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

    • outlander on 07/11/2017 - 17:19
      +8

      Another vote for this. You clearly drink, and it would seem you are an honest man who drinks to get drunk, which makes brewing right up your alley. While wine makers might have a wank about palets and flavenoids, and beer makers get all hot over grains and head retention, if all you care about is the alcohol it is remarkably easy to do. I'm going through it now. For less than $25, just about anybody can make up 25L of 20% alcohol

      The best hobbies don't cost money, they MAKE money :)

      If you need any other suggestions for hobbies, this video has a few good ones

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 09/11/2017 - 09:18
      +1

      Homebrewing is super cheap, fun and easy to get into.

      Once you get advanced, like most hobbies, it becomes very expensive (sad face)

    • frostman on 10/11/2017 - 11:29
      -6

      What a dumb idea

      • [Deactivated] on 10/11/2017 - 13:53
        +2

        FarQ

  • blackfrancis75 on 07/11/2017 - 10:23
    +6

    Geocaching! It's like a real-life treasure hunt!

    https://www.geocaching.com/play

    • Godric on 08/11/2017 - 18:00

      Not a fan of their community so I'd only do if you have a close group to hunt with or if you like solving puzzles on your own

      • Dr Doom on 12/11/2017 - 16:46

        What's wrong with their community?

  • HighAndDry on 07/11/2017 - 10:42
    +12

    Hiking. Literally all you need are boots and a water bottle.

    • John Kimble on 07/11/2017 - 11:00
      +17

      Also clothes for the sake of other people.

      • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2017 - 11:26
        +43

        Not always…

    • joshykins on 07/11/2017 - 19:28

      I do this a fair bit. is very rewarding :)

  • Book72 on 07/11/2017 - 11:20
    +4

    If you enjoy motorsport but hate the high cost of attending, then become a marshal. 2nd best seat in the house, free entry (usually includes a guest pass too), lunch provided as well. Contact your local track or call CAMS or ASSA for more details.

  • dashy1 on 07/11/2017 - 11:33
    +3

    Geocaching. A cross between treasure hunting and orienteering.

    https://www.geocaching.com/guide/

  • Randxyz123 on 07/11/2017 - 12:16
    +2

    Everything you have suggested isn't even that expensive. Life is too short to save on every single little thing and not have fun because $$. I'm not saying go out and drop hundreds every day but presumably you have a job and work for your money so why not reward yourself.

    Maybe you can be more descriptive….E.G Title should be hobbies under $50 or something.

    my brother and his friends go waterskiing and fishing which requires a boat, trailer license etc $$$

    Fishing rods are like $20 for cheap ones, boat hire can be done for $80 or so a day split it with 4 mates… You don't need a trailer license (not sure if you forgot the comma) or a boat license.

    Many of my peers love a pint of five a few times a week. hits the wallet hard $$

    Go to bars at happy hour times.

    Golf is a good hobby. Public courses are cheap to play on. Clubs on gumtree are cheap.

    I enjoy travelling. I don't think it's expensive. I buy tickets in the sales and travel at off peak times.

    I've also invested a bit in gaming. I don't do it much though.

    • joshykins on 07/11/2017 - 19:29

      I travelled lots before wife/house/baby. loved it! probably on hiatus for a while tho

  • Quantumcat on 07/11/2017 - 16:51
    +6

    Play Ingress. Gets you out and about. If you take it too seriously it could cost you $ in petrol (but not if you stick to your local area). Make sure you join the blue team (Resistance). Only requires a smartphone and a data source.

    Learn to program, and make cool stuff. Make cool stuff that people will actually use, open source it, join communities of people that will use your stuff and who develop similar stuff, and be proud of yourself. Only requires a computer, and a little bit of data.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2017 - 18:48
    +2

    Ingress is that like dogging?
    Sounds like fun as long as you're careful
    You don't want to end up locked in a box in someone's basement with only a rubber gimp suit to keep you warm.

    • Quantumcat on 08/11/2017 - 10:50

      You can play it intelligently. Don't wander around bad neighbourhoods in the middle of the night. I only play around my work when I'm walking to lunch, and go for walks around my neighbourhood in the afternoon or on the weekend, and sometimes when on a road trip. If you have to play at night, then drive (but this uses petrol of course).

  • SaberX on 07/11/2017 - 19:29
    +5

    Board games. Like the proper euro games or tabletop ones i.e. not just monopoly. Good long fun if you and your friends suit the patience and playing style. In-depth board games arent for everyone but they'll easily take up hours and hours for cost wise. You can easily combinr with wine and cheese boards etc

    • joshykins on 07/11/2017 - 19:30
      +1

      about 5 years ago bord games made a come back. was good fun but not so popular amonsgt friends nowadays

  • samcro on 07/11/2017 - 19:29
    +7

    Buy an Arduino/Raspberry Pi 3 and make some stuff. Thousands of ideas online.

    • HeavenlyHammocks on 08/11/2017 - 01:43
      +3

      Is everybody doing this having at least an IT degree or programming experience? It seems to pop up a lot on OzBargain, as if it doesn't need much experience.

      My friend made a robot that can be controlled by the arrows on a computer, and has a video feed (streamed on the computer) from a phone mounted on the robot. So you log in to his URL, then drive the robot that's in his house and look around with the camera. It sounds difficult to me but he managed to make it by himself plus a little outsourcing. I've made an app for Android, but robots sound difficult. Are they useful?

      • [Deactivated] on 08/11/2017 - 06:35

        Is everybody doing this having at least an IT degree or programming experience?

        Nope. No degree, no programming experience. Basic electronic construction/repair skills, which is helpful but soldering is easy to learn.

        I'm working with small Arduinos for wearable stuff and toys using blinky-lights and sensors.
        The programming interface is easy to use, with most of the code being simple and you can get away with a whole lot just with copypasta and changing one or two parameters.

        Also got some Pi stuff on the go for home use which is more programming and less building, but still pretty easy. And if you're struggling, the community is large, friendly and helpful.

        Robots can be complex, but they're really just a lot of simple things put together.

        As for useful… that''s up to you. I like making fun stuff that makes people smile, but there's plenty of more practical things to make.

    • crentist on 09/11/2017 - 19:05

      i got some kits off aliexpress, boxes full of arduinos, sensors, controllers, actuators, heaps of stuff with huge number of possibilities for barely $50 all up. incredible value

      its mostly been in the cupboard

  • VehemenceThePhoenix on 07/11/2017 - 19:37
    +4

    Gym. Before I started lifting it didn't interest me at all, but it soon became something I couldn't imagine stopping. Plenty of great resources online, e.g. YouTube.

    • joshykins on 07/11/2017 - 19:50

      many years spent enjoying fitness. Maybe getting married or having baby but its not nearly as fulfilling as it once was.

    • baldur on 08/11/2017 - 06:31

      What's your purpose? Keeping your body fit, bulking? Which programme do you follow?

      • VehemenceThePhoenix on 08/11/2017 - 09:34

        Current focus is strength (powerlifting). Actually current focus is more about injury recovery :(
        Not really following a programme until I feel over my injuries / imbalances. Just doing basically legs, push, pull (which I think is good for a lot of different goals).

    • jacross on 09/11/2017 - 11:22
      -1

      Gym can be an expensive (a relative concept) hobby but goddamn do I love it.

      There's plenty of free options anyway.

  • ssyl9 on 07/11/2017 - 19:46
    -1

    Gaming is very cheap and affordable… a 2500 dollar rig(PC) can last you 10 years of gaming (means $250 a year or $5 a week)

    then you can just get cheap/free games like dota/LoL or PUBG etc

    • jelko on 09/11/2017 - 00:17
      -5

      Bittorrent allows you to get free games as well.

      • pennypincher98 on 13/11/2017 - 09:42

        And google gives you free minecraft and Netflix codes.

    • Unrvl on 09/11/2017 - 11:50

      I agree, but wouldn't say 2.5k.

      get a $200 dell optiplex, put a $200 gtx 1050ti in it, play decent games at mid settings.

      competitive games like csgo, rocket league, pubg etc will all run fine and give many hours of fun. upgrade every 2-3 years

  • PictureMeBroken on 07/11/2017 - 20:01
    +7

    Sex

    • John Kimble on 07/11/2017 - 20:11
      +17

      Well, if one person is female and they get pregnant, it will be one of the most expensive things that can happen to a couple. :/

    • joshykins on 08/11/2017 - 10:04
      +3

      yea plenty of that, too. trying for a second child. gotta be very thorough

  • [Deactivated] on 07/11/2017 - 20:25
    +3

    Go Rob a bank and if you do it well you won't break the bank

  • arescarti42 on 07/11/2017 - 20:34
    +4

    -Drones/Quadcopters. You can get a decent beginner drone for ~$50. I've spent hours of fun with my friends down at the local oval racing drones and running them through obstacle courses.

    -Cycling - a few hundred bucks for a decent second hand bike. Keeps you fit and healthy, and you get to see places from a totally different perspective to walking or driving.

    -Photography - i'm sure you have a smartphone.

    All those can be super, super expensive if you want, but they don't have to be.

    • Davo1111 on 08/11/2017 - 15:28
      +6

      No way is drone a cheap hobby.

      A 50 dollar drone is just a gateway drug

  • skywards on 07/11/2017 - 20:45
    +3
    • crafty/sewing - I used to do this which really helped me with my general well being.
    • reading
    • gardening
    • photography

    Now I'm too lazy to do the above so these have replaced them:

    • hay day
    • Stan (3 months free from Amex)
    • naps
    • a second job
    • outlander on 08/11/2017 - 14:09
      +2

      When I read 'hay day' I imagined you running and jumping into different piles of hay, and I got excited cos that sounds pretty fun!

      Disappointed to find out the truth :/

  • Fobsessive on 07/11/2017 - 20:47
    +2

    Exploring craft beer

  • jason101 on 07/11/2017 - 21:16
    +6

    Sell things online or at local markets. I have actually somehow trained my brain over the past 20 years to take pleasure from selling rather than from buying. It's challenging and gives a feeling of accomplishment, even if you only make a few dollars above your costs - you have gained enjoyment and pleasure for free.

    • Windows7forever on 08/11/2017 - 17:41

      But takes effort, time and energy.

      • Wibbleman on 10/11/2017 - 06:55
        +2

        We’re talking hobbies here….they all do.

  • MessyG on 07/11/2017 - 21:44
    +15

    Running - took me a while to get into but did the now famous Couch to 5km program and now love running, fantastic way to unwind and it's free.

    Meditation - download the Insight Timer app for thousands of free meditations.

    Reading - not free but still cheap, I have beat up old Kindle I bought off my brother for $50, get a lot of use out of it. Reading Oliver Sacks work at the moment and loving it.

    Sewing - probably wrong demographic on here but I love making clothes that are quality that I could never afford otherwise.

    Naps.

    Netflix.

    Cooking - it's such a process of experimentation, and so amazing how you can make the same recipe a million times over and it will be different depending on your ingredients, your mood, the moon etc.

    Gardening experiments - I got an avocado from Woollies and did the toothpicks and seed suspended in water thing and now have a young avocado tree. I love getting cuttings and seeing if I can propagate them. Also free!

    • Tasmaniac on 10/11/2017 - 17:42
      +1

      Running's awesome, got to love those endorphins.

  • twobit on 07/11/2017 - 22:11
    +3

    If you looking for a way to interact with people, you may find the SES/Marine Rescue a cheap way to learn new skills - http://www.ses.sa.gov.au/site/volunteer_marine_rescue/vmr_as…

    • Toons on 08/11/2017 - 16:50

      It's a great way to up skill in general a few people i know have done exactly that, paying for all the qualifications costs quite a bit, real world life skills are great to have.

      • it helped them get the job they wanted sooner.

      one of them took up rock climbing/abseiling as a hobby after being coached through it by SES for aiding / rescuing people injured at height.

  • Briefcase Mong on 07/11/2017 - 23:02
    +1

    Gym affordable and always open

  • Hamlet on 08/11/2017 - 00:21

    Photography with your phone :D

  • cryinoutloud on 08/11/2017 - 05:56
    +2

    Programming

  • baldur on 08/11/2017 - 06:27
    +1

    If you are into basketball or soccer, you can find local tournaments which take couple of months.

  • Shiny Mew on 08/11/2017 - 07:28
    +6

    More ethical: volunteering. Less ethical: torrenting.

  • docpol on 08/11/2017 - 09:17

    Hiking, biking, reading, gardening, Netflix/Stan, VR Poker

  • Giamsiap on 08/11/2017 - 09:40
    +1

    Pokémon Go legendary raids!!!

    • b0omp3z on 09/11/2017 - 13:51

      +1 for this.

      This has changed my weekends. Now instead of playing vidya games in a dark, I'm outside on my bike riding around with friends interacting with people.

      If you're a fan of watching numbers go up and have even the tiniest bit of pokemon nostalgia, give it another go.

  • Duram on 08/11/2017 - 09:48
    +1

    Audible + Cheap Games = double the entertainment.

  • PAOK11 on 08/11/2017 - 10:17

    start a blog. Costs nothing initially and may have a small cost attached if you want to grow it. Also is quite social in a modern sense lol

  • cameldownunder on 08/11/2017 - 10:54
    +1

    Going to the beach with metal/coin detector: Walking-Pretty Sight ( sometimes ) and with abot of luck some coins.
    Expenses: Minelab detector ( $240 ), shovel ( % 10 ), petrol to go to the beach.

  • Starlight8 on 08/11/2017 - 11:06
    +1

    lol this isnt cheap but my husband just bought a piano for his new hobby lol

  • Masterpupil on 08/11/2017 - 11:11

    Croquet. Surprisingly fun. Low cost. Learning curve is fairly modest.

    Only problem is that it can be difficult to find a club that has matches that are outside normal working hours, as most of the players are retired people.

  • autolux on 08/11/2017 - 11:45

    this thread is dystopian….

  • hopper on 08/11/2017 - 11:52
    +2

    counting stars

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 08/11/2017 - 12:10

    derrimut gym $399 for a yearly membership often can get it for under $300 if you keep your eyes open - works out to be around <$8 per week

    • baldur on 08/11/2017 - 17:26

      It's already under 8 dollars then.

      • Trying2SaveABuck on 08/11/2017 - 17:29

        8> thats what they means you pay less then 8$ per week if you get an annual membership (>8 that would me more then 8$)

        i think based on 399 it works out to be $7.67 a week which is just under $1.10 a day

  • jchowx on 08/11/2017 - 12:16
    • Painting - i started this recently, can youtube for lessons as well, all necessary items needed can be bought on the cheap from ebay or aliexpress
    • Sport - have started playing basketball and joined a mixed league team
    • Reading - borrowing books from the library or buying cheap used books
    • Gym/Swimming - improving health and getting stronger helps!
    • Started an online business - for the fun of it and as a hobby. Bonus of earning a bit of money.
    • Tasmaniac on 10/11/2017 - 18:31

      What about reading e-books about a paintball business at the gym ?, kills all birds with one stone.

  • djmm on 08/11/2017 - 12:55
    +1

    Midget spotting.

  • Hunter14 on 08/11/2017 - 13:04

    I play indoor soccer every Saturday afternoon. Love it.

  • ruddiger7 on 08/11/2017 - 13:10
    +2

    I have recently taken up the hobby of smoking and barbeque in the last 6 months. I have purchased a great smoker - you can even make your own smoker relatively cheap. Most weekends now I find myself making and experimenting with making different things. Favourites of mine include smoked brisket, Ribs of all kinds and pulled pork. Every week I learn something new and usually very rewarding at the end when you taste the result. Also great to make something sunday and have lunches for the rest of the working week.

      • smr23 on 08/11/2017 - 15:32
        +6

        He means smoking fish/meat, on a barbeque.

        • Euphemistic on 08/11/2017 - 17:01
          +2

          it's a little sad that you had to explain that.

        • KBZ on 08/11/2017 - 17:21
          +4

          @Euphemistic:
          Trouble with people these days reading the first sentence or the headlines.

        • BlazinPast on 08/11/2017 - 23:02
          +3

          @KBZ: I'm impressed that he must have only read half of the first sentence to then feel like he knew enough to comment.

  • magikz on 08/11/2017 - 13:16
    +3

    Udemy courses

    • mooboy on 10/11/2017 - 10:54
      +6

      Let me fix that for you:

      Collecting Udemy courses

      • magikz on 11/11/2017 - 14:34

        Haha I actually take a few of them. I'm an aspiring entrepreneur and full time software developer and it's honestly the best bang for your buck learning platform I've ever used.

        • mooboy on 11/11/2017 - 20:05

          the best bang for your buck

          Does that mean you actually paid for some? For the software development related ones, wouldn't you generally find written tutorials easier to follow than videos?

        • magikz on 11/11/2017 - 22:11
          +1

          @mooboy: Yea I've paid for maybe 5? I wait until $15 sales of course and apply Cashrewards (formerly at 33% now at 25%) which gets each course down to about $10. What makes Udemy great is not only that the content is good (varies of course), but good courses have lecturers who answer every single question.

          I've taken courses on Coursera, and whilst it has some university affiliation which makes the certificates look fancy if that's what you're after, the lecturer only gets involved in forum questions on the rare occasion.

          With regards to written tutorials, there's some good stuff out there, but tutorials usually run out of date, and I generally like watching videos over written tutorials when learning new programming concepts. There's also a way to download all the Udemy videos so you can watch them offline if like me you don't have the best internet for streaming.

        • magikz on 11/11/2017 - 22:13
          +1

          @magikz: I was in mid thought with the last bit. Good courses on Udemy continually update their courses as updates change the software packages that they rely on.

          For $10 I'm getting a lot of production value. I suppose the course maker makes up for it through shear volume of sales though.

  • Haha Hihi Hoho on 08/11/2017 - 13:39
    +1

    3d design? Blender is free and tons of tutorial available free in youtube, CGcookies, etc

  • YellowDieselGolf on 08/11/2017 - 13:51
    +4

    Oh, licking envelopes can be fun! All you have to do is make a game of it.

    Well, for example, you could see how many you could lick in an hour, then try to break that record.

    • FiDad on 08/11/2017 - 14:57
      +4

      didn't work out that well for George Costanza fiancee Susan

      • YellowDieselGolf on 09/11/2017 - 13:04
        +1

        I was doing an obscure reference from a different 90s tv show, but good pickup.

        • Waffles on 11/11/2017 - 08:04
          +1

          Don't worry. I got the reference Seymour

  • sbot on 08/11/2017 - 13:58
    +1

    Play an instrument! My instrument was a bit of an initial outlay of cost but it's free to play. :) I paid for some cheap lessons and now I'm ok enough to read music and try to work things out on my own, and I don't sound so bad that it terrorises my housemates any more. You could follow online tutorials etc. for free.

    • FatBlanket on 09/11/2017 - 21:38
      -3

      I'd like to play your instrument if you know what I mean

  • OzzyOzbourne on 08/11/2017 - 14:15
    +20

    In my spare time I give free advice to people who are looking for something to do in their spare time.

    • outlander on 08/11/2017 - 23:36

      Best comment in the thread

  • airzone on 08/11/2017 - 14:34
    +2

    I did world of warcraft for 10 years.. Pretty cheap. Never again.

  • smr23 on 08/11/2017 - 15:29

    You may not be interested, but basketball is a great hobby. You don’t even need a ball, just rock up to a court full of people and ask if you can play :) same goes with soccer and other sports like that.

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