If productivity is one of your main goals this year, then learning new hobbies is a great way to start. Hobbies don’t have to be expensive. You can start by learning through the internet–a new language, widening your vocabulary, etc. You can also start doing useful D-I-Y projects from upcycling unused objects in your home. In this article, we will provide a list of hobbies that are fun and affordable.
Sourcing out new hobbies is not as easy as some people think it is. Sometimes, it’s draining to brainstorm ideas. Trying out new things can be fun, but sometimes, it’s not as fun as you expected. Your new “hobby” can be tiring, it can even make you bored if it’s not the right one for you. But as long as you’re open to new experiences, then any hobby can be compatible for you.
These days, most people spend their time on their gadgets or televisions. We forgot the real pleasure of doing activities that don’t involve modern technology. Most people have this common misconception about hobbies: they’re expensive. However, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of activities that you can do during your free time or if you wanna bust your boredom. Most hobbies are frugal and not budget-breaking. You can start them at home with yourself or even with the whole family. Moreover, hobbies are important and should be integrated in our daily lives as much as possible.
Why You Should Invest More Time in Hobbies:
- It gives you downtime from technology. Everyone needs a gadget and social media break every once in a while.
- It’s an opportunity to let out your creative side.
- Hobbies can help you develop new skills.
- It’s a good way to relieve stress.
- Creative activities are good for your mental health, reducing stress and anxiety levels.
- It’s an open door for new knowledge and experiences.
Fun and Inexpensive Hobbies to Try this Year:
- Journal and Planning— go get yourself a notebook or find a spare notebook in your home. Start jotting down your feelings, emotions and reflections towards your day with journaling. Moreover, having a planner can help you organize your day, week and month.
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Practice mindfulness— yes, this is a hobby highly recommended for everyone! In this time of pandemic, learning to give yourself alone time and meditating and simply living in the moment is very essential–learn to take it a second at a time.
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Photography— remember those old film cameras you had before? Or those polaroid cams at the flea market? Well, most of those still work and you’d be lucky if they do, so why not start a photography hobby? You can even start this hobby just by using your phone’s camera: learn how to edit, take beautiful shots and make art out of them!
- Variety Puzzles— exercise the logical aspect of your brain with these mind-boggling puzzles like sudoku, word search and crossword puzzles that you can find in newspapers or magazines filled with these brain games for less than $5.00.
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Hand Lettering— improve your handwriting and penmanship. This hobby isn’t necessarily expensive. You can start by learning on YouTube and using pens, markers and highlighters. Then, if you feel that you want to dedicate yourself to this hobby, you can buy specialty pens and nibs after.
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Upcycling— give new uses for the old things lying around somewhere in your house. Instead of them being displayed or unused, turn them into something useful that can help you in your everyday life. This hobby is not only a boredom buster, but also a money-saving hack.
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Flower pressing— if you want new ideas to make your journal or scrapbook look more artistic, then you should definitely try this hobby. This is easy and free, all you have to do is carefully pick flowers (in places you’re allowed to do so), and press them in between book pages! You can use the pressed flowers as decors in scrapbooks, greeting cards, etc.
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Herb gardening— herb gardening is so much easier than actual gardening because you can do it indoors with small pots or recycled containers. The best thing about this hobby is that it can spice up your cooking, literally.
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Learn new recipes— the art of cooking and baking may not be easy to master, but it’s definitely worth the try. This will not only give you new cooking and baking skills, but it can also make your tummy happy!
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Painting— A lot of people think that this is a high-cost hobby, but you don’t have to spend lots of cash in order to become an artist. Moreover, a lot of complete art kits are readily available for less than $30.00 USD!
No experience with painting? No problem! Paint by Numbers kits can help you. With hundreds of fixed kits to choose from and endless possibilities for personalized designs, these kits can help you improve your painting skills and even cognitive function. Visit Best Paint by Numbers to know more about these amazing painting sets.
- Reading— this is a pastime hobby for all ages and a pretty cheap one too! Reading is an open door for new discoveries and learning. Try visiting the local library or you can download ebooks or thrift at cheap bookstores.
- Watch documentaries— not everyone is a book person so watching documentaries is a great alternative to reading, especially when you prefer learning with visual aids. This hobby is low-cost, if not free. Watch documentaries on your TV or any streaming sites that offer this genre. (Make sure to turn off your social media notifications, so that they won’t disturb you while watching.)
- Scrapbook making— make memories last longer by putting a collection of printed photos into your own D-I-Y scrapbook. You don’t have to buy an actual scrapbook to start this hobby. You can upcycle old notebooks or bind your own scrapbook using thick paper materials.
- Card making— This activity doesn’t have to be occasional, you can craft greeting and celebration cards as a pastime hobby so that you can readily give them out during important events for your loved ones.
- Learn chess and other board games— Bring back the family night and play board games with everyone in your house. It’s interactive, fun and mind-boggling for you and your family.
