Cheap/affordable hobbies

joshykins on 06/11/2017 - 20:53

What do you folks do for fun that doesn't break the bank?

my brother and his friends go waterskiing and fishing which requires a boat, trailer license etc $$$
my old boss used to race his own v8 supercar for fun. huge $$
Many of my peers love a pint of five a few times a week. hits the wallet hard $$

I like to watch movies. never more than a few dollars to hire online if i can't find them on streaming. I buy cheap wine and if its super nasty i cut it with softdrink.
my biggest investments have been my Xbox, speakers and TV…but they are longterm rewards (under $1000, 3 years of value).

What do fellow ozbargainers do to unwind on the cheap?

General Discussion

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 08/11/2017 - 16:00

    Trekking/bush bashing/camping.

    Starts cheap - pair of proper shoes (~$300).

    Becomes a little expensive when you need more gear but uncertain how to progress - very variable amount of money spent/wasted here.

    Start realizing that more gear = more weight. The hobby becomes cheapish again. Can be expensive if you're going ultra light gear or custom. Hopefully you would've stopped buying junk at this point.

  • freakatronic on 08/11/2017 - 16:02
    +9

    If you live in Victoria, carrying out violent home invasions is free. The judge will probably apologize to you for your having been arrested.

    • Windows7forever on 08/11/2017 - 17:43

      Lol

    • OzzyOzbourne on 08/11/2017 - 19:29

      And if you're exceptionally unlucky, you'll get free hotel and flight back to your home country.

      But you'll need to be caught doing a huge number of home invasions before that happens.

      • freakatronic on 08/11/2017 - 20:35
        +1

        Even if you're caught doing a large number of violent home invasions, tax payer funded bleeding hearts will appeal the deportation order. It's really the perfect cheap/free hobby.

  • OneMoreTune on 08/11/2017 - 16:30

    Get some decks and a mixer mate and learn to DJ. Don't need anything special to start with.
    Addictive, great fun and you'll eventually be dj'n weddings making coin (if you want to).
    If you like electronic music that is.

  • Euphemistic on 08/11/2017 - 17:00
    +5

    Gardening: If you grow the right stuff it will make you some money. If you grow the wrong type of stuff you can make a lot of money, or make some new friends in blue uniforms.

    I hear chemistry can be an income producing hobby as well.

  • baldur on 08/11/2017 - 17:23

    What about tennis?
    Do you reckon it'd be expensive for a beginner?

  • MessyG on 08/11/2017 - 17:35
    +2

    Thought of a couple more:

    Breadmaking - especially if you make sourdough from scratch (this involves cultivating wild yeast from the flour and air, you basically put flour and water together and add more over a two week period until it starts to bubble and come alive) - it's a particular fun experiment with tasty results. Does require you to keep your starter alive. Even if you don't make sourdough and just buy a bread machine - if you buy a 10kg bag of bread flour on sale and make your own bread in that, it works out around 50 cents a loaf. If you don't want to splash out for a bread machine, making it yourself is very rewarding, just time consuming.

    Yoghurt - I bought one of those Easiyo things in Coles and love it - you can just use one of their mixes the first time, and after that you just need a tablespoon of the yoghurt you made to start off the next batch. You can flavour it how you want, control the amount of sugar, and if you use powdered milk (which is fine), you'll be able to make yoghurt much cheaper and will generate way less packaging waste too.

    • sourdawg on 10/11/2017 - 16:00
      +2

      I was a stay at home dad for a whole, baked a loaf of sourdough every day, then the power bill came in! I'm back at work now and my wife is very happy with shop bread again haha. I'd recommend baking 2 or 3 at a time if you choose to take this up

  • Windows7forever on 08/11/2017 - 17:39

    Home gym, foozball, Xbox 360( last Gen tech), cask wine, internet/computers, guitar, digital radio, DVDs.

  • Kamsi on 08/11/2017 - 18:06
    +1

    bush walking ..

  • Payne on 08/11/2017 - 18:13
    +2

    Anything free or cheap in your area on https://www.meetup.com/

  • MathNerd on 08/11/2017 - 19:08
    +4

    If you really liked a subject at school, keep up with the exams that happen every year and get posted to the relevant curriculum authority's site.
    I'm in Melbourne so did the VCE back in 2008, so I check on all the maths exams every year, both Methods and Specialist. It's quite exciting seeing what the examiners come up with every year, and for the fun of it I type up professionally typeset solutions The 2017 Maths Methods exam was this morning and here's my solutions :)
    For you it'd be the SACE I think?

    • PAOK11 on 08/11/2017 - 19:37

      no wonder I failed school

      • MathNerd on 08/11/2017 - 19:38

        Haha what do you mean mate?

        • PAOK11 on 08/11/2017 - 19:39
          +1

          clicked on the Maths Method exam link and instantly regretted it

        • MathNerd on 08/11/2017 - 19:39

          @PAOK11: Did you do VCE?

        • PAOK11 on 08/11/2017 - 19:41

          @MathNerd: Yes, in 2008.

        • MathNerd on 08/11/2017 - 19:48
          +1

          @PAOK11: Haha join the team! Everytime I see the 2008 exams it brings back those memories…

    • mooboy on 10/11/2017 - 10:55
      +2

      Username checks out…

  • OzzyOzbourne on 08/11/2017 - 19:31
    +4

    Volunteer work to help others.

    • chiazone on 09/11/2017 - 08:44

      Free and you'll get Karma Points

      • ChaLuo on 09/11/2017 - 10:21
        +3

        Where do the karma points come from?
        and what can I redeem using these points?

        • PAOK11 on 09/11/2017 - 21:33
          +2

          scan at church redeem in heaven

  • haidasalami on 08/11/2017 - 19:38
    +2

    Stamp collection ?

  • Black Brown Blue on 08/11/2017 - 19:53
    +1

    PS4, Netflix, Tennis, Hiking, Cooking
    Lots of other things mentioned in the thread are great ideas too.

  • ggkfc on 08/11/2017 - 20:25

    mining BTC

    • freakatronic on 08/11/2017 - 20:37
      +3

      At this point it's not cheap at all.

  • glumanda on 08/11/2017 - 20:32
    +2

    Learn to play bridge, it will be the most mind challenging game you will ever play! It will likely prevent Alzheimer's too.

  • SuperMid on 08/11/2017 - 20:46
    +2

    i count sleeping in as a hobby: something that you dont do frequently enough, but which brings immense pleasure once done.

  • DevilsPredicate on 08/11/2017 - 22:03

    Use your local skate park. Get a skate board, scooter or BMX and have some fun. Heaps of 2nd hand ones if u want to get started cheap.

    • apey2000 on 08/11/2017 - 23:32

      rolleblades…

      • jacross on 09/11/2017 - 11:30

        Rollerblades are heaps of fun.

    • jacross on 09/11/2017 - 11:29

      I was going to suggest this. Then I realised that (just like photography) I've eventually become a bit of a gear whore.

      If you can avoid that temptation then skating is super fun. I bought a sweet longboard ($200 or so new) for $40 as my first board and entertained myself for many an hour.

  • Willy Bargin on 08/11/2017 - 23:18

    I like gaming, you can get 2nd hand gaming pc for $300 ( 280x GPU, 8 Gb ram, some type of i5 or i7, 4670k 4700k ) + internet connection + steam free to play games.

    you could also do a hobby that produces a small income or at least pays for the cost of the hobby, gardening, scrapbooking, cooking.

  • Kapinny on 08/11/2017 - 23:39

    +1 for computers

    Build a PC using used parts is a great hobby :)

  • jelko on 09/11/2017 - 00:20
    +1

    Build a web site that reviews products. Get an Amazon affiliate link and then post these links on your website.

  • congo on 09/11/2017 - 00:34
    +2

    Don't fall into the rabbit hole of collecting headphones & audio gear. It is not cheap!

    • baldur on 09/11/2017 - 06:54

      I even consider becoming a vinyl collector but the cheapest ones start from 30 dollars. Damn.

  • Illian on 09/11/2017 - 01:48

    Not something I currently do, however does look interesting and ends up with something cool. If you want to kill plenty of time try Pepakura, all you need is a printer/paper/xacto knife and infinite patience to build like a life-size Link or something, pretty much all the files can be found for free.

  • sunnyc on 09/11/2017 - 01:55
    +4

    Well I have a few hobbies, Playing with a dog, write a couple blogs, run a few online sites, run a couple of aquariums, I have a small aquaponic setup, a garden, I occasionally dabble in some ganja and play occassional games online.

  • T1OOO on 09/11/2017 - 02:28
    +3

    Play chess.

  • knock knock on 09/11/2017 - 06:03

    How about a telescope, good ones start from $120-$150 onwards. You'd be amazed.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/11/2017 - 08:15

    Pick up artistry

    Fapping

    Shoplifting….

  • myusername on 09/11/2017 - 08:19

    shadow puppets

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 09/11/2017 - 09:22
    +3

    Teach yourself to cook. Chicks/dudes love it, family and friends will love it.

    Run. When you can run 5km, run farther. When you can run 10km, run fartherer.

    Chess. Either in person or online. Easy to play, difficult to master.

    Read a book. Read more books.

    Learn a language. è divertente.

  • kaleidoscope on 09/11/2017 - 09:43

    I don’t do hobbies with that mindset of doing it on the cheap though… do what you like and stay within the limits you can afford and be proud and happy with what you do.
    I game on xbone, ps4 and phone + explore model rail roading stuff and netflix and also bit of cooking on weekends. Gaming on consoles, if you wait a few weeks after launch date for games you can get good deals + 2nd hand on ebay/gummy for games you don’t reallly care much for dlc you get with new games etc…
    i usually set aside $200 from salary for hobbies if that helps.

    • joshykins on 09/11/2017 - 13:26

      baby, mortgage, car loan etc limits funds for me. once upon a time it was whatever i could think of- i'd give a crack.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/11/2017 - 10:10
    +1

    I've spent a decent amount of time swapping hobbies and below are some of the cheapest imo.

    Sports - Basketball maybe. only need shoes and a ball and go to some public park. I now do badminton which i pay $5 / 2 hours of court session to play in a club twice a week.

    Street Magic (Specifically Sleight of Hand) - only need a pack of cards and there's heaps of resources online. Cardistry will take up a lot of your time as well. I was a card sharp once by hobby and good times having fun.

    Professional Yoyo - buy a good yoyo, packs of strings and lubricants and you're good to go.

    Phone Photography - can't go wrong. plenty of free photo editing apps as well. Open a 500px and flickr account and join forums.

    Programming - Android / iOS development. heaps of resources that will eat up your time.

    Gaming - PC gaming to be exact. Lots of good titles to come back to.

    • Yaren24 on 09/11/2017 - 15:46

      Public park is good for Basketball, but it can be dusty and there are a lot of branches, indoor basketball is the way to go but hard to find though.

      • [Deactivated] on 10/11/2017 - 21:18

        Yup and indoor requires booking sometimes. inconvenient, but better.

    • thriftybunny on 10/11/2017 - 10:17

      Where do you pay $5 for 2 hours of badminton court? That's really cheap!

      • [Deactivated] on 10/11/2017 - 21:19

        I would have thought clubs charge that amount generally? If it's just me renting the court, it's $20 / hour, but being in a club makes it cheap. We get new shuttles as well, albeit not yonex :P

        • thriftybunny on 11/11/2017 - 11:07

          Ah I see, $20 is how much I pay for court hire, per hour. I better look into joining a badminton club :)

        • [Deactivated] on 11/11/2017 - 11:55
          +1

          @thriftybunny:

          Yeah. The advantage with renting your own court is that you get the option to practice a specific skill with another person. In a club, you play normal double games so you don't get to practice on a move. However, your general skill level will improve as you get to play with different people. I used to be that guy that just smashes everything.

          To get into costing more, I joined a club where it's game time twice a week so $10 / week is not bad. Wear and tear on the strings isn't that bad as well that i've been using mine in my voltric for nearly a year now BG80 at 23. I use a towel grip so i buy a $40 roll and change them on my own when it's time.

          Edit: maybe it's also cheaper in my club as it has a small funding from the university haha.

  • Sammy2000 on 09/11/2017 - 10:18

    I am thinking about taking up archery after I saw this deal : https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/340696

  • ozmian on 09/11/2017 - 11:07

    plenty of nature to get out in..

    go for hikes, grab a mountain bike and go mountain biking, can ride along the torrens or along the coast. northern expressway (side).. theres a few sites with bike tracks also walkingsa.org.au for hikes.. ymca's for group sports

    kayaking in adelaide depends where you are but off coast, torrens island, mawson lakes, onkaparinga.. if you wanna go fishing i have a boat for sale in adelaide atm ;)

    grab a tent and go for a 1-2 night camp every few weekends.. mt crawford or up on the murray river.. lots of places you can sit and relax for a cost of $20 or so, throw a rod in

    try meetup/FB groups if any interest you but you'd like to also socialise more.. is bike, walking, kayaking meetups all the time.

  • JajaMinx on 09/11/2017 - 11:29
    +1

    Definitely not Lego…

  • abuch47 on 09/11/2017 - 11:37
    +3

    Im very similar to you raised on cheap hobbies and so cant justify the costs of expensive hobbies.

    In order of how much time i spend but not necessarily favourite:
    anonymous social media (forums, reddit)
    Gaming (PC, PS, mobile)
    Food (oh (profanity) yeah) and no al drinks (coffee, tea, softies)
    at home movies/series (netflix, mag links)
    Sport (social, club, or pickup bball and soccer, thinking bout footay, yoga, strength training)
    Housework (remodeling or maintenance)
    walking the dogs (trails, beach, dogparks, going away and driving through aussieland)
    shopping (online or homewares, just curbed my shoe addiction)
    Travelling (whether big trips abroad or smaller trips stateside)
    Cooking (love food but too lazy/busy to do enough of this)
    Reading (asoiaf)
    Gardening (I wish I did this more)

    Things I dont do but wish I did:
    VOLUNTEER
    learn a language
    learn to code
    learn an instrument
    get hifi equipment

  • WaterDragon on 09/11/2017 - 11:38
    +1

    Origami - Paper Folding

    This hobby only need some paper and easy to find tutorials or videos online.

  • Shwayne on 09/11/2017 - 11:46

    Archery? Go to your local range and pay the training fees to borrow and learn archery, then you can pick up a bow for not a great deal of cash and do your own shooting.

    Rock climbing is fairly fun, get experienced in the gym, then take it outside. :)

  • edgar28 on 09/11/2017 - 12:26

    Saving money as hobby (and get kicked out of Ozbargain)

  • Emphasise on 09/11/2017 - 12:29
    +3

    You don't need a boat to go fishing, OP. Plenty of land based fishing areas you can go to. There are a couple facebook groups that are land based and people share godo spots. If you just want a rod that works, Kmart sell a few that are cheap for around $20-$30. Bait is only a few dollars as well. It's very relaxing and once you catch your first fish you'll be hooked!

    • Count Shagula on 09/11/2017 - 13:42
      +1

      I target Jew/Sharks off the beach and it’s no longer a cheap hobby lol :(

  • Dreamcast on 09/11/2017 - 12:38
    +1

    I play my dreamcast of course.

    Get fit. Workout at home and go walking. Helps you unwind and is good for you.

    • joshykins on 09/11/2017 - 13:30

      haha dreamcast ftw.

  • AlanHB on 09/11/2017 - 12:38
    +2

    I play guitar and PS4.

    Guitar can be cheap, depends what you want to do. If you just like playing in the house, a $400-$500 acoustic will go well. If you want to get involved in bands, costs can increase.

    • joshykins on 09/11/2017 - 13:31
      +3

      I'm actually a professional musician so at least i get to buy nice music things

      • AlanHB on 09/11/2017 - 14:30

        Sweet :)

  • MAKAMAKA on 09/11/2017 - 12:54
    +1

    RC Toys

  • buckster on 09/11/2017 - 12:56
    +1

    Gardening a good way to chill out - if you have space for it

  • CarnivalMonkey on 09/11/2017 - 13:06
    +2

    i work a second job as my hobby

  • ryzie on 09/11/2017 - 13:12

    studying

  • heysoph9 on 09/11/2017 - 13:13
    +1

    Hiking and going to the beach.
    Bar a bit of petrol, it's essentially free and takes up the whole day.

    A see a lot of people have commented geocaching and bushwalking already - I recently started doing rogaining which is like orienteering but more like hiking. Costs $30 to enter events and you can take it whatever pace you like.

    • joshykins on 09/11/2017 - 13:32
      +1

      we certainly are in the lucky country for walks, hikes and camping.

  • Count Shagula on 09/11/2017 - 13:41
    +1

    I collect video games even though I have no time for playing them. Mostly buy them $10 a pop or less. It started off as a casual innocent thing and has evolved into oh no I now have over 4000 different discs, nearly every game for current gen consoles on disc, most of all the best last gen and previous games on disc, god only knows how many cartridges and an entire shipping container worth of Skylanders and Amiibo (Insurance write off damaged auction). Thanks to the container I now buy to sell as well and by sell I mean I have doubles and triples and then some because I generally don’t have time to sell them either. I feel like I’m playing some kind of next level abstract Pokémon game where I have to catch all the games ¯_(ツ)_/

  • magikz on 09/11/2017 - 13:58

    Probably avoid Pop Vinyl collecting as it gets a bit out of control

  • The General on 09/11/2017 - 14:27
    +2

    Learn a new language.

    • Froot Loops on 10/11/2017 - 04:03

      I second this. Norsk is prob the easiest and is somewhat useful if you like cold climates

  • lancedefrance on 09/11/2017 - 14:29
    +3

    OP if you are looking for ideas then I suggest learn cooking, it will help you long term, it will save you money and girls will like you even more.

    Also learn through the many online courses available over the internet. Free education, and is fun if you are learning a topic you are interested in.

    Listen to podcasts, they are free and there are amazing ones out there on every topic imaginable.

    Lastly hit up the local library for a book, its free and will keep you busy and occupied for a while.

    • DarthAntz on 09/11/2017 - 17:07

      second the library, self study, cooking and podcasts. skill yourself up with the bountiful resources for free. work at becoming more organised. teach yourself the best way you can study and learn and stay committed to your own learning and development.

      and its awesome learning how to work with single ingredients and learn versatile ways to make things. ive recently been making tortillas with cake flour (dolce), and by deep frying them im making burritos. very simple, quick and versatile.

  • cannedhams on 09/11/2017 - 16:33
    +1

    I bought a tin whistle from the Salvos for $2 and have been playing it for a year now. I have played it heaps, way more than my guitar.

    The fact that you can just grab it and start playing away makes it a very good instrument for time-poor and money-poor people. As compared with a guitar where you have to pull it out of the cupboard, lug it around, tune it, stop the kids from stepping on it, etc.

    Of course, now I want to get a serious (expensive) whistle, but I guess thats the way hobbying goes.

  • dynamic007 on 09/11/2017 - 16:35
    +1

    Sport - play indoor soccer, badminton, tennis all on the cheap!

  • love2buy on 09/11/2017 - 16:42
    +1

    wood work is fun. design your own furniture. plenty of ideas online.

  • DarthAntz on 09/11/2017 - 17:03
    +8

    I live near a beach that has a lot of rubbish wash up, and cleaning the beach is very fulfilling and rewarding. I dont buy plastic bottles anymore as a result. Ive found treasure and reusable items, made a bouyant net for when i dive for shellfish, and made the place safer for all beach patrons by removing a lot of glass and glass bottles.

    This hobby will keep me busy for a long time.

    • Froot Loops on 10/11/2017 - 04:02

      I've always wanted to buy a metal detector and help clean up people's coins and jewelry. Maybe it should be my new years resolution.

      • DarthAntz on 13/11/2017 - 11:29

        good idea. if you find a good brand and price, please share. there are not metal detectors here, so its only win getting one

      • Certified Angus on 15/11/2017 - 22:20

        Watch 'Detectorists' first

  • hepc on 09/11/2017 - 18:00
    +2

    A few of my hobbies:

    Cooking - extremely social activity and really awesome for your own life. You're going to be eating the rest of your life, if you learn to cook you can turn cheap (not to be confused with low quality) ingredients into delicious food to take to work and to provide your friends and family. If you like meat - the Australian BBQ (like american style low n slow) scene is exploding. Buy a bullet smoker like a weber smokey mountain or ProQ or fornetto for $500 and make incredible food. Also look into cooking sous vide - unique technology that's only become affordable for consumers in the past few years.

    Music - I play in a band in the soul/funk/pop scene in Melbourne. The people you meet through musician circles are really interesting and have different perspectives on life, this really helped me to have contrast in my life when I was working in management consulting. Also going to gigs is really fun and different to the normal going to a bar with work m8s on friday type deal.

    Hiking/camping - relatively expensive to get set up but once you have gear it's pretty cheap. Borrow gear at the start and see if you like it. If you find people to do it with it can be amazing to get out of the city for even just a weekend, and can feel like a total reboot.

  • No and then on 09/11/2017 - 18:18
    +1

    Learn a language. There are a few language swap programs that are free. You basically meet up with another person who speaks the language you want to learn and in return they learn english (my most likely guess) off you. Its probably the only hobby i haven't spent a single cent on.

    Another one is Meetup. Its basically for strangers with same interests to meet up.

  • ONEMariachi on 09/11/2017 - 18:25

    Playing an instrument. Whilst initial costs can be decently high(though not boat or car costs), those instruments usually last a really long time. I've got a second hand Martin guitar 000-15 that I paid $1200 for and I've had for a decade now. Strings every 2-3 months only cost around $15ish, and the occasional set up (which isn't necessary if you are just doing it for some fun). Works out pretty reasonably for the long term.

  • shernjr on 09/11/2017 - 19:06
    +1

    PC games on sale, indie games, gunpla plastic model kits

  • Cunningham on 09/11/2017 - 19:17
    +1

    https://redd.it/11pqem

    TL;DR: Instrument, Lockpicking, Programming, Graphic design, Sketching and drawing, 3D modelling, Improve penmanship, Read, Practise writing, Working out / getting fit, Expand music appreciation, Composing/making ur own music, Improve singing, Meditate, Pick up a sport, Learn a new language

  • asrey1975 on 09/11/2017 - 20:58

    Collecting bitcoin. On the plus side, you will actually make money :) Just dont sell.
    For other fun things on the cheap, hiking in national parks, wont cost a cent. I do a couple of hours most weekends :)

    Also, try eating out somewhere different, new suburb, somewhere just down the road from where you usually go, thats always a surprise.

    Maybe do a 1hr walk in your area for exercise - you may find some interesting shops/food places you never knew were there! I always find new plays to go/try when I'm out doing my walks after work/weekend.

  • bbaskin on 09/11/2017 - 21:46
    +1

    Buy a good speedcube for around $20 (speedcube.com.au). Learn to solve it with an online tutorial (cubeskills.com). It is very addictive so you will improve very quickly.

    • bbaskin on 09/11/2017 - 21:51

      I have been speedcubing for nearly 4 years now. I own 2x2, many 3x3, two 4x4s,a 5x5 and a 6x6. It has probably cost me around $200 all up on hardware. I have also been to 8 competitions which has cost me $80 total entry fees,a few tanks of petrol and a few nights accommodation for the recent canberra competition.

      Also best thing about the cubing community is that it is probably the least toxic community in existence.

  • OhNoUShiz on 09/11/2017 - 23:08

    https://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/Watch_Parliament

    Watch parliament news. It gets extremely interesting these days.

  • WhereThouArt on 10/11/2017 - 00:32
    +1

    when you said "unwind" for me it's exercise and fitness classes.. my local community gym+pool+spa+sauna +yoga classes etc membership ~$75 a month.. sounds lame to many but investing in your own health and well-being ranks among my top life priorities..

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