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

  • Froot Loops on 10/11/2017 - 04:01
    +3

    I buy things from all sorts of places like 2nd hand shops or bulk lots online and then sell them on eBay. Managed to quit smoking by doing this as I was always distracted. When I did it seriously (like 40hrs a week), I made USD$50k in a year. Kinda gets boring after a while. Hence I studied and became a Pharmacist.

    But my current cheap hobbies are patting random animals and sleeping. If you're also abit younger, just rock up to on campus uni parties. There is normally grog everywhere and those that are 18 are hammered after a breezer, so free grog

    • craigoss on 16/11/2017 - 19:43

      That's what I do. Saturday consists on garage sales and a trip to my favourite 2nd hand shop. I only make $300-$400 a month, nothing major but it keeps me off the punt.

  • Wibbleman on 10/11/2017 - 07:08
    +2

    Ultimate frisbee.
    Very low cost fun sport. Only need grass shoes for traction.
    Very social. Usually around unis
    Takes all skill levels
    Here in SA http://safda.ult.cc/play-ultimate

  • zolinger on 10/11/2017 - 08:10
    +1

    Dont start with watches… it gets more and more expensive. :(

    • Certified Angus on 15/11/2017 - 22:25

      I started with $100 Citizens and realised the trouble I was in, so I started working my way down and have a collection of Aliexpress watches that can't have cost more than $150 all up (about 7 watches). The watchuseek forums are a great place to start.

      • zolinger on 16/11/2017 - 06:09

        I started with a G shock and ended up with a Tissot. I can see myself going for a Tag Monaco :(

  • Edenshaw on 10/11/2017 - 08:40
    +5

    Sadly, my hobby nowadays is checking ozbargain several times a day, watching out for xiaomi bargains

  • lockmc on 10/11/2017 - 08:51
    +2

    Exercise! Go for a walk, run or ride. Join a Gym. Get out and see nature.

  • Munki on 10/11/2017 - 09:19

    Get into photography mate.

    • mooboy on 10/11/2017 - 11:38
      +2

      do for fun that doesn't break the bank

      Unless you're very disciplined, that is a hobby that can definitely break the bank.

      • Munki on 10/11/2017 - 11:48

        Well, to start off you can get great bargains for second hand bodies and a kit lens. But yes, LBA is real.

        • mooboy on 11/11/2017 - 20:03
          +1

          LBA? Is that simialr to G.A.S.?

          But agree, can get good results for not much cash.

        • Munki on 11/11/2017 - 21:22

          @mooboy: Same thing - Lens Buying Addiction.

  • JohnnyP on 10/11/2017 - 09:49
    +1

    I like to buy Lego/Megabloks sets when they are on special and build them. Wife enjoys them too but I now have to fork out more $$$ on a 4th display cabinet in my rumpus room.

  • eggboi on 10/11/2017 - 10:55

    Card counting

  • Cheapo Moose on 10/11/2017 - 11:10
    +1

    I can't believe the amount of comments suggesting gaming or other related activities as a hobby.

    Do yourself a favour. Find a hobby that'll get you outdoors into the fresh air.

    I play golf. While not the most rigorous activity, it still means I'm outside, fresh air. You'll walk about 10 kilometres during the average round and catch up with mates. I look forward to it every week/fortnight.

    • Weezle on 11/11/2017 - 19:27

      What right do you have to tell others how to live their life?

      • Cheapo Moose on 11/11/2017 - 23:10
        +2

        I have no right at all. Sorry if it came across that way. Wasn't my intention.

        I just believe that these days a lot more people would benefit, both physically and mentally, from getting outside a bit more.

        With so many more sedentary occupations these days (office work etc) it would be good to try to offset that a bit.

        Of course if one was a bricklayer or roof tiler, they'd probably love to sit down and unwind.

        • Weezle on 12/11/2017 - 00:29
          +1

          Fair point, i'll pay that

  • Seni0r El Cheapo on 10/11/2017 - 11:20
    +5

    I find free wood pallets and build things. I love working with wood.

    • MessyG on 10/11/2017 - 17:54

      Brewing is actually a really interesting science experiment that you can do and share with friends, I find it odd that your immediate interpretation conflates it with alcoholism!

      I have friends who love going to gigs and are so knowledgeable about music and are clearly very passionate about it - what's wrong with that?

      Also sleeping, jesus, how can you possibly find anything wrong with sleeping. Naps are the BEST.

      • frostman on 10/11/2017 - 19:47
        -2

        What a load of gunk, you'd fine anyone Home Brewing is doing it to satiate their love of Alcohol at a cheap option, the brewing part is instilled in their mind that it's a 'fun' thing to do, cognitive dissonance - look it up.
        Also, here's a link to read on that front:

        http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2013/09/10/384…
        *Commercially-made spirits are very safe because manufacturers use technologies specifically designed to ensure methanol is separated from the ethanol. But home brew systems are typically not so technically advanced, which makes separation more difficult…
        ..Home distillation is illegal in Australia, but nonetheless still happens. Equipment and instructions are readily accessible on the internet…The government turns a blind eye to it, so long as you make alcohol for your own consumption and don't sell it"

        have friends who love going to gigs and are so knowledgeable about music

        So pre-Gig time like Frank Sinatra, people didn't know Music yeah? Only the teens at Big Day Out do

        • MessyG on 11/11/2017 - 08:26

          There are so many ways to know and love music, going to gigs is one of them, loving Sinatra is another - these things aren't mutually exclusive!

          I haven't made beer but I've made yoghurt and sourdough and the fermentation process is satisfying, I completely understand why people might get into it. How is it any different to winemaking?

  • macrocephalic on 10/11/2017 - 12:16

    My creative hobby is photography. It can be as expensive as you want to make it. $400 will get you everything you technically need to take good photos. $3k will get you pro-sumer level stuff. You can spend as many tens of thousands as you want.

    My adrenaline hobby is motorcycling. You can get a starter bike and gear for a couple of thousand. Rego is a few hundred per year.

    • baldur on 10/11/2017 - 20:51

      what gear do you use exactly and what motorcycles would you recommend to a beginner?

      • macrocephalic on 13/11/2017 - 10:35
        +2

        I shoot with Canon - so I have a 6D, off brand 20-35 and 28-75 zooms, the cheaper of the canon 70-200 zooms, one cheap prime at the moment. Off brand flashes and remote triggers. All my (current) gear combined probably cost me somewhere around $3k. It's not the best, but, think of any great or iconic photo that you've seen and it was probably taken on much worse gear than mine. My wedding photographers used worse bodies than my 6D - and we have shots blown up to nearly a metre framed and hung on our wall.

        If I were going to get into photography now, I'd recommend the entry level Nikon bodies. A D3400 with the kit lenses is only a few hundred dollars. There are plenty of used lenses, going back nearly 30 years, which will work perfectly on it. There are lenses going back 50 years which will fit, but might require all manual control.

        As for motorcycles, I ride a big single cylinder bike - like an enduro bike factory converted to a (slow, fat) supermoto bike. When people ask me what bike to buy first I always recommend road going dirt bikes (WR250X, DRZ400SM, etc). They have a lot of low down power, but don't have a very high top speed. They are nimble. They are made to be resilient in crashes (you will drop your bike eventually, even if it's just in the driveway). They have long travel suspension and flexible frames, which, while not good for road racing, are great for Australian roads and preventing crashes. Twice my bike's soft suspension and frame have saved me from highsides; both times I was beyond the point where my skill could have saved me, it was all the bike.

  • Kelalako on 10/11/2017 - 14:37
    +1

    Pokies

  • thord on 10/11/2017 - 15:39
    +1

    Gunpla / plamo

    You can get some really awesome models to make. Models range from $5 to $200 for some really fancy ones, of course there's even more expensive but the average is about $20-$30.

    You can get 50 hours + out of a single kit. Very cool.

  • hieppo on 10/11/2017 - 15:51
    +1

    Learn to draw
    Basic photography even with your phone and photo editing
    Learn some videograpy/film making
    Learn to code
    Practice an instrument (once off payment on the instrument I suppose)
    Plenty of things to do mate!

  • wjb on 10/11/2017 - 16:49

    Get advice from your great-grandparents what hobbies did they have at your age.

    • macrocephalic on 10/11/2017 - 18:25
      +1

      Milking cows. Trying not to die. What else were people doing 100 years ago?

  • ely on 10/11/2017 - 18:38
    +1

    Bike. Something reasonably enjoyable to ride and durable for under $1k on sale and you'll get years of enjoyment out of it.

    That said, sort of depends where you live. Melbourne has plenty of bike paths, Perth had quite a lot too, but Sydney appears to be a nightmare.

  • TurkishDelight on 10/11/2017 - 19:53
    +2

    This has got to be my fav thread on ozb!

  • justinew9 on 10/11/2017 - 20:46
    +1

    There are a lot of good suggestions here. I'd recommend though before you get into any hobby, do your research first. Don't just buy a bike and start riding for example, first research what kind of bikes are out there, what would suit you. If you want to get into photography, don't buy just any camera, etc. A lot of the expenses in hobbies come from ignorance about what supplies you need, and how to use them properly. Try to learn everything you can before you spend a single cent.

  • Fergy1987 on 10/11/2017 - 21:57
    +1

    Brew your own beer

  • subywagon on 10/11/2017 - 23:16

    I prospect for various bikie gangs.

    • [Deactivated] on 11/11/2017 - 00:39

      Really
      I ride
      Not drug dealer/pimp
      Fark the bikies, crumble on their own like biscuit's
      Can't stand up on their own,
      like men

  • Fizzgig on 10/11/2017 - 23:33
    +2

    Jigsaw puzzles bought from vinnies! (95% chance there will be a few pieces missing but hey for a couple of bucks- you're laughing!).

    • pennypincher98 on 13/11/2017 - 09:45

      I got new jigsaw puzzles for $1 at Target (bought them in August, waiting till Christmas to give them as gifts :D)

  • UnderObservation on 11/11/2017 - 15:49

    Target shooting?

  • BS-19 on 11/11/2017 - 19:35
    +1

    Get a dog. Walk it. Meet people. Maintain it.

  • RJK on 11/11/2017 - 21:24
    +1

    You could try playing the spoons.

  • pennypincher98 on 13/11/2017 - 09:43

    Reddit.
    Hours of free entertainment :D

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