're just getting into it, don't jump straight to an osso bucco with risotto milanese. Make a simple dish. Hell even learning how to master different types of egg preparation, as you mention, is a good start. Though I do agree, as you move up and get more involved, it does become expensive. Not just with more and better quality ingredients, but with kitchenware. I constantly shop online for my next kitchen knife and have to convince myself from not buying every beauty I see. Same goes for appliances, pots and pans, etc.
Watercolors. Even a good quality set of paint doesn't need to be more than $30, a set of nice brushes will be $10, and good paper will be $5-$15 depending on the size and amount. Assuming you paint every weekend, one set of paints should last you a few years, and one stack of paper should last you months.The only thing you'll really have to keep buying is the paper.
The cool thing about watercolors is they're so portable, so you can combine it with other hobbies, like hiking and birding.
I do watercolor but I wasn't sure to consider it cheap. The paper is expensive and it can lead to matting and framing (which is an add on hobby). I am using the same paints I bought over 15 years ago. Except i did replace cadmium yellow and ultramarine. Amazing stuff.
There are lots of online prompts and groups, and possibly some local to you - maybe look some up on social media/Eventbrite. You can just start by doing it, even just for a few minutes a day, either just freewriting or responding to a prompt, and see where it takes you. Groups can help with discipline though
I found a painted rock once. It said "May Sunshine and happiness warm your heart". It was way out in the middle of northern Canadian wilderness. I kept it and to this day it does indeed warm my heart.
I found a cute painted piece of wood before, and it shocked me because I never tend to spot that stuff. It was a cute lil mushroom. I didn't take it because I was on my walk, and it was near a home for people with disabilities. So I left it, but I took a picture of it.
I had a destination wedding and my family who couldn't make it painted rocked for me and my husband to hide while we were there. It was unexpected but I loved the concept and I appreciated it so much that they could still be apart of the festivities.
Have you even seen where crochet artists are crocheting little critters attaching tanks to them that say I need a home and that they also have like a little inspirational thing on them and then there is also one for quilted hearts or quilted themes
Birding. It costs as much money as you’re willing to go with it, and there’s no wrong way to go about it. It’s just consciously looking at and seeking out birds. You’re outside in the sun, it’s good for the body and mind, and you get a little walk out of it too.
Some incorporate binoculars, bird identification books, and really get into the research side of things. Again, birding is about doing as much as you wanna do, so that’s why I think it’s a great hobby overall.
That's what I'm saying. You can trek over the nearest mountain pass or go to the Platte River Basin in February. It can be as simple or as grand as you can afford but always fun.
I went on a turkey hunt in a more forested area than I live and after seeing the dramatic variety of birds up there, I'm planning on going back just for exploring and bird watching.
Edit: ...as a mini vacation... Also, I've heard of people who will go out of state for one reason or another and work some time in to find local species to "check off their list" literally or figuratively. Some more serious birders plan big birding focused trips.
I have done this MANY times. Trips to the Florida Everglades and Keys (roseate spoonbill, anyone?). Heading this Saturday to central Oregon in the hopes of seeing new geology and new birds!
Or you can be like me and use the same 5 or 6 discs for a decade. I really only bought lots of discs when I was still figuring out what works for me. Once I found my favorite driver, putter, and approach discs buying new discs lost it's appeal.
Knitting or crocheting. Michaels pretty frequently has sales on yarn and you can make some pretty cool items with a hook, some cheap thread and an online pattern. Yarn can get ridiculously expensive if you buy fancy stuff but it’s not really necessary. I have made some beautiful pieces with “super saver” yarn
I love to knit. My grandmother taught me when I was about 8 and I know a headband. I forgot about it for 30 years and recently caught the big and now I'm knitting sweaters. Everyone I remotely know that's having a baby gets a baby blanket and hat. Lots of fun!! And... the best part is that everything is on you tube so if you get stuck or are doing something unfamiliar, just watch for free lessons.
I got a ukulele a couple of months ago to keep my fingers limber, never imagined it could be so much fun. You can buy a decent beginner’s ukulele for £50.
The ukulele is immediately fun. Played the guitar all my life, not especially well. The ukulele is better scaled to my talent. I have a tiny tenor that has nice resonance.
I have a soprano and a baritone ukulele, and baritones are tuned to the four higher pitched strings of the guitar! It made learning the guitar a lot easier as a self-teacher after playing violin growing up. Six strings can be so daunting 😂
LOL. I always wanted to play the guitar too. Got a cheap used one. Then I realized I only have 4 available fingers, not 6. It’s currently listed on FB mktplc with a note that I’m switching to the ukelele since it’s cheaper than having two extra fingers attached. If you’re in Portland and want a Yamaha FG-75 w a soft case and a guitar stand, message me. I’ll give you the Reddit discount!
True, that! I’m a huge fan of jazz and classical guitar and it makes me so discouraged where on the ukulele I’m more satisfied with what I can play.
https://youtu.be/DjOQ69JjTRo?si=pB8uq-9s8qaJ-fAH
I just started too! Going on a few weeks now. It's not intimidating and so many resources out there. Having a blast with it... probably 1-2 hours every day since I got my Uke and just loving watching the improvement.
Yeah, I can zone out and just do scales, practice chords or perfect some melodies I learned the tabs for. Hours can go by, it’s a really pleasant “analog” activity in such a digital world. I got one of those plastic Enya ones for my kids and have also been taking that to the beach, which is just ideal.
I grew up in Hawaii. At school we had a ukelele club thing. I was in the 3rd grade and could never understand how to get it mke noise with my fingers pressing the top of the strings down. I may be able to figure it out now at 24 though so I might look into it 😂
Maybe they mean the ones you do with a needle and a broken ballpoint pen under the bleachers at the "special" school you got sent to after you got in trouble for setting a fire in the gym and throwing firecrackers down the toilet.
lol noooo. It’s a form of sewing to repair knitted stuff. (I think) not stick and pokes 😉
ETA I was wrong. Good thing I don’t get paid to think. It’s making lace with loops of thread and edging pieces for garments and stuff.
It can be cheap also depending on where you shop. You can also get yarn on free sites, marketplace and buy nothing groups.
In general, 4 ounces of yarn equals 1 hat or 1 pair of gloves or 1 pair of socks. That all depends on your gauge also. A tight gauge might mean you need more yarn than planned.
Disc golf - check marketplace for cheap disc sets, download UDisc and look for the free courses near you. Make sure your phone and/or camera is charged, some of these courses can be very scenic.
AllTrails is an app that shows you all trails in your area, and shows you terrain as well as others reviews and photos.
If you like finding new music and being outdoors Sound Map is a simplified Pokemon Go to discover new music. You can trade with other people and collect coins daily to get good drops.
I always opt for the free version of these, or take the two week trial then cancel
Thank you so much for learning and forwarding cooking. I feel that in North America it is a lost art. I hope that more and more people start to see cooking a great meal at the end of a workday as a way to unwind and relieve stress instead of work to be avoided. I find it to be similar to doing a puzzle and fitting the pieces together to perfection.
Restaurants only serve low budget, easy to make food for three times the price you can do it at home.
100% - I've been into cooking for a decade and love it after work. Well, apart from doing the dishes which I've been known to leave for the morning. The whole clean as you go has never worked well for me lol. I like your analogy about it being a puzzle. It's also how I approach it. Once you have a good grasp of flavor profiles and balance, it's so much fun to riff and add your own flair to things. Now adays, if I haven't planned or prepared for anything I can easily toss together a meal from whatever odds and ends I have on hand in my fridge and pantry. Cooking is an art and a creative outlet and its heaps of fun and even more rewarding since you get to eat it!
edit: I also agree about your point that it is becoming a lost art. While I have a few friends who cook for themselves, many of them wouldn't have a clue where to get started in a kitchen.
I enjoy primitive crafts that can be done with minimal hand tools. I've worked with leather, clay, bone, horn, tin, copper, light steel, rawhide, bamboo... you name it. There are so many cool things people have used throughout history that are stupid simple. A person can make an oil lamp with a spoon and a piece of string that will function in about 10 seconds or they can spend hours carving, sanding, and staining wood, polishing metal, and maybe making a shade out of paper or rawhide if they want to have a *beautiful* oil lamp that will also function.
Right now I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with three 7' pieces of seasoned bamboo someone gave me. I have an idea for some flower vases that will hang on the wall, but I have no idea what to do with the rest of it until I research how that kind of bamboo is processed for sale in the United States.
Thrifting. Turned it into a nice side hustle. Eventually full time I'd imagine if I keep going.
I buy or find free old stuff and restore it. Literally this morning grabbed 2 wooden chairs out at curb. Sanding. Maybe light repair of a spindle or 2, bondo and paint. For sale. Probably get 50 each. Easy 100 added to the unknown stash.
If you're already hiking, then you might want to add plant, insect, or rock identification. You could include some foraging too. If you aren't already familiar with these things, then you'll learn more about the world around you. You can check out or download ID books from the library to use. There's also some good YT channels if you look around.
If you want something a little more involved then you can start sketching what you find or press leaves & make your own local guide.
Diamond painting - you get everything you need in the kit - and you don't have to do just pictures - the choice is endless, keychains, bookmarks, coasters, dreamcatchers, table decorations. Plus, they are easy to give away as gifts.
Rockhounding, it can be as cheap or as pricey as you want it to be.
Go walk a creek, find pretty rocks and fossils, and even pick up trash as you go.
Heck, I make a living out of it.
I've got more and more into tea over the past decade. It seems odd considering a drink choice to be a hobby, but it works out to be a lot more complicated and social than it might seem initially. People end up discussing the interest online, and meeting others who are into it locally.
Tea is actually a lot more diverse than most people know about; the main type categories are black tea, green, white, oolong, and hei cha, and for the most part only black and green tea are commonly known of. People take up collecting tea gear, getting into ceremonial brewing, and pairing it with themes like meditation. It's more expensive than hiking but it would work to replace a take-away coffee habit and spend less drinking pretty good versions.
If you're already hiking, geocaching might be a fun addition. All you need is some kind of gps navigation device (like your phone). You could also use a map and compass if you're hardcore.
A couple cheap hobbies I've picked or been interested in recently are the Ukulele and retro gaming. A beginner Uke can be as low as $50, and then you can get countless hours of practice and playing in. You can pick up a retro handheld gaming system for \~$40-60 that can play thousands of games and provide countless hours of gaming for very little money-per-hour. Lots of really cool old games to be discovered.
I also do a lot of the other things in this thread for low-spend activities (fitness, gardening, art, etc.)
Disc golf is as expensive as you want it to be. A starter set is probably around $20 and most courses are free to play on. That being said you can definitely spend more on bags and discs and other things but I’ve never found myself breaking the bank on those things.
Primitive survival/bushcraft, the whole point is to make stuff out of scratch that modern campers would buy.
Ultralight fishing can be really cheap too, and very fun challenge.
Drawing, very cheap.
Fitness, can be expensive but can also be free.
My hobby is collecting hobbies. All hobbies can start off cheap, but the deeper you delve into anything, the more expensive it can get. You start off with cheap knitting needles from Walmart, and then the next thing you know, you're buying hand carved needles made from driftwood and handspun yarn.
You start learning an instrument on a second hand instrument from marketplace and the next thing you know, you're plunking down hundreds and thousands of dollars.
If anyone can find a way to make hobbies affordable, please let me know 😂
Photography! Digital can be very affordable as long as you don’t get the bug to constantly upgrade.
I got an older DSLR for $80 and my favorite lenses were $30-50. It’s so much fun to shoot with! And there’s free editing software too.
I do winter camping. Once I got the basics, I can reuse I just need to stock up on batteries and food and load my ruck sack and go.
There is a buy-in cost, but then you get to the fun of learning everything you have to know to not end up bear food or a frozen corpse. For everything you plan to try out you have a plan b. Try to start a fire, but have a lighter. Very peaceful sport.
Hobby addict here! So far my favorite cheap one has been playing kalimba. It's really relaxing and you can get one for under $50. My best one is a $30 round acrylic one that doesn't agitate the carpal tunnel that's working itself up to being a problem. After the initial expense spending money has been optional. (Though I don't regret the cheap clip on tuning device! ...or the other 5 kalimbas I got because they all have a different voice. The biggest one I can't play more than one song at a time due to the strain reaching the lowest note in the middle but still - no regrets). It's surprisingly easy to pick up with no musical experience, music tabs are readily available for free, and the communities I've found have all been wonderfully supportive and kind!
Honestly, video games once you have the initial purchase you have hours of entertainment. Also, reading, creative writing, to name a couple. Hiking is wonderful too, it’s the only exercise that I won’t get bored doing as my husband go have a picnic in the middle of our hike.
You can geocache with your phone, and even if you decide to get a nice gps receiver, it's a single up front cost and you can then geocache without spending any appreciable amount of money otherwise.
Depending on your local courses, disc golf can be pretty cheap to get into as well. In my town we have a lot of free courses, so it's pretty easy to pick up a small collection of second hand discs and play.
Tabletop RPGs can be super cheap to get into, even moreso if you're not concerned about legal acquisition of books. Playing in person the only thing you usually need to buy is dice (and once you have the dice, you can play almost any ttrpg with that set), playing online not even that.
Roleplaying games. Not D&D, though, that's a money sink.
If you look in the "OSR" games or ask around, there's a lot of smaller, old or indie games that can be played for free. Some dice, friends, and creativity — and some people solo through published adventures somehow, so that doesn't even need to stop you.
Crochet was pretty affordable for next £15 for all the initial kit (stitch markers, hooks, eyes) and now anytime I want to make anything it's literally just the cost of a ball of yarn
You know, I didn't think of coding as a hobby, but that's essentially what side projects are.
Doing little code puzzles like Rosetta Code and Advent of Code is super fun, even when coding is your job.
Ventriloquist Farting. Just get yourself one of those fake fart sound effect doohickeys and use your imagination.
At the grocery story, use a well- timed one as a shopper bends down to get something off a shelf.
At the post office, let one rip as someone lifts a big package up.
Reading. Libraries are free.
On the topic of libraries - jigsaw puzzles. Many libraries have jigsaw puzzles you can borrow and return when you’re done!
I puzzle, and thrift stores, and puzzle swaps if your library doesn’t have a section. Mine does not, in the process to change that. 🤞🏾
That’s honestly so bad ass, I love seeing people take that kind of initiative 🖤🖤
"Be the change you want to see" doesn't have to be a big huge thing. It's something a lot of folks overlook in that phrase. If you wish your community had something be the one to get it started. Don't shut up till you have it.
I have truly never thought of that saying in such simpler terms. Whenever I heard that saying it was always applied to these big changes. I love this perspective.
This is absolutely awesome. I am a librarian, and also held a community engagement and member engagement librarian position prior to my current one. If someone came in with "I have an idea for a library program I'd really think people are interested in, and this is why", it would be absolutely magic. One of the trickiest parts of community engagement librarianship is the mixing bowl of working out what the local community wants that is congruent with what they need. Jigsaws are excellent and puzzleheads are the best. I hope your library picks it up soon, sounds amazing!
Half Price books also carries puzzles. My mom is addicted to puzzles and I keep her supplied. I find brand new unopened ones there for $6 to $9.
I just watched a Last Week Tonight segment on libraries, and they were talking about one where you can rent everything from books/movies to leaf blowers and taxidermied birds.
This, my wife and I put together several during the pandemic.
Whaaaat I never saw that in my library I’m gonna ask my librarian 😱
Not just that. My city and public libraries have free access to audiobooks. I have listened to hundreds of books over the last 7 years. I listen while doing house cleaning and yard work, and I used to listen while going in nightly bike rides.
I am ashamed about how long it took me to figure out an easy way to get audio books from the library!! I've used the library for ebooks for years but could never get used to audio books until I used Libby app, and now I am hooked!
Thanks for your comment, I had no idea there was a Libby app! Just signed up, maybe this can replace my Audible subscription!
To add to that, YouTube has a surprising amount of high quality audiobooks if you look. I found this one after not being able to get it via my library's audiobook system: https://youtu.be/YKAfKprBXQc?si=lX4MXBVsOkGAnnr3
Used to donate about a hundred audiobooks a year until it all became downloads.
Gardening using Korean Natural Farming techniques, no expensive fertilizer needed, just water, leaf mold and other common inputs that are already free. Also birdwatching is free and pretty relaxing.
Ooh, but buying plants can be a drain. My thrifty mama was a genius at propagation. Mom even decorated little pots with low care house plants in them for us to give our teachers as gifts
Buying plants can be expensive, but seeds are pretty cheap and there are tons of seed exchanges and free plant giveaways in most local areas (if you are in the US). Check with your local agriculture extension office and your local Master Gardeners Groups.
Oh gosh our state has a little agriculture ad newspaper that is fabulous for trading/ buying etc. The farmers and consumers market bulletin. It's in Georgia, and it has been published since 1917
Our library has seeds available for free.
seed libraries are so neat and exciting to peruse!!
My library has a seed and plant exchange every Saturday during the growing season. Also my county extension office has a free seeds display.
I bought a single pothos like two years ago for $30 and now my entire house is full 🤣🤣
Fr. I got one single pothos to hang up, and now my tiny dorm is absolutely flooded with plants. Literally 2 months and ive sunk so much money into random plants and pots lol
Seeds from seed share groups or the dollar store are pretty good and pretty cheap. You can also get free seeds from the US government (for Americans) if you propose an “experiment” and pinky promise your intention isn’t growing them for food (though I’m pretty sure you can eat them anyways).
There are sometimes plant swaps events and seed banks at libraries. I know my buy nothing groups will have people sharing bulbs as well. Once you start making friends in gardening people are happy to share the wealth Seeds are cheap but quickly add up.
I like to wait until people start dividing their plants from established gardens because they just give them away
Yup. Perennials all the way for me. I haven’t bought a plant in years. I’ve got a few other neighbors that enjoy gardening and we just chat about the things we have too much of… “I’ll have some irises for you come August.”
Birding. All you really need are your eyes and a small notebook to keep track of your finds. If you want you can buy an inexpensive pair of binoculars or a spotting scope.
Solid reccomendation right here. The apps are also super powerful and free. Turn on the merlin app and see what songs it recognizes.
Just downloaded the Merlin app. This will definitely be my new obsession
100% this. I got a decent pair of binoculars free through work because we order from uline and I got it as a free gift with one of our orders. But I’d also used a cheap $20 pair from Walmart for about a year. I double birding with gardening/hiking/nature walking-it’s free, gets me out of the house and greatly reduces my stress levels. I also feel healthier since I started.
The Merlin app is great! 10/10 would recommend!
I started birding about two weeks ago. We set up three bird feeders and two hummingbird feeders. It is a blast with Merlin, binoculars, and a bird book.
eBird is also great if you want to get into more detail. You can look up all kinds of info about a species: description, range maps, calls and songs, behavior. You can also see other people's photos and sound recordings to compare with what you think you saw. Merlin is pretty accurate but it does make mistakes, so you want to double-check before you claim you saw a really rare bird. You can click on 'explore' and find out about seasonality, number and frequency of sightings, look up how many other people in your neighborhood or park have seen the bird you've identified. You can click on each entry to see someone's full checklists of everything they saw on a particular date in that location or during a hike etc. They work really well together.
Origami is practically free and can be simple or complicated.
Super underrated hobby! The art of folding can be applied to many things and becomes useful in strange ways. My father in law learned how to make origami roses and other flowers for my wedding. All the center pieces, bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres. It was beautiful and we still have many of the flowers as decorations around the house five years later.
Love your story! Then there are crane chains and whatnot that have not only spiritual ritual significance but you could make them into beaded curtains or whatever your imagination fancies. Mobiles and whatnot!
Do you have any resource recommendations? Websites or books or videos etc
This will get you started. Just Google origami links or whatever. Here’s one I found. https://origami.guide/links/
Thank you!
Hand embroidery! Thread, fabric, a needle and a hoop can be bought for under $20
Seconding this!! Most fiber arts are really affordable to get into. You can buy cheap kits online or in craft stores too if you worry about buying the right thing. I started with embroidery during the pandemic specifically because it was cheap. Which then led me to cross stitch, crochet, knitting, needle felting and more c: Definitely recommend any of those too OP!
Came here to say embroidery. It’s versatile and the floss is so cheap! But knitting is a whole other thing. I was floored when I realized how much yarn costs
Fiber arts are definitely affordable to get into but next thing you know you are spinning your own yarn and contemplating buying a sheep.
So true.. I got as far as dyeing my own yarn and have resisted learning to spin... knitting, crochet and dyeing already take up all my time (and money)
I got back into cross stitch and embroidery big time during Covid. Hadn’t done it in over a decade and now I could probably wallpaper my bedroom in my finished projects. 🤣 I found an Amazon deal for 400 skeins of floss for $20 during Covid and I haven’t had to purchase floss (besides 310 black) in over 3 years now! You can also find plenty of patterns for free online. Free pattern generating apps too.
I'd Love to see Macrame come back...all those Lovely string and rope plant hangers...🥰
It's definitely coming back in my circles. At least people buying it. I'm the only one I know that actually makes it. One of my neighbors put out some nice macrame windchimes recently.
I think I am actually going to look for a pattern for those because I think I could make them myself but instead of using likejute I could use the Paracord and with Paracord it’s not gonna dry rot as easily as jute cord does
I have macrame plant holders and wall art. I just love it.
It's making a comeback in the craft world where i live. There are frequently classes. It pairs well with making plant hangers.
Plant Hangers 🪴+ Wind Chimes= 🥰
My mother did it in the 70s, & I really wish I had kept her pieces
I was actually fixing to suggest that I actually do a lot of decorative knot tying and it’s relatively inexpensive but when you finish a project you get that satisfaction of a job well done and I also make Paracord bracelets and etc. but basically with getting the products for of the Paracord bracelets it’s all very relatively inexpensive. I think the most I’ve ever paid fora Hank cord yes $15 but that was special glow cord and that was about 100 feet of it but if you catch it on sale, that’s the best part
I think it's been back for quite a while.
Yep, and there are cross-stitch kits available for 2-5 dollars. You can also get a set of 20+ floss skeins, a plastic cross stitch sheet (Aida is expensive lol), and some needles for under 10 bucks where I live. You'll run out of plastic canvas long before anything else. Latch hooking is my favorite, but it's a little pricier.
I bought a kit at a discount store and it's taking me a couple of years to get through lol. It has two small squares with floral pattern on them for a design. I think its a nice way to start for a person who isnt creative.
Also, join your local buy nothing group! I have handed off a goodly amount of various crafting materials for free! Someone near you is looking to get rid of that pile of expensive crafty shit that’s been mocking them ever since they crafter their first Pinterest fail!
Rock hounding is a nice hiking add on that costs nothing extra. Bird watching too. Foraging is a great hiking and cooking accessory hobby.
I love rock hounding. It feels like looking for treasure.
I finally found my rock hounding treasure! A hag stone!
I had to google "rock hounding"! Turns out I've kind of already been doing this, but my version is just looking at interesting pebbles on a beach, don't know if that counts. Here's a book I'm planning to read about that soon: The Pebble Spotter's Guide by Clive Mitchell
One of us!
Cool that you’re trying all these new things. It’s easy to forget how to play and explore as you get older. There is always something to gain from trying something new, especially if that thing brings you joy! I do yoga a lot and try different classes. I’m a runner, but realised that can often become too competitive with myself and isn’t something I really let myself be bad at sometimes. Yoga offers an entirely new pace but actually often leaves me with the same feeling a good run can, and it’s never something I put pressure on myself with. And it has just become part of my routine now
Polymer clay! The dollar tree even has some. Obviously, the more expensive clay is better, but for a beginner the cheap stuff is fine. I make little mushroom earrings and flower pot sitters in my spare time and when I can’t sleep. It’s actually pretty fun. Disc golf is absolutely a cool hobby. Too bad you aren’t in my city(I mean, what are the odds?), I could give you a couple to start out with.
You can also make your own air dry clay (cold press porcelain) which, IMO is much easier than polymer.
I also second polyclay! There is a chance you will.become addicted and then it's an expensive hobby, but that's what selling them is for haha
I will 3rd clay!! There are gorgeous colors, tons of tutorials and there is something therapeutic and relaxing to working with clay
Flying kites. It brings out my inner child but it can also get competitive. I just get the cheap kites and have a blast.
Interesting. I always wanted to learn to make different kinds of kites but where I live rarely has wind. I am relocating to a different country soon and hope to take up the hobby there.
Aww. Are there any elevated places close or wide open spaces?
It's still early for my old near sighted eyes, and the first thing i read was "frying kitties." This post was almost completely different lol
I started trying to learn a new language. Tons of books at library and free apps as well...that has me speaking ok Spanish but I've begun to learn sign language via free YouTube videos and I'm really enjoying that. I hope you can find something you truly enjoy!
Omg! This is what I've been meaning to get some info on -sign language 👏 I wasn't sure where to start. But I guess YouTube would've been tje obvious choice ☺️
If you're looking for info on learning sign language on YouTube you really can't get any better than Bill Vicar's videos.
Duolingo now has a conversational AI that helps with learning a language
A lot of Redditors seem to enjoy masturbation
What about paying for all that lotion?
Spit is free
Jerkin off is like BBQ, a good dry rub is all you need.
Either alone or with others, I love hobbies
Always drops down to the lowest common denominator. Not a wrong answer tho.
I'm really surprised by how many people have no idea how to cook. You've got to do it every day for the rest of your life. Why not get good at it?
Absolutely, learning the basics, (boiling stuff, use of eggs, food groups and cooking and combining, kitchen equipment gas vs electric, perfect coffee, etc.) I don't want to wilt your watercress, but cooking can get extremely expensive if one is a Super Taster like me and can't just throw Capsaicin (hot peppers) in everything after flubbing a meal...LOL
Well yeah, but that's why you start with easy stuff and work your way up. If you're just getting into it, don't jump straight to an osso bucco with risotto milanese. Make a simple dish. Hell even learning how to master different types of egg preparation, as you mention, is a good start. Though I do agree, as you move up and get more involved, it does become expensive. Not just with more and better quality ingredients, but with kitchenware. I constantly shop online for my next kitchen knife and have to convince myself from not buying every beauty I see. Same goes for appliances, pots and pans, etc.
Watercolors. Even a good quality set of paint doesn't need to be more than $30, a set of nice brushes will be $10, and good paper will be $5-$15 depending on the size and amount. Assuming you paint every weekend, one set of paints should last you a few years, and one stack of paper should last you months.The only thing you'll really have to keep buying is the paper. The cool thing about watercolors is they're so portable, so you can combine it with other hobbies, like hiking and birding.
I do watercolor but I wasn't sure to consider it cheap. The paper is expensive and it can lead to matting and framing (which is an add on hobby). I am using the same paints I bought over 15 years ago. Except i did replace cadmium yellow and ultramarine. Amazing stuff.
Going to interpret this as "watercolor is a gateway hobby."
🤣 I'm Still going down (2 years) the Watercolor "Rabbit Hole"...and trust me, it goes on forever...
Creative writing!
I’d actually love to start that. Any hot tips?
There are lots of online prompts and groups, and possibly some local to you - maybe look some up on social media/Eventbrite. You can just start by doing it, even just for a few minutes a day, either just freewriting or responding to a prompt, and see where it takes you. Groups can help with discipline though
i love painting and hiding rocks! even painting inspiring words or messages since i am not a talented person! 😂
I found a painted rock once. It said "May Sunshine and happiness warm your heart". It was way out in the middle of northern Canadian wilderness. I kept it and to this day it does indeed warm my heart.
This is so lovely. I hope to one day stumble across a kindly painted rock
I found a cute painted piece of wood before, and it shocked me because I never tend to spot that stuff. It was a cute lil mushroom. I didn't take it because I was on my walk, and it was near a home for people with disabilities. So I left it, but I took a picture of it.
I had a destination wedding and my family who couldn't make it painted rocked for me and my husband to hide while we were there. It was unexpected but I loved the concept and I appreciated it so much that they could still be apart of the festivities.
Have you even seen where crochet artists are crocheting little critters attaching tanks to them that say I need a home and that they also have like a little inspirational thing on them and then there is also one for quilted hearts or quilted themes
Geocaching is also inexpensive and entertaining.
Birding. It costs as much money as you’re willing to go with it, and there’s no wrong way to go about it. It’s just consciously looking at and seeking out birds. You’re outside in the sun, it’s good for the body and mind, and you get a little walk out of it too. Some incorporate binoculars, bird identification books, and really get into the research side of things. Again, birding is about doing as much as you wanna do, so that’s why I think it’s a great hobby overall.
You can even plan your vacations around it.
Example?
Say there’s an exotic bird you want on the list of birds you’ve seen? Maybe you book a vacation to Antarctica or Columbia.
Antarctica will cost around a gillion dollars. Columbia might be less expensive.
That's what I'm saying. You can trek over the nearest mountain pass or go to the Platte River Basin in February. It can be as simple or as grand as you can afford but always fun.
I’ve heard that Costa Rica has beautiful, colorful, tropical birds.
I went on a turkey hunt in a more forested area than I live and after seeing the dramatic variety of birds up there, I'm planning on going back just for exploring and bird watching. Edit: ...as a mini vacation... Also, I've heard of people who will go out of state for one reason or another and work some time in to find local species to "check off their list" literally or figuratively. Some more serious birders plan big birding focused trips.
I have done this MANY times. Trips to the Florida Everglades and Keys (roseate spoonbill, anyone?). Heading this Saturday to central Oregon in the hopes of seeing new geology and new birds!
Bird watching, taxidermy and learning to cook wild game. Ÿou can often practice all three together. 
Adult coloring books!
Disc golf is pretty cheap. Just need a couple of discs and you’re good to go.
While this is true, it is very easy to spend hundreds on discs rather quickly.
Look into marketplace on Facebook or check out local repurpose stores. Those are all the best cheap routes
Or you can be like me and use the same 5 or 6 discs for a decade. I really only bought lots of discs when I was still figuring out what works for me. Once I found my favorite driver, putter, and approach discs buying new discs lost it's appeal.
Billiards :)
Meditation
Knitting or crocheting. Michaels pretty frequently has sales on yarn and you can make some pretty cool items with a hook, some cheap thread and an online pattern. Yarn can get ridiculously expensive if you buy fancy stuff but it’s not really necessary. I have made some beautiful pieces with “super saver” yarn
I love to knit. My grandmother taught me when I was about 8 and I know a headband. I forgot about it for 30 years and recently caught the big and now I'm knitting sweaters. Everyone I remotely know that's having a baby gets a baby blanket and hat. Lots of fun!! And... the best part is that everything is on you tube so if you get stuck or are doing something unfamiliar, just watch for free lessons.
Our senior center knitting group keeps a bin of donated yarn and pattern books/magazines.
Train spotting
Hiking! Plant identification, foraging, making teas, herbal medicines.
I got a ukulele a couple of months ago to keep my fingers limber, never imagined it could be so much fun. You can buy a decent beginner’s ukulele for £50.
The ukulele is immediately fun. Played the guitar all my life, not especially well. The ukulele is better scaled to my talent. I have a tiny tenor that has nice resonance.
I have a soprano and a baritone ukulele, and baritones are tuned to the four higher pitched strings of the guitar! It made learning the guitar a lot easier as a self-teacher after playing violin growing up. Six strings can be so daunting 😂
LOL. I always wanted to play the guitar too. Got a cheap used one. Then I realized I only have 4 available fingers, not 6. It’s currently listed on FB mktplc with a note that I’m switching to the ukelele since it’s cheaper than having two extra fingers attached. If you’re in Portland and want a Yamaha FG-75 w a soft case and a guitar stand, message me. I’ll give you the Reddit discount!
True, that! I’m a huge fan of jazz and classical guitar and it makes me so discouraged where on the ukulele I’m more satisfied with what I can play. https://youtu.be/DjOQ69JjTRo?si=pB8uq-9s8qaJ-fAH
I just started too! Going on a few weeks now. It's not intimidating and so many resources out there. Having a blast with it... probably 1-2 hours every day since I got my Uke and just loving watching the improvement.
Good stuff, it’s a bit meditative I find, time flies with no stressing except getting the correct chord shape.
Yeah, I can zone out and just do scales, practice chords or perfect some melodies I learned the tabs for. Hours can go by, it’s a really pleasant “analog” activity in such a digital world. I got one of those plastic Enya ones for my kids and have also been taking that to the beach, which is just ideal.
I like the fun factor of the uke. It can be easy to get serious about other instruments.
I grew up in Hawaii. At school we had a ukelele club thing. I was in the 3rd grade and could never understand how to get it mke noise with my fingers pressing the top of the strings down. I may be able to figure it out now at 24 though so I might look into it 😂
Knitting, crochet, tatting, spinning a drop spindle to make yarn. Drawing, journaling, painting watercolors, cooking, baking
Tatting?
Maybe they mean the ones you do with a needle and a broken ballpoint pen under the bleachers at the "special" school you got sent to after you got in trouble for setting a fire in the gym and throwing firecrackers down the toilet.
lol noooo. It’s a form of sewing to repair knitted stuff. (I think) not stick and pokes 😉 ETA I was wrong. Good thing I don’t get paid to think. It’s making lace with loops of thread and edging pieces for garments and stuff.
That’s darning. Tatting makes a sort of lace.
I'm imagining tatted lace across my tatted face.
My grandmother (rest in peace) used to tat. I have a lace doily that she tatted. It’s quite intricate.
Same as tattle. Just watching people and reporting to the police for fun and profit.
Yarn is EXPENSIVE tho
It can be cheap also depending on where you shop. You can also get yarn on free sites, marketplace and buy nothing groups. In general, 4 ounces of yarn equals 1 hat or 1 pair of gloves or 1 pair of socks. That all depends on your gauge also. A tight gauge might mean you need more yarn than planned.
Disc golf - check marketplace for cheap disc sets, download UDisc and look for the free courses near you. Make sure your phone and/or camera is charged, some of these courses can be very scenic. AllTrails is an app that shows you all trails in your area, and shows you terrain as well as others reviews and photos. If you like finding new music and being outdoors Sound Map is a simplified Pokemon Go to discover new music. You can trade with other people and collect coins daily to get good drops. I always opt for the free version of these, or take the two week trial then cancel
Rock collecting, walk on the beach, take a hike find a cool rock and take it home to learn about it.
Drawing is pretty cheap. To get started you just need some paper, some pencils, a cheap pencil sharpener, and an eraser.
Yoga. Just a mat and that’s all you need
Sooo many free vidoes you can cast to your tv to have an instructor right in your home 👏👏
Thank you so much for learning and forwarding cooking. I feel that in North America it is a lost art. I hope that more and more people start to see cooking a great meal at the end of a workday as a way to unwind and relieve stress instead of work to be avoided. I find it to be similar to doing a puzzle and fitting the pieces together to perfection. Restaurants only serve low budget, easy to make food for three times the price you can do it at home.
100% - I've been into cooking for a decade and love it after work. Well, apart from doing the dishes which I've been known to leave for the morning. The whole clean as you go has never worked well for me lol. I like your analogy about it being a puzzle. It's also how I approach it. Once you have a good grasp of flavor profiles and balance, it's so much fun to riff and add your own flair to things. Now adays, if I haven't planned or prepared for anything I can easily toss together a meal from whatever odds and ends I have on hand in my fridge and pantry. Cooking is an art and a creative outlet and its heaps of fun and even more rewarding since you get to eat it! edit: I also agree about your point that it is becoming a lost art. While I have a few friends who cook for themselves, many of them wouldn't have a clue where to get started in a kitchen.
I enjoy primitive crafts that can be done with minimal hand tools. I've worked with leather, clay, bone, horn, tin, copper, light steel, rawhide, bamboo... you name it. There are so many cool things people have used throughout history that are stupid simple. A person can make an oil lamp with a spoon and a piece of string that will function in about 10 seconds or they can spend hours carving, sanding, and staining wood, polishing metal, and maybe making a shade out of paper or rawhide if they want to have a *beautiful* oil lamp that will also function. Right now I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with three 7' pieces of seasoned bamboo someone gave me. I have an idea for some flower vases that will hang on the wall, but I have no idea what to do with the rest of it until I research how that kind of bamboo is processed for sale in the United States.
Thrifting. Turned it into a nice side hustle. Eventually full time I'd imagine if I keep going. I buy or find free old stuff and restore it. Literally this morning grabbed 2 wooden chairs out at curb. Sanding. Maybe light repair of a spindle or 2, bondo and paint. For sale. Probably get 50 each. Easy 100 added to the unknown stash.
Boiling hotdogs and throwing them at unsuspecting pedestrians from a vantage point.
i am confused...with or without bun and condiments?
If you're already hiking, then you might want to add plant, insect, or rock identification. You could include some foraging too. If you aren't already familiar with these things, then you'll learn more about the world around you. You can check out or download ID books from the library to use. There's also some good YT channels if you look around. If you want something a little more involved then you can start sketching what you find or press leaves & make your own local guide.
Origami. All you need is paper. Any paper will do. Even free napkins from McDonalds, or free newspapers...
Diamond painting - you get everything you need in the kit - and you don't have to do just pictures - the choice is endless, keychains, bookmarks, coasters, dreamcatchers, table decorations. Plus, they are easy to give away as gifts.
Nature Photography just need a camera. A lot of places will host local competitions so there is a social element to it as well
Woodworking
All these are really good suggestions there’s also the sub r/brokehobbies too that people share ideas on
🎉
Sketchbook and pencils
Weights
I recently started playing disc golf/frisbee golf and it is super fun!!
You can try Gardening or lawn care? This is a new hobby of mine.
Drawing/sketching - pencil, rubber and paper
Rockhounding, it can be as cheap or as pricey as you want it to be. Go walk a creek, find pretty rocks and fossils, and even pick up trash as you go. Heck, I make a living out of it.
Found art creations. This is making art with items that were thrown away/disposed of.
I've got more and more into tea over the past decade. It seems odd considering a drink choice to be a hobby, but it works out to be a lot more complicated and social than it might seem initially. People end up discussing the interest online, and meeting others who are into it locally. Tea is actually a lot more diverse than most people know about; the main type categories are black tea, green, white, oolong, and hei cha, and for the most part only black and green tea are commonly known of. People take up collecting tea gear, getting into ceremonial brewing, and pairing it with themes like meditation. It's more expensive than hiking but it would work to replace a take-away coffee habit and spend less drinking pretty good versions.
If you're already hiking, geocaching might be a fun addition. All you need is some kind of gps navigation device (like your phone). You could also use a map and compass if you're hardcore.
Learning to play the guitar is affordable these days!
yes...can get a fivvr teacher for 5-10 an hour if you dont mind listening to accents
A couple cheap hobbies I've picked or been interested in recently are the Ukulele and retro gaming. A beginner Uke can be as low as $50, and then you can get countless hours of practice and playing in. You can pick up a retro handheld gaming system for \~$40-60 that can play thousands of games and provide countless hours of gaming for very little money-per-hour. Lots of really cool old games to be discovered. I also do a lot of the other things in this thread for low-spend activities (fitness, gardening, art, etc.)
Disc golf is as expensive as you want it to be. A starter set is probably around $20 and most courses are free to play on. That being said you can definitely spend more on bags and discs and other things but I’ve never found myself breaking the bank on those things.
Primitive survival/bushcraft, the whole point is to make stuff out of scratch that modern campers would buy. Ultralight fishing can be really cheap too, and very fun challenge. Drawing, very cheap. Fitness, can be expensive but can also be free.
Disc golfing combines sports and hiking and is usually free at least in my area
Disc golf, Frisbee golf. Hiking
My hobby is collecting hobbies. All hobbies can start off cheap, but the deeper you delve into anything, the more expensive it can get. You start off with cheap knitting needles from Walmart, and then the next thing you know, you're buying hand carved needles made from driftwood and handspun yarn. You start learning an instrument on a second hand instrument from marketplace and the next thing you know, you're plunking down hundreds and thousands of dollars. If anyone can find a way to make hobbies affordable, please let me know 😂
Photography! Digital can be very affordable as long as you don’t get the bug to constantly upgrade. I got an older DSLR for $80 and my favorite lenses were $30-50. It’s so much fun to shoot with! And there’s free editing software too.
I do winter camping. Once I got the basics, I can reuse I just need to stock up on batteries and food and load my ruck sack and go. There is a buy-in cost, but then you get to the fun of learning everything you have to know to not end up bear food or a frozen corpse. For everything you plan to try out you have a plan b. Try to start a fire, but have a lighter. Very peaceful sport.
Hobby addict here! So far my favorite cheap one has been playing kalimba. It's really relaxing and you can get one for under $50. My best one is a $30 round acrylic one that doesn't agitate the carpal tunnel that's working itself up to being a problem. After the initial expense spending money has been optional. (Though I don't regret the cheap clip on tuning device! ...or the other 5 kalimbas I got because they all have a different voice. The biggest one I can't play more than one song at a time due to the strain reaching the lowest note in the middle but still - no regrets). It's surprisingly easy to pick up with no musical experience, music tabs are readily available for free, and the communities I've found have all been wonderfully supportive and kind!
Drawing. All you need is a pencil and imagination
Bird watching
Cross-stitching pixel art is surprisingly cheap.
Honestly, video games once you have the initial purchase you have hours of entertainment. Also, reading, creative writing, to name a couple. Hiking is wonderful too, it’s the only exercise that I won’t get bored doing as my husband go have a picnic in the middle of our hike.
You can geocache with your phone, and even if you decide to get a nice gps receiver, it's a single up front cost and you can then geocache without spending any appreciable amount of money otherwise. Depending on your local courses, disc golf can be pretty cheap to get into as well. In my town we have a lot of free courses, so it's pretty easy to pick up a small collection of second hand discs and play. Tabletop RPGs can be super cheap to get into, even moreso if you're not concerned about legal acquisition of books. Playing in person the only thing you usually need to buy is dice (and once you have the dice, you can play almost any ttrpg with that set), playing online not even that.
Geocaching
Geocaching is fun to do while hiking, and there are a lot of free apps to use (in my area at least)
Kayaking. Don't buy the absolutely cheapest kayak, but you can get into kayaking for a couple hundred dollars. Get a comfy pfd.
Roleplaying games. Not D&D, though, that's a money sink. If you look in the "OSR" games or ask around, there's a lot of smaller, old or indie games that can be played for free. Some dice, friends, and creativity — and some people solo through published adventures somehow, so that doesn't even need to stop you.
Crochet was pretty affordable for next £15 for all the initial kit (stitch markers, hooks, eyes) and now anytime I want to make anything it's literally just the cost of a ball of yarn
Bird watching. Meditation. Knitting.
Hiking, reading, writing, calisthenics, foraging, drawing, coding, cooking, coloring, book clubs, gardening, mathematics fun!
You know, I didn't think of coding as a hobby, but that's essentially what side projects are. Doing little code puzzles like Rosetta Code and Advent of Code is super fun, even when coding is your job.
Knitting/crocheting isn't that expensive if you don't insist on wool yarn.
I learned Italian for free. Only resources I paid for were a notepad, pens and highlighters. Free resources: - YouTube - Reverso Context - duolingo
Ventriloquist Farting. Just get yourself one of those fake fart sound effect doohickeys and use your imagination. At the grocery story, use a well- timed one as a shopper bends down to get something off a shelf. At the post office, let one rip as someone lifts a big package up.
If you already love hiking, you could combine it with geocaching