Cost Effective Hobby Ideas

The king of frugal hobbies. Reading can educate you about the world or grip you with an amazing tale. You probably have a library near you that is full of good books available for free. From literature to biographies, poetry to blogs – there is something for everyone.

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

Humans have occupied themselves by writing since 3200 BC – you only need a computer or a pen and paper and you’re away. Whether you like writing angry letters to the editor or want to work on writing the next War and Peace, you’re not going to spend much money in the process (unless you quit your job to work on writing full time – not a frugal move!)

Painting, sketching, doodling or being creative with a pencil. Drawing is one of the cheapest ways to pass the time.

There are heaps of wonderful free resources available online to help you learn a language. You can listen to podcasts on the way to work or work through a structured course. Soon enough you’ll be speaking French (or Klingon).

If I can do it, you can too. It’s a great way to lay down challenges for yourself and provide yourself with accountability. Telling the internet about a goal you have is a great way to stay on track. Wordpress is the most popular option for blogging software if you want to go down the self-hosted path, and for good reason.

Play chess: The ultimate game that will improve your mental dexterity. You could spend your whole life getting better at this game.

Educate yourself: Learn how to do anything. Do an open university course. Read Wikipedia. Learning about the world is fun and will make you a better person.

Volunteer your time: To a lot of charities, this is more valuable than your money.

Mentor an at risk child: Many children today grow up without good role models. There are a number of charity groups that facilitate mentoring sessions. It’s bound to be difficult but would be very rewarding to both parties. It’s something I’m planning on doing when I retire.

Found a charity group: If you’re passionate about a local issue or cause, get involved and start a group to raise money.

Organize fundraising: If you’re not up for starting a charity (which is a huge commitment) you can get involved by raising some money – a trivia night or an auction are always fun.