In today’s fast-paced world, finding ways to slow down, relax, and pursue interests outside of work is more important than ever.
But, with so many hobbies requiring expensive equipment or costly memberships, finding something enjoyable and affordable can be challenging. Fortunately, there are plenty of hobbies that are either cheap or completely free, making them accessible to all.
A Redditor asked in a popular forum, what are some really cheap or free hobbies? And here are our top picks:
1. Hiking
“Hiking. Find parks or trails in your area and check them out. There are a lot of cool places to explore.” said one.
“As a German student, I can use the train for free in my state, so I’ll use this to travel to different National Parks and hike on the weekends. It’s fun, healthy, and totally free. Best. Hobby. Ever.” another added.
Related: Don’t Waste Your Time: 8 Overrated U.S. Tourist Destinations to Avoid
2. Cooking
“Cooking can be a pretty cheap hobby. I mean, you have to eat anyway, might as well enjoy the process of making your own food.” said one.
“The more you know, the better meals you can prepare with what you have. Cooking shows have challenges around preparing delicious meals with minimal ingredients, so it doesn’t even have to be a complicated/expensive dish every time to be enjoyable and tasty.” another said.
3. Reading
“Free books at the library. Every library’s different. Unlimited supply. You’ll never be bored again.” a Redditor said.
“Reading is not only free with a Library; you can also find many E-Books for free.” another added.
Read: Get Paid To Read Books – 15+ sites to do money reading
4. Programming
“Programming was my hobby until it took over my life and turned into my career,” said one.
“Web development as a hobby can get you a job, so programming as a hobby might even be lucrative. Source: self-taught web developer with a job.” another added.
5. Knitting Or Crochet
“Knitting or crochet. The initial investment in needles is not expensive; yarn can also be pretty cheap if you use mostly acrylic. You’ll also be warm for the rest of your life.” said one.
“Bought a book on how to do it in a day…my dogs now have beds, sweaters, and mittens. I have more hats and blankets than I need, and I donated a lot of what I made to the local tent city downtown. It’s a fun way to pass the time.” said another.
6. Running
“Fitness in general, really. Running, pushups, pullups, dips, all free. Cardio doesn’t cost a dime.” said one.
“This a million times. I also think it’s essential to look at running as a recreational activity and not just something people do to lose weight or get fit.” another added.
7. Origami
“While it’s nice to learn with good paper, any paper works fine. Once you have a few things practiced and up your sleeve, it’s fun to be someplace talking with people and just idly folding paper. Bam, you suddenly put a bird, frog, flower, etc., on the table.” a Redditor said.
“I second that. I started out by just using computer paper that I “borrowed” from my work and just used the internet to find cool stuff to make. Now I never have to buy gifts; I just sit down and make something instead.” another added.
8. Meditation And Yoga
“Meditating does wonders…” a user said.
“I started meditation three years ago, and it has changed my life, and it’s even changed some of the lives of people I’ve told about my practice. Meditation FTW.” said one.
9. Gardening
“I love gardening, I used to be a horticultural landscaper, and after I quit, I kept doing it as a hobby; it really is a great way to use your spare time.” said one.
“I’ve been growing mine for a few years now, and it’s starting to get fairly big. You could also grow small pot plants of herbs or even if you have a spare bathroom that people don’t use or sink, make it dark and damp and grow some mushrooms.” a Redditor said.
10. Boxing
“Boxing is generally cheap. It depends on if it’s your thing, though. Make sure you don’t go to some stupid modern boxing club and instead go to an old-school boxing gym. You’ll sweat bucket loads.” said one.
11. Drawing
You can easily pick up drawing anytime, any day, and anywhere.
12. Learning New Languages
“I’ve really been enjoying learning new languages lately. I use Duolingo, which is free if you have internet. There are a lot of free resources online, and I don’t see any reason to pay hundreds of dollars for programs like Rosetta Stone,” said one.
13. Fishing
“Fishing is pretty cheap. If you are fishing in a lake, you don’t need a very strong rod. Also, if you buy fake bait, it almost always comes back to you,” said one.
14. Flipping Items
“Flipping stuff from thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales for profit. I’ve made $1k net in the last 4 weeks since I started. The stuff u buy is cheap and can have very high-profit margins.” said another.
Read: Best Items To Flip On Ebay and OfferUp
We hope you enjoyed this Reddit discussion on hobbies that are easy to start and cheap too. Do read about 19 Frugal Myths That Don’t Actually Save Money