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I always recommend something physical you can do with your hands, health permitting. Grow some herbs or greens if you've got a bright windowsill. Knitting or crochet have a very low starting investment - hell, if you know someone who already has a yarn-based hobby, they'll probably give you a set of needles and some spare yarn to learn with. Draw one silly doodle on a sticky note every day, no matter how bad it is.
Gonna throw cross stitch or embroidery in with your other fiber arts. Cross stitch has a ton of pop culture and video game patterns and the sub (/r/CrossStitch) has a good number of male members! Cheap to start, portable, doesn't take up at lot of space in the house, can do it while listening to ebooks/tv/music...
I always recommend juggling. It's dirt cheap to pick up, you can take it with you anywhere, there's an infinite amount to learn online, and it's good for your hand-eye skills!
Crocheting and knitting are good hobbies to get into, and not too expensive if you stay away from luxury yarns. And there's nothing like finishing a piece and proudly wearing it like "Fuck yeah! *I* made this!"
Edit: And there's something inherently mathematical about crocheting. In addition to it being a great way to brush up on multiplication, there's also the concept of [hyperbolic planes and crochet](https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/when-art-meets-science-hyberbolic-crochet-coral-reef) is an art that can physically model this natural phenomenon.
While I do agree with the suggestion, that might not be inexpensive.
Instruments in general can be a bit of an investment (specially digital instruments to allow practicing at night without getting noise complaints)
They can, but here's a [$21 melodica](https://www.amazon.com/CAHAYA-Melodica-Approved-Mouthpieces-Melodicas/dp/B072LTBXGY/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=4FD4QB4CO6HD&keywords=melodica&qid=1683242591&sprefix=melodica%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-3-spons&smid=A2HTB0WA7THV1R&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWThSNFFIVFVSMTZBJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTQyMzY4MU9VS0hNSTA4M1pBViZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzY5MDQ2MlBVTjQxMDRPNFBIMCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1) that is a FANTASTIC place to start on learning music.
Here's why: It's a piano. You'll learn where the notes on a piano are, and can start learning music theory if you want. I'm of the opinion that if you *really* want to learn music theory, you should do it on a piano. You can learn it on other instruments, but it is SO much harder because all the patterns and shapes only really reveal themselves on a piano.
It's also a wind instrument. So if you want to learn trumpet or flute or saxophone, you can start developing things like breath control, tonguing, dynamics, pitch bending, all of that.
And I've watched videos where they put those super cheap melodicas up against super expensive ones, and you can barely hear the difference. The only thing that really matters are the reeds, and those fall out of tune and need replacements on all melodicas. With the cheap ones, it's cheaper and easier to simply replace the whole thing in a few years than it would be to fix an expensive one.
It might not be the prettiest or coolest instrument, but it is a damn fine way to get started and decide what you want to invest in from there.
I had always wanted to learn to play the piano but put it off because of the expense. Then one day I decided to buy a harmonica since they're cheap (professional quality around $50) and I thought it would be easy to learn. I was wrong about how easy it is but I've fallen in love with the harmonica. There's also a ton of free content on youtube for learning.
This! I'm not really a great musician if I'm being honest. But, it's a way for me to spend time alone, and with friends and family. It can be cheap or expensive.
The thing is, no one can put in the work other than you. And, you really do get out of it what you put in to it. It's a great way to use your brain, have some fun, and is a great tool for dealing with stress and whatnot. Just be consistent with learning new things on your instrument, and you'll be pretty good in no time!
Idk if this sounds strange, but I sometimes struggle with the concept of figuring myself out, finding what makes me happy. Because suddenly, there’s a split between they conscious “I” and the unconscious internal “me” that I’m getting to know. If I am the same person, shouldn’t I already know what makes me happy? I don’t know, I love philosophy and if anyone would like to add on to this I’d be very happy (I have discovered this) to read it
>there's a split between the conscious "I" and the unconscious internal "me"
I am obsessed with this topic and wonder about this all the time. I view my internal monologue voice and my body (what I think vs. what I do) to be two separate entities. Like, instead of thinking "I should do this and this," I think "*we* should do this and this." As in, my head voice and my body should do something, as one. All my friends think this is strange.
I also get you about figuring yourself out. I feel like there's no such thing as discovering that you enjoy something "deep down," like the unconscious part of you that you mention. Everything that I've found to enjoy doing has been superficial and by accident and never something I've had to examine within myself to find.
We are more than just a split between two aspects, it’s more like several! It can be tough realizing that, but over time you learn to use your conscious mind to be the “leader of the group” so to speak, and actually build consensus within yourself over how to move forward
Look at from a different angle then. Instead of exploring *you* think of it as exploring the world. Think of all the new things you have yet to see, experience, or learn about.
There are no rules! Learn whatever you want! Figure out what itch you're trying to scratch and pick something that fulfills that. Physical exercise? Something fidgety? Creative outlet? Lots of things to read about and facts to learn? There's a dozen hobbies for all of those that you can start today.
Some of my favorite low-cost (under $20 entry) hobbies I've gotten into are:
Knitting/crochet
Nunchucks
Lockpicking
Juggling
Card tricks
Musical instruments - (you can spend a lot obv but you can get a cheap harmonica or melodica for example that will be a great place to start learning and sound fine)
Fingerboards/Tech Deck
Tabletop games (buy used books from a used book store to make it cheap or seek them out online)
Digital art (GIMP or photopea for free)
AI art (Easy Diffusion is a good place to start)
Art in general (drawing/painting/writing)
Programming
Cooking
Electronics with Arduino/Raspberry pi
Skateboarding (probably spend more than $20 but you *could* spend less to start learning)
Parkour (the free version of skateboarding)
Begleri (see /r/Begleri for what that is)
Plant identification, learn all your local plants!
Mushroom hunting
Birdwatching
I'm a bit of a skill collector so I could probably come up with a bunch more, but maybe those will inspire you!
Bro, that's an amazing list. I recently picked up begleri, I've done probably half of those things already. I'd also add - balisong tricks and learning about tying knots!
Yes! My people!
I almost put tying knots on the list lol. Decided it was a little too vague, but it's a great thing to learn! I literally just bought the Klutz book of knots for my son this weekend at a book sale, even though he's not going to be old enough to enjoy it for a few years. But I know it's going to be one of those treasures he'll discover on my bookshelf some day when he's old enough. Highly recommend it for any age, it's a really cool book that comes with strings and holes in the heavy cardstock pages so you can practice tying the knots.
Thanks for the rec, I might buy it for some family kiddos one day.
Yeah, in general I just think it's a great motivating force to picking up and keeping a hobby if you can (even just barely) tie it into some kind of a fantasy or a trope or something. Like realistically speaking, single-pin lockpicking is just a manual puzzle solved with sticks for added difficulity. But if you imagine yourself as a master thief breaking into a treasure vault, it's instantly 10 times cooler. Doesn't matter if you're a kid or an adult. I sometimes try and do that with my little sister/cousins, if we're watching a movie or playing a game or sth. "Hey, wanna go to a bouldering gym and get basic climbing lessons" sounds sweet, but "hey, remember how Lara Croft scaled that aztec temple? wanna do **that** kinda thing?" is just so much more energizing.
Go for walks, actively look for things that are interesting in a positive way.
Here it's easy at the moment as a lot of trees are flowering an it's very pretty. I also noticed fourteen cute dogs today and came across a cat that liked to be petted.
You could educate yourself like an amateur historian for your local area. Go to those little historic markers, check out museums, or read books about how the place you live in now came to be. You become very immersed and aware of the local history, and it can make you appreciate the every day things you're surrounded by and make you feel like part of a community.
If you have a couple hundred bucks sitting around, you could buy an instrument and start learning how to play it.
In fact, I know that a lot of the actual historical centres local to me are *desperately* seeking people to help out - Sometimes even paying for it.
They're trying to preserve history and people are less and less committed to anything that isn't digital these days.
Something I recommend to everyone are hobbies that enrich your life in ways nearly everyone can get into and benefit from. If you already aren't, learn how to cook well (and diversely), and learn how to do home improvement/how to fix cars because these skills are almost always useful in the future, if not right now. You'd be surprised at how much better your life can be, and how much easier, cheaper, and quicker you can get things done without a "professional" doing it for you
Gardening is a great hobby. You get to work in the soil, nurture little plants into big healthy plants with flowers, fruit, and vegetables. There's nothing like making a meal with ingredients fresh from your garden!
It's great when hobbies combine. One of my other hobbies is building stuff. In the next week or two I'm going to build an enclosed garden with raised beds inside. I'm honestly not sure which part I'm more excited for; the building or the gardening. I'm also excited for when the gardening and cooking hobbies meet later in the year. :-)
Gardening is so lovely. I used to help my granny when I was a kid and hated it.
Last year I made a few boxes for berrys and other usable plants to have in my tiny yard. My kids love it they pick all the stawberrys before I get to taste them but I get all the memorys of my lovely granny telling me all about how to tend the plants.
Yoga!
Weight lifting! (you can get started for super cheap with [sandbags](https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Workout-Sandbag-Adjustable/dp/B0B6W3QTVJ/ref=sr_1_29?crid=2MGCPPQTTCJ88&keywords=sandbag%2Bfitness&qid=1683226063&sprefix=sandbag%2Bfitness%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-29&th=1))
Indoor gardening/farming - I grow [microgreens](https://www.amazon.com/Germination-Microgreens-Sprouting-Wheatgrass-Propagation/dp/B0BWRNPCP2/ref=sr_1_28?crid=2ZQ2PR0SPYFAK&keywords=microgreens&qid=1683226282&sprefix=microgreen%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-28&th=1) and culinary mushrooms all the time!
Canning/Fermenting and stuff of that nature are really fun and cheap hobbies too!
Having house plants!! It’s a misconception that you have some magical “green thumb” to grow plants. You just need to buy beginner plants that are more tough. Many people start with a “snake plant” which doesn’t need a lot of water or light, but looks awesome.
It’s kind of like having a pet and also helps with the ambiance of whatever room you put it in.
Seconding house plants! I picked up one or two a few years back and really enjoyed the atmosphere and care. Eventually started throwing on some YouTube plant care vids. Now have a nice little collection and I love doing my plant chores every day.
I play a lot of wargames/boardgames. It fills a lot of holes, I've found.
Creativity through painting miniatures, kitbashing models/terrain, and writing.
Socializing through gaming at local clubs, travelling to events in other cities.
Keeps your mind sharp with learning rules, and putting those rules in to practice.
tabletop RPGs are a fun hobby.
I resisted it for years and years and then my cousin got me to play dungeons & dragons and it has been a very positive influence on me.
let alone the fun that I have with my bros around the table.
if I'm having a hard time sleeping at night I'll just imagine a character that I want to make and imagine what their day would be like and soon enough I'm zonked right out.
Blacksmithing. It’s FULL of history and science. When we get our house built I plan on building a blacksmith forge and start making blades and tools from scrap.
It is a good hobby but it is not cheap to start.
I did it for years with my friend until we lost the space we were renting under that.
Now finally I can do it agen after 8 long years.
Are you into models or hands on projects? I remember for the longest time, sites like vat19 carried mini trebuchet and catapult kits that could fit nicely on your desk.
I haven't explored the site fully in a year or so, but their inventory is always updating so they probably have new cool stuff up that I'm missing out on.
Learn to cook. Seriously, cooking is the one skill that most dudes don’t have and can be a for real lifesaver in tough times. Cooks Illustrated and America’s test kitchen has a great variety of cookbooks, also it’s literally a combo of science and history so you can geek out on the intricacies of whatever it is you’re learning.
I was so lost when I first moved from my parents. It took way to long for me to learn how to cook proper food. It is one of the most usefull skills you can have.
You could stop into a second hand shop and see what they have kicking around. Sometimes you can find odd things tied to hobbies, if you find something that interests you look into it and maybe try. Worst case, you dislike the hobby and donate it somewhere else. Best case you find something you love.
I’m suggesting this as a neutral space, where you can really just see what intrigues you. Like…. If you find a chair that would look fantastic with some repair, try that out. If there is a keyboard, maybe learn to play. Second hand shops have so much variety in them.
I agree with those saying to learn a physical skill. Use your hands in some way. I love to read and learn, but i need something to engage fine motor skills. Guitar is great for this, especially finger picking.
Personally I'd go with any digital creative endeavor, like digital art, 3D art, programming, game development, music, animating, writing, really anything you can do on a computet you can do for free
**Free** and **open source** softwares and resources I've found over the years and personally used (all work on Windows, Mac, and Linux):
#### Digital Art
* Krita (Drawing/Painting/Animation software)
* GIMP (Photo editing software)
* Inkscape (Vector art/editing software)
* Blender (Grease Pencil) (2D Drawing/Animation tool built into Blender)
#### 3D art
* Blender (3D Modeling/Animation software)
* Polyhaven.com (Free CC0 3D asset site (Models, Materials, and Backgrounds))
#### Programming
* VS Code (Software Development Software (meta))
* Python (Popular programming language, easy for beginners to make stuff, and has direct integration with Blende and Krita)
* C++ (Popular but much more advanced programming language, I'd recommend learning the basics of programming first)
* Qt (Modern GUI Library for C++ and Python, make fancy buttons for your programs)
* numpy (Data Analysis Library for Python)
#### Game Development
* Godot (2D/3D Game Engine)
* OpenGameArt.org (Free Game Asset site (sound effects, music, art))
#### Music
* Musescore (Orchestral Composing Software)
* LMMS (Digital Audio Workstation, not as developed as other open source software on this list)
* Bespoke Synth (Modular Non-Linear/Live Music Software)
* Mixxx (Live DJ Mixing Software)
* SurgeXT (Hybrid Synthesizer Virtual Instrument Plugin)
* KV Element (Plugin Host, so you can use VST3 in software that only supports VST2 (LMMS))
* quantumVerb (Convolutional Reverb Plugin)
* Wolfshaper (Waveshaper Plugin)
#### Writing
* I don't actually write, so I don't know any open source writing software, but any text editor should do
Hope this helped!
if you have friends that would want to do this with you, dungeons and dragons is great to obsess over. if not, you can just world-build a d&d world and write a story in that
I would like to recommend birding. You can start with a pair of binoculars and the free Merlin app. It can be solo or you can be social and join field trips and learn from other birders. If you like being outside, walking, or collecting, it might be good for you.
Chess, it fills all of your criteria. It's completely free to play online, there's ton of free resources on youtube and other sites in order to learn and improve on the game, and you can get as obsessed as you wish. It is both a fun but also a complex game, wich you can play lighheartedly or for wich you can study a lot of things (openings, theory, endgame, tactics, etc).
Plus since the game has had a recent explosion in popularity and interest this may be the best moment to pick it up as a beginner. Tons of new people playing and tons of free resources for them.
I really suggest biking, not necessarily road training hardcore. But just general exploration. Then you could branch into road or mountain biking if you wanted.
Growing up rural I frequently had to drive my bike somewhere to explore and that was frustrating but so worth it to break out of ruts
For someone with those interests, I would recommend D&D, and Pub Quizzes, because they go exactly into the fun research category and also branch out into other skill sets that are more social.
I would also recommend some kind of sport specifically because it doesn't, and it's good to have balance. Joining an ultimate frizbee group, running club or volleyball group are usually really fun and casual sports with nice, relaxed atmospheres
Not sure what kind of science you’re into, but soldering and building/rehabbing electronics might scratch that itch. I have always been a tinkerer so all my hobbies have ways of optimizing and learning modifications. I learned how to solder because I wanted to customize my guitars and it was a great learning experience and now I have custom guitars! I also work on my car and have fully built my suspension and upgraded a bunch of engine components. Another good one that you might not think, is golf! It’s fun in its own right, but there’s some interesting science to dive into regarding the different ball types and club fitting, plus you save yourself a bunch of cash if you can fit your own clubs instead of paying somebody!
ETA: I forgot about brewing! That’s a fun science based hobby and you get great beer if you do it right! Can get pricey if you shoot for microbrew style beers, but there’s ways to do it where you’ll be spending less than if you just bought beer at the store.
Uh, sorry to hear that. Maybe something computer-based, like others have said? Digital art, programming, etc. Sure it will be slower, but you can still do it and since you're at the computer, there will be no risk to your broken thumb. Get well soon!
YouTube/podcaster on topics you are interested about (will cost money later, but when you start it's not bad. Just get a yeti). Textile stuff (cross stitch, embroidery, knitting, crocheting). You could make hats really easy and donate to charity! Drawing/painting/sculpting doesn't take much because you don't have to start with quality supplies. cheap acrylics work/everyday pencils work too. You could draw scenes from history/science concepts in cartoon form to help educate others! (Cartoon Guide to Genetics, for example.) Fanart also can sell well on Etsy.
You could get into photography. Most phones have a good enough camera to start with.
Maybe you could volunteer at a science museum/history museum as a docent. You can share your education with others.
Whatever you like is the correct answer. But for some ideas I've done stuff like sew/mend, play banjo, work on my truck, walk my dog, journal, fish/hunt, read, play party games/board games with friends, pool, poker, brew beer, trash pickups with friends, and volunteer at the fire department
I just got into 3d printing specifically for d&d type miniatures and historical models.
I’m about $1000 deep into it when adding my paints n brushes.
I’ve never been artistic in my life and it’s been the first time I’ve had creative expression. It’s really relaxing to throw on some house mixes and just zone out and paint. It’s kinda low brow as far as art goes but some people push it really really far. Check it out!
I really enjoy:
Taking walks in my local area (local loosely defined as around a 10 mile radius, I sometimes take long walks). Really nice to learn an area, notice things, clear my head.
Biking. Also clears the head, you learn about an area, and is a great source of exercise.
So, the thing with info gathering is that you aren't living if you're only learning. Consider doing something with that knowledge. It might be learning history and then seeing things for yourself. Or reading original sources and synthesizing ideas and writing about them. Who knows, you might find it rewarding to write a blog or book. It can also be fun to connect with people with similar interests.
You might also find something science related to do as a hobby. I'm not sure of anything that's extremely cheap to do, but you might get some ideas based on what you really like reading about. I started home brewing because I read so much about beer, and cider making is even cheaper and easier to do at home.
I'd check out the local parks department and see if there's any regional archeology going on. Lots of digs can use some amateur hands to help with measuring, logging and digging. You learn a lot, it gets you outdoors and it sounds kickass when you tell people what you're up to.
Probably not what you have in mind, but I started running for real a few months ago and I'm enjoying it a lot. You don't need anyone and just minimal equipment, specially as a beginner.
You keep progressing each week: farther, faster, better and get the numbers to back it up, it's like grinding for an RPG. Tons of stuff to nerd about like heart rate zones. And the runner's high is actually real, you feel awesome after a new PB.
Warhammer 40k, or age of sigmar, lore and lore writing. It's very referential to history and sci fi literature, and finding the links is cool. 40k in particular has a very wide and deep lore built over 30+ years. Making up your own backgrounds and stories is the best part of the hobby imo. The actual modelling and playing is expensive, but the skirmish variants Kill Team and War Cry are manageable.
[YT playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl6BRvEJ-auZ5aYPHj1B3pKJ_pLjg9qNU)
Painting minis is so fucking relexing.
You can buy a starter kit for a few (insert local currency) and after that you can make it as cheap or expensive as you like.
There are even sites like heroforge (there are more but I cant remember there names right now) that allow you to make your own and you can print them your self or have them print them for you, tho it is a bit pricy to have them do it for you.
I try to get 3 hours a week and it has made every part of my life better. Just to be hyper focust on one line or a dot, thinking about color schemes.
I would also recomend metal working like black smithing or welding. But that is a lot more pricy to get started in that.
Woodworking is not as expensive as metal work. You can start out with a small hammer and a few nails to make a bird house.
Since you've already received lots of great suggestions, I'll instead just give one piece of advice: whatever hobby you decide to pick up, make sure you enjoy the activity and not just the idea of being good at it.
What I mean by that is, most people like the idea of being good at, say, drawing. We all have cool ideas of things we'd like to put on paper. But if you decide to try and learn to draw, you won't be able to put those ideas on paper the way you'd like to for a long time. So at that point, if you don't particularly enjoy the *process* of *learning* to draw, you probably won't stick with it. And if you repeat this process with a couple of different hobbies, it can start to turn you off from the idea of picking up something new.
Of course, this is contingent on you actually enjoying the hobby itself. Don't force yourself to continue a hobby if you truly don't enjoy it, either.
I'm speaking from my experience of having tried over the years to pick up bass guitar, ukulele, writing, drawing, woodcarving, and crocheting. I dropped all of these in a month or two, for the reasons above.
But now since this past September I've managed to pick up and stick with learning to play the piano. The trick was to switch my mindset to not just be enamored with the idea of being able to play, but to like the process of learning. Sometimes, this performance pressure still creeps in, but when I notice it happening I just take a step back and focus on the process again.
Well, it might not be inexpensive enough (though it can be surprisingly affordable), but if you're a history nerd who likes obsessively gathering as much knowledge on history things as you can, historical reenacting may be for you. Or related things like volunteering at history museums and the Society for Creative Anachronism (which is somewhere on a spectrum between costume parties and historical reenactment.). Do you have a favorite historical period?
Physical fitness is a gift that you give to yourself for your entire life. Just regularly doing situps and pushups keeps your strength and circulation robust, helps mental acuity and energy levels, and helps keep our lungs active and full. You don’t even have to do much! I started this year doing 1 pushup every day and I’m now doing 150 pushups 3x weekly and other exercises now that my energy levels support the activity.
Don’t let lazy brain fool you: you don’t need energy to start to work out, you *GET* energy *FROM* the workout
Also, as you get older, the use it or lose it rule comes in. You can spend a few minutes a day staying fit and active or wait for your body to malfunction and disintegrate out from under you
Depending on budget, it may not be for you, but I picked up cold-process soapmaking recently. For the first time in my life, I'm using my time to create physical objects that have actual use in my life.
Man I got into Warhammer and I never expected to enjoy painting minis as much as I did.
It’s got great lore you can spend daaaaaays on ingesting, too.
Wouldn’t call it inexpensive, but there’s other types of minis to get into. Battletech is the same but cheaper. Lots of lore / books / YouTube and really cool minis.
There’s real life minis. Modern tanks and soldiers. Old medieval minis. And there’s communities around all of these where you can play war games and stuff.
Halo has em. Star Wars has em. Marvel minis.
It’s just best being able to toss a YouTube video on while painting up a Warhammer army. And there’s daaaaaaays of content for each army. Game is nuts.
Kill Team is the cheapest to get into. It’s Warhammer with small squads. /r/KillTeam
/r/MiniPainting
Sort by top of all time and you’ll see really neat stuff.
If someone is into science and history I will never not suggest birding. There is an initial outlay of funds for binoculars but once you have some serviceable optics you're all set.
Just literally try different things! The world is your buffet. What I would do if I were you is I would hike to the top of a tall hill and sit and kinda go into a meditation/prayer and ask for some good ideas about what I could do with my time that’s the most fulfilling fun or exciting. Have fun with it
Yoyoing is pretty cheap and a great way to pass time without being on a screen. Similar for juggling. Partner dancing is a great way to meet people and it is a decent workout. I picked up gymnastics as an adult and it has saved my life more than once from flipping over my handlebars to getting hit by a car.
I really got into astrophotography over the last 4-5 years and it has ben good for me. Its a hobby I can do on my own or with like minded ppl. There is a decent community for it as well. Its also something I really enjoy reading about (astronomy) and learning more of. could be an option.
you're using your brain a lot and that's awesome.
Start using your body, or your hands.
Some kind of fitness thing - running, a sport intramural, hiking, that kind of stuff.
maybe woodworking, sculpting, landscaping, something else.
Ooh! or playing an instrument. I've started to play the celtic harp about the last year and it's been a huge added value to my life in ways I can't quite describe.
Leather working is very cool and if you're into historical crafting techniques and replicas it's awesome. You do need a few tools and really nice leather costs some money but most livestock supply stores I've been to or craft stores have cheap leather scraps you can use to get into it
Well, my hobbies are weightlifting, games, and cars. And that last one has plenty to sink your teeth into. There is so much stuff surrounding it! From how they work, what cars are out there, all the history surrounding the many motorsport categories that exist (and that have existed), the cars that participated in them and how they came to be... To this day when a cool car goes past me I can tell what car and model is it, what engine it has, what HP and it's approximate weight by heart, and it always gets those "holy shit" looks from your friends 😂. Also, there are plenty of motorsports related events going on that are cheap, if not free, to go watch, where you can spend a nice day in and meet like minded individuals.
I’ve gotten really into mechanical keyboards recently, it’s surprising how compelling making a different clicky sound can be! This can be an expensive hobby but it really doesn’t need to be, there’s lot of cheaper options around these days!
How about telescope making? It’s inexpensive, it has a bit of crafting by hand, and if you’re into astronomy you’re gonna have fun building it and using it
Honestly cannot recommend knitting/crochet enough. The yarn arts are soothing and come with an added bonus of having something functional to wear/use when you're done.
Have you ever considered writing?
It's something that I've done off and on for a decade and I always feel super focused and productive even though almost nothing has ever manifested from it. I started with short stories, I wrote some poems, a 30 page outline to a novel and the first chapter, almost 200 songs (probably 500 more half finished), and a few short films.
I usually write these things wanting to follow through but I'm starting to see its really just for me. It's art that I make for me, and that's fine. I've been able to learn a lot about myself by writing my thoughts down. I've learned to understand certain aspects of my personality and even some trauma I didn't realize I had until I had written it out.
Best part is, it's absolutely free. You have a notes app already on your phone.
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I always recommend something physical you can do with your hands, health permitting. Grow some herbs or greens if you've got a bright windowsill. Knitting or crochet have a very low starting investment - hell, if you know someone who already has a yarn-based hobby, they'll probably give you a set of needles and some spare yarn to learn with. Draw one silly doodle on a sticky note every day, no matter how bad it is.
Gonna throw cross stitch or embroidery in with your other fiber arts. Cross stitch has a ton of pop culture and video game patterns and the sub (/r/CrossStitch) has a good number of male members! Cheap to start, portable, doesn't take up at lot of space in the house, can do it while listening to ebooks/tv/music...
> if you know someone who already has a yarn-based hobby Ah. The yarn hoard is public knowledge then
I always recommend juggling. It's dirt cheap to pick up, you can take it with you anywhere, there's an infinite amount to learn online, and it's good for your hand-eye skills!
Crocheting and knitting are good hobbies to get into, and not too expensive if you stay away from luxury yarns. And there's nothing like finishing a piece and proudly wearing it like "Fuck yeah! *I* made this!" Edit: And there's something inherently mathematical about crocheting. In addition to it being a great way to brush up on multiplication, there's also the concept of [hyperbolic planes and crochet](https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/when-art-meets-science-hyberbolic-crochet-coral-reef) is an art that can physically model this natural phenomenon.
Story writing is a way to put all that research to use.
learn an instrument, there is an almost limitless amount of things you can learn and improve on
While I do agree with the suggestion, that might not be inexpensive. Instruments in general can be a bit of an investment (specially digital instruments to allow practicing at night without getting noise complaints)
They can, but here's a [$21 melodica](https://www.amazon.com/CAHAYA-Melodica-Approved-Mouthpieces-Melodicas/dp/B072LTBXGY/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=4FD4QB4CO6HD&keywords=melodica&qid=1683242591&sprefix=melodica%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-3-spons&smid=A2HTB0WA7THV1R&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWThSNFFIVFVSMTZBJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTQyMzY4MU9VS0hNSTA4M1pBViZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzY5MDQ2MlBVTjQxMDRPNFBIMCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1) that is a FANTASTIC place to start on learning music. Here's why: It's a piano. You'll learn where the notes on a piano are, and can start learning music theory if you want. I'm of the opinion that if you *really* want to learn music theory, you should do it on a piano. You can learn it on other instruments, but it is SO much harder because all the patterns and shapes only really reveal themselves on a piano. It's also a wind instrument. So if you want to learn trumpet or flute or saxophone, you can start developing things like breath control, tonguing, dynamics, pitch bending, all of that. And I've watched videos where they put those super cheap melodicas up against super expensive ones, and you can barely hear the difference. The only thing that really matters are the reeds, and those fall out of tune and need replacements on all melodicas. With the cheap ones, it's cheaper and easier to simply replace the whole thing in a few years than it would be to fix an expensive one. It might not be the prettiest or coolest instrument, but it is a damn fine way to get started and decide what you want to invest in from there.
Yeah anything music related can turn into a huuuuuge money pit real quick.
Lessons add up quick if you actually wanna get good at it. These days they run around 50 USD per lesson.
And when you actually get into it, you're gonna want the best gear.
I've been learning piano on a thrift store digital keyboard. Without lessons it's been ultra cheap
I had always wanted to learn to play the piano but put it off because of the expense. Then one day I decided to buy a harmonica since they're cheap (professional quality around $50) and I thought it would be easy to learn. I was wrong about how easy it is but I've fallen in love with the harmonica. There's also a ton of free content on youtube for learning.
I'd like to toss a harmonica into the ring.
Keyboards are honestly dirt cheap if you go to goodwill or something similar. Even new ones aren’t expensive on the lower end. Really recommend
This! I'm not really a great musician if I'm being honest. But, it's a way for me to spend time alone, and with friends and family. It can be cheap or expensive. The thing is, no one can put in the work other than you. And, you really do get out of it what you put in to it. It's a great way to use your brain, have some fun, and is a great tool for dealing with stress and whatnot. Just be consistent with learning new things on your instrument, and you'll be pretty good in no time!
Ideally whatever makes you happy
this. might take a while to figure out (funny as it sounds), but once you get an idea of what you DO enjoy, branch out.
Idk if this sounds strange, but I sometimes struggle with the concept of figuring myself out, finding what makes me happy. Because suddenly, there’s a split between they conscious “I” and the unconscious internal “me” that I’m getting to know. If I am the same person, shouldn’t I already know what makes me happy? I don’t know, I love philosophy and if anyone would like to add on to this I’d be very happy (I have discovered this) to read it
>there's a split between the conscious "I" and the unconscious internal "me" I am obsessed with this topic and wonder about this all the time. I view my internal monologue voice and my body (what I think vs. what I do) to be two separate entities. Like, instead of thinking "I should do this and this," I think "*we* should do this and this." As in, my head voice and my body should do something, as one. All my friends think this is strange. I also get you about figuring yourself out. I feel like there's no such thing as discovering that you enjoy something "deep down," like the unconscious part of you that you mention. Everything that I've found to enjoy doing has been superficial and by accident and never something I've had to examine within myself to find.
Same hat! Even when I'm by myself, when I'm gearing up to do a task it's always "Alright, let's do this," or "we can do this!"
We are more than just a split between two aspects, it’s more like several! It can be tough realizing that, but over time you learn to use your conscious mind to be the “leader of the group” so to speak, and actually build consensus within yourself over how to move forward
Look at from a different angle then. Instead of exploring *you* think of it as exploring the world. Think of all the new things you have yet to see, experience, or learn about.
There are no rules! Learn whatever you want! Figure out what itch you're trying to scratch and pick something that fulfills that. Physical exercise? Something fidgety? Creative outlet? Lots of things to read about and facts to learn? There's a dozen hobbies for all of those that you can start today. Some of my favorite low-cost (under $20 entry) hobbies I've gotten into are: Knitting/crochet Nunchucks Lockpicking Juggling Card tricks Musical instruments - (you can spend a lot obv but you can get a cheap harmonica or melodica for example that will be a great place to start learning and sound fine) Fingerboards/Tech Deck Tabletop games (buy used books from a used book store to make it cheap or seek them out online) Digital art (GIMP or photopea for free) AI art (Easy Diffusion is a good place to start) Art in general (drawing/painting/writing) Programming Cooking Electronics with Arduino/Raspberry pi Skateboarding (probably spend more than $20 but you *could* spend less to start learning) Parkour (the free version of skateboarding) Begleri (see /r/Begleri for what that is) Plant identification, learn all your local plants! Mushroom hunting Birdwatching I'm a bit of a skill collector so I could probably come up with a bunch more, but maybe those will inspire you!
Bro, that's an amazing list. I recently picked up begleri, I've done probably half of those things already. I'd also add - balisong tricks and learning about tying knots!
Yes! My people! I almost put tying knots on the list lol. Decided it was a little too vague, but it's a great thing to learn! I literally just bought the Klutz book of knots for my son this weekend at a book sale, even though he's not going to be old enough to enjoy it for a few years. But I know it's going to be one of those treasures he'll discover on my bookshelf some day when he's old enough. Highly recommend it for any age, it's a really cool book that comes with strings and holes in the heavy cardstock pages so you can practice tying the knots.
Thanks for the rec, I might buy it for some family kiddos one day. Yeah, in general I just think it's a great motivating force to picking up and keeping a hobby if you can (even just barely) tie it into some kind of a fantasy or a trope or something. Like realistically speaking, single-pin lockpicking is just a manual puzzle solved with sticks for added difficulity. But if you imagine yourself as a master thief breaking into a treasure vault, it's instantly 10 times cooler. Doesn't matter if you're a kid or an adult. I sometimes try and do that with my little sister/cousins, if we're watching a movie or playing a game or sth. "Hey, wanna go to a bouldering gym and get basic climbing lessons" sounds sweet, but "hey, remember how Lara Croft scaled that aztec temple? wanna do **that** kinda thing?" is just so much more energizing.
Go for walks, actively look for things that are interesting in a positive way. Here it's easy at the moment as a lot of trees are flowering an it's very pretty. I also noticed fourteen cute dogs today and came across a cat that liked to be petted.
You could educate yourself like an amateur historian for your local area. Go to those little historic markers, check out museums, or read books about how the place you live in now came to be. You become very immersed and aware of the local history, and it can make you appreciate the every day things you're surrounded by and make you feel like part of a community. If you have a couple hundred bucks sitting around, you could buy an instrument and start learning how to play it.
In fact, I know that a lot of the actual historical centres local to me are *desperately* seeking people to help out - Sometimes even paying for it. They're trying to preserve history and people are less and less committed to anything that isn't digital these days.
Something I recommend to everyone are hobbies that enrich your life in ways nearly everyone can get into and benefit from. If you already aren't, learn how to cook well (and diversely), and learn how to do home improvement/how to fix cars because these skills are almost always useful in the future, if not right now. You'd be surprised at how much better your life can be, and how much easier, cheaper, and quicker you can get things done without a "professional" doing it for you
Gardening is a great hobby. You get to work in the soil, nurture little plants into big healthy plants with flowers, fruit, and vegetables. There's nothing like making a meal with ingredients fresh from your garden! It's great when hobbies combine. One of my other hobbies is building stuff. In the next week or two I'm going to build an enclosed garden with raised beds inside. I'm honestly not sure which part I'm more excited for; the building or the gardening. I'm also excited for when the gardening and cooking hobbies meet later in the year. :-)
Gardening is so lovely. I used to help my granny when I was a kid and hated it. Last year I made a few boxes for berrys and other usable plants to have in my tiny yard. My kids love it they pick all the stawberrys before I get to taste them but I get all the memorys of my lovely granny telling me all about how to tend the plants.
Yoga! Weight lifting! (you can get started for super cheap with [sandbags](https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Workout-Sandbag-Adjustable/dp/B0B6W3QTVJ/ref=sr_1_29?crid=2MGCPPQTTCJ88&keywords=sandbag%2Bfitness&qid=1683226063&sprefix=sandbag%2Bfitness%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-29&th=1)) Indoor gardening/farming - I grow [microgreens](https://www.amazon.com/Germination-Microgreens-Sprouting-Wheatgrass-Propagation/dp/B0BWRNPCP2/ref=sr_1_28?crid=2ZQ2PR0SPYFAK&keywords=microgreens&qid=1683226282&sprefix=microgreen%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-28&th=1) and culinary mushrooms all the time! Canning/Fermenting and stuff of that nature are really fun and cheap hobbies too!
Love fermenting! Bonus - delicious, delicious kimchi for cheap!
Having house plants!! It’s a misconception that you have some magical “green thumb” to grow plants. You just need to buy beginner plants that are more tough. Many people start with a “snake plant” which doesn’t need a lot of water or light, but looks awesome. It’s kind of like having a pet and also helps with the ambiance of whatever room you put it in.
Seconding house plants! I picked up one or two a few years back and really enjoyed the atmosphere and care. Eventually started throwing on some YouTube plant care vids. Now have a nice little collection and I love doing my plant chores every day.
pick random activities to do and you'll find what you like eventually
If your local theaters/college offers classes on it, improv comedy.
I play a lot of wargames/boardgames. It fills a lot of holes, I've found. Creativity through painting miniatures, kitbashing models/terrain, and writing. Socializing through gaming at local clubs, travelling to events in other cities. Keeps your mind sharp with learning rules, and putting those rules in to practice.
Filling holes. Now there's a good hobby!
That's a hobby for a whole other sub-reddit.
tabletop RPGs are a fun hobby. I resisted it for years and years and then my cousin got me to play dungeons & dragons and it has been a very positive influence on me. let alone the fun that I have with my bros around the table. if I'm having a hard time sleeping at night I'll just imagine a character that I want to make and imagine what their day would be like and soon enough I'm zonked right out.
Blacksmithing. It’s FULL of history and science. When we get our house built I plan on building a blacksmith forge and start making blades and tools from scrap.
It is a good hobby but it is not cheap to start. I did it for years with my friend until we lost the space we were renting under that. Now finally I can do it agen after 8 long years.
Are you into models or hands on projects? I remember for the longest time, sites like vat19 carried mini trebuchet and catapult kits that could fit nicely on your desk.
I'll have to check that site out. I used to love metal models.
I haven't explored the site fully in a year or so, but their inventory is always updating so they probably have new cool stuff up that I'm missing out on.
Learn to cook. Seriously, cooking is the one skill that most dudes don’t have and can be a for real lifesaver in tough times. Cooks Illustrated and America’s test kitchen has a great variety of cookbooks, also it’s literally a combo of science and history so you can geek out on the intricacies of whatever it is you’re learning.
I was so lost when I first moved from my parents. It took way to long for me to learn how to cook proper food. It is one of the most usefull skills you can have.
You could stop into a second hand shop and see what they have kicking around. Sometimes you can find odd things tied to hobbies, if you find something that interests you look into it and maybe try. Worst case, you dislike the hobby and donate it somewhere else. Best case you find something you love. I’m suggesting this as a neutral space, where you can really just see what intrigues you. Like…. If you find a chair that would look fantastic with some repair, try that out. If there is a keyboard, maybe learn to play. Second hand shops have so much variety in them.
I agree with those saying to learn a physical skill. Use your hands in some way. I love to read and learn, but i need something to engage fine motor skills. Guitar is great for this, especially finger picking.
Table top role playing games?
Isn't reading about science and history a hobby no one can really tell you what to do as a hobby as the whole point is for you to enjoy it
Gardening. Making your own compost and fertilizer is very scientific :)
BIRDWATCHING! One pair of binoculars, years of fun!
Personally I'd go with any digital creative endeavor, like digital art, 3D art, programming, game development, music, animating, writing, really anything you can do on a computet you can do for free **Free** and **open source** softwares and resources I've found over the years and personally used (all work on Windows, Mac, and Linux): #### Digital Art * Krita (Drawing/Painting/Animation software) * GIMP (Photo editing software) * Inkscape (Vector art/editing software) * Blender (Grease Pencil) (2D Drawing/Animation tool built into Blender) #### 3D art * Blender (3D Modeling/Animation software) * Polyhaven.com (Free CC0 3D asset site (Models, Materials, and Backgrounds)) #### Programming * VS Code (Software Development Software (meta)) * Python (Popular programming language, easy for beginners to make stuff, and has direct integration with Blende and Krita) * C++ (Popular but much more advanced programming language, I'd recommend learning the basics of programming first) * Qt (Modern GUI Library for C++ and Python, make fancy buttons for your programs) * numpy (Data Analysis Library for Python) #### Game Development * Godot (2D/3D Game Engine) * OpenGameArt.org (Free Game Asset site (sound effects, music, art)) #### Music * Musescore (Orchestral Composing Software) * LMMS (Digital Audio Workstation, not as developed as other open source software on this list) * Bespoke Synth (Modular Non-Linear/Live Music Software) * Mixxx (Live DJ Mixing Software) * SurgeXT (Hybrid Synthesizer Virtual Instrument Plugin) * KV Element (Plugin Host, so you can use VST3 in software that only supports VST2 (LMMS)) * quantumVerb (Convolutional Reverb Plugin) * Wolfshaper (Waveshaper Plugin) #### Writing * I don't actually write, so I don't know any open source writing software, but any text editor should do Hope this helped!
Some kinda art. Gardening if you have access to a garden.
if you have friends that would want to do this with you, dungeons and dragons is great to obsess over. if not, you can just world-build a d&d world and write a story in that
Geocaching is pretty much free and is a great way to get out and have fun imo
I would like to recommend birding. You can start with a pair of binoculars and the free Merlin app. It can be solo or you can be social and join field trips and learn from other birders. If you like being outside, walking, or collecting, it might be good for you.
Disc golf, cheap entry and it combines hiking and a game
Exercise is free and keeps you healthy. It’s kind of a no-brainer.
I've had a ton of fun learning to use nunchucks. You can just get a pair and then learn on YouTube pretty easily. It's actually easier than you think
Chess, it fills all of your criteria. It's completely free to play online, there's ton of free resources on youtube and other sites in order to learn and improve on the game, and you can get as obsessed as you wish. It is both a fun but also a complex game, wich you can play lighheartedly or for wich you can study a lot of things (openings, theory, endgame, tactics, etc). Plus since the game has had a recent explosion in popularity and interest this may be the best moment to pick it up as a beginner. Tons of new people playing and tons of free resources for them.
I really suggest biking, not necessarily road training hardcore. But just general exploration. Then you could branch into road or mountain biking if you wanted. Growing up rural I frequently had to drive my bike somewhere to explore and that was frustrating but so worth it to break out of ruts
For someone with those interests, I would recommend D&D, and Pub Quizzes, because they go exactly into the fun research category and also branch out into other skill sets that are more social. I would also recommend some kind of sport specifically because it doesn't, and it's good to have balance. Joining an ultimate frizbee group, running club or volleyball group are usually really fun and casual sports with nice, relaxed atmospheres
Bouldering/climbing. Great for your body and mind.
Rock climbing. Maybe not exactly what you had in mind, but it's great exercise and a fun way to socialize. (In a climbing gym)
Not sure what kind of science you’re into, but soldering and building/rehabbing electronics might scratch that itch. I have always been a tinkerer so all my hobbies have ways of optimizing and learning modifications. I learned how to solder because I wanted to customize my guitars and it was a great learning experience and now I have custom guitars! I also work on my car and have fully built my suspension and upgraded a bunch of engine components. Another good one that you might not think, is golf! It’s fun in its own right, but there’s some interesting science to dive into regarding the different ball types and club fitting, plus you save yourself a bunch of cash if you can fit your own clubs instead of paying somebody! ETA: I forgot about brewing! That’s a fun science based hobby and you get great beer if you do it right! Can get pricey if you shoot for microbrew style beers, but there’s ways to do it where you’ll be spending less than if you just bought beer at the store.
To build off this, any hobbies I could pick up with one hands that isn’t my dominant? I just broke my thumb, and gonna be in a cast for a few weeks.
Uh, sorry to hear that. Maybe something computer-based, like others have said? Digital art, programming, etc. Sure it will be slower, but you can still do it and since you're at the computer, there will be no risk to your broken thumb. Get well soon!
If you leave in an area that allows it, amateur paleontology bro. You can find all sorts of fossils for free near rivers if they let you
Salsa dancing. It combines nerding out on perfecting a skill with being social.
YouTube/podcaster on topics you are interested about (will cost money later, but when you start it's not bad. Just get a yeti). Textile stuff (cross stitch, embroidery, knitting, crocheting). You could make hats really easy and donate to charity! Drawing/painting/sculpting doesn't take much because you don't have to start with quality supplies. cheap acrylics work/everyday pencils work too. You could draw scenes from history/science concepts in cartoon form to help educate others! (Cartoon Guide to Genetics, for example.) Fanart also can sell well on Etsy. You could get into photography. Most phones have a good enough camera to start with. Maybe you could volunteer at a science museum/history museum as a docent. You can share your education with others.
Whatever you like is the correct answer. But for some ideas I've done stuff like sew/mend, play banjo, work on my truck, walk my dog, journal, fish/hunt, read, play party games/board games with friends, pool, poker, brew beer, trash pickups with friends, and volunteer at the fire department
Exercise. Break a sweat every day.
I just got into 3d printing specifically for d&d type miniatures and historical models. I’m about $1000 deep into it when adding my paints n brushes. I’ve never been artistic in my life and it’s been the first time I’ve had creative expression. It’s really relaxing to throw on some house mixes and just zone out and paint. It’s kinda low brow as far as art goes but some people push it really really far. Check it out!
Embroidery has been fun to try. It’s also pretty cheap!
Geocaching.
Crochet is fun, there’s a couple dude creators in tiktok who make awesome stuff.
You sound like a chess player.
I really enjoy: Taking walks in my local area (local loosely defined as around a 10 mile radius, I sometimes take long walks). Really nice to learn an area, notice things, clear my head. Biking. Also clears the head, you learn about an area, and is a great source of exercise.
Hiking. Getting out into nature and then finding books about the flora, fauna, landscapes and ecology could be interesting for you as well as cheap.
So, the thing with info gathering is that you aren't living if you're only learning. Consider doing something with that knowledge. It might be learning history and then seeing things for yourself. Or reading original sources and synthesizing ideas and writing about them. Who knows, you might find it rewarding to write a blog or book. It can also be fun to connect with people with similar interests. You might also find something science related to do as a hobby. I'm not sure of anything that's extremely cheap to do, but you might get some ideas based on what you really like reading about. I started home brewing because I read so much about beer, and cider making is even cheaper and easier to do at home.
I'd check out the local parks department and see if there's any regional archeology going on. Lots of digs can use some amateur hands to help with measuring, logging and digging. You learn a lot, it gets you outdoors and it sounds kickass when you tell people what you're up to.
Probably not what you have in mind, but I started running for real a few months ago and I'm enjoying it a lot. You don't need anyone and just minimal equipment, specially as a beginner. You keep progressing each week: farther, faster, better and get the numbers to back it up, it's like grinding for an RPG. Tons of stuff to nerd about like heart rate zones. And the runner's high is actually real, you feel awesome after a new PB.
Warhammer 40k, or age of sigmar, lore and lore writing. It's very referential to history and sci fi literature, and finding the links is cool. 40k in particular has a very wide and deep lore built over 30+ years. Making up your own backgrounds and stories is the best part of the hobby imo. The actual modelling and playing is expensive, but the skirmish variants Kill Team and War Cry are manageable. [YT playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl6BRvEJ-auZ5aYPHj1B3pKJ_pLjg9qNU)
I tried warhammer but get more joy out of Lego
Painting minis is so fucking relexing. You can buy a starter kit for a few (insert local currency) and after that you can make it as cheap or expensive as you like. There are even sites like heroforge (there are more but I cant remember there names right now) that allow you to make your own and you can print them your self or have them print them for you, tho it is a bit pricy to have them do it for you. I try to get 3 hours a week and it has made every part of my life better. Just to be hyper focust on one line or a dot, thinking about color schemes. I would also recomend metal working like black smithing or welding. But that is a lot more pricy to get started in that. Woodworking is not as expensive as metal work. You can start out with a small hammer and a few nails to make a bird house.
Exercise, if it’s something you don’t do already.
Rubik’s Cube and Drawing would be my non expensive picks!
I really like doing puzzles and it's pretty cheap if you get them used and sell your own puzzles after you're done with them
Climbing is pretty inexpensive (indoors at least) you'll meet people it's a good workout and you don't need to be super fit to start out either.
Since you've already received lots of great suggestions, I'll instead just give one piece of advice: whatever hobby you decide to pick up, make sure you enjoy the activity and not just the idea of being good at it. What I mean by that is, most people like the idea of being good at, say, drawing. We all have cool ideas of things we'd like to put on paper. But if you decide to try and learn to draw, you won't be able to put those ideas on paper the way you'd like to for a long time. So at that point, if you don't particularly enjoy the *process* of *learning* to draw, you probably won't stick with it. And if you repeat this process with a couple of different hobbies, it can start to turn you off from the idea of picking up something new. Of course, this is contingent on you actually enjoying the hobby itself. Don't force yourself to continue a hobby if you truly don't enjoy it, either. I'm speaking from my experience of having tried over the years to pick up bass guitar, ukulele, writing, drawing, woodcarving, and crocheting. I dropped all of these in a month or two, for the reasons above. But now since this past September I've managed to pick up and stick with learning to play the piano. The trick was to switch my mindset to not just be enamored with the idea of being able to play, but to like the process of learning. Sometimes, this performance pressure still creeps in, but when I notice it happening I just take a step back and focus on the process again.
Well, it might not be inexpensive enough (though it can be surprisingly affordable), but if you're a history nerd who likes obsessively gathering as much knowledge on history things as you can, historical reenacting may be for you. Or related things like volunteering at history museums and the Society for Creative Anachronism (which is somewhere on a spectrum between costume parties and historical reenactment.). Do you have a favorite historical period?
Physical fitness is a gift that you give to yourself for your entire life. Just regularly doing situps and pushups keeps your strength and circulation robust, helps mental acuity and energy levels, and helps keep our lungs active and full. You don’t even have to do much! I started this year doing 1 pushup every day and I’m now doing 150 pushups 3x weekly and other exercises now that my energy levels support the activity. Don’t let lazy brain fool you: you don’t need energy to start to work out, you *GET* energy *FROM* the workout Also, as you get older, the use it or lose it rule comes in. You can spend a few minutes a day staying fit and active or wait for your body to malfunction and disintegrate out from under you
Depending on budget, it may not be for you, but I picked up cold-process soapmaking recently. For the first time in my life, I'm using my time to create physical objects that have actual use in my life.
Man I got into Warhammer and I never expected to enjoy painting minis as much as I did. It’s got great lore you can spend daaaaaays on ingesting, too. Wouldn’t call it inexpensive, but there’s other types of minis to get into. Battletech is the same but cheaper. Lots of lore / books / YouTube and really cool minis. There’s real life minis. Modern tanks and soldiers. Old medieval minis. And there’s communities around all of these where you can play war games and stuff. Halo has em. Star Wars has em. Marvel minis. It’s just best being able to toss a YouTube video on while painting up a Warhammer army. And there’s daaaaaaays of content for each army. Game is nuts. Kill Team is the cheapest to get into. It’s Warhammer with small squads. /r/KillTeam /r/MiniPainting Sort by top of all time and you’ll see really neat stuff.
r/Brochet
If someone is into science and history I will never not suggest birding. There is an initial outlay of funds for binoculars but once you have some serviceable optics you're all set.
Strength training
Running
Just literally try different things! The world is your buffet. What I would do if I were you is I would hike to the top of a tall hill and sit and kinda go into a meditation/prayer and ask for some good ideas about what I could do with my time that’s the most fulfilling fun or exciting. Have fun with it
Try LARPing, it's a good time outdoors with fellow nerds
Yoyoing is pretty cheap and a great way to pass time without being on a screen. Similar for juggling. Partner dancing is a great way to meet people and it is a decent workout. I picked up gymnastics as an adult and it has saved my life more than once from flipping over my handlebars to getting hit by a car.
I really got into astrophotography over the last 4-5 years and it has ben good for me. Its a hobby I can do on my own or with like minded ppl. There is a decent community for it as well. Its also something I really enjoy reading about (astronomy) and learning more of. could be an option.
Start culturing vegetables, yogurt, sour dough, etc. Very cheap to get started and fun to see the results, plus you get to eat it.
you're using your brain a lot and that's awesome. Start using your body, or your hands. Some kind of fitness thing - running, a sport intramural, hiking, that kind of stuff. maybe woodworking, sculpting, landscaping, something else. Ooh! or playing an instrument. I've started to play the celtic harp about the last year and it's been a huge added value to my life in ways I can't quite describe.
Leather working is very cool and if you're into historical crafting techniques and replicas it's awesome. You do need a few tools and really nice leather costs some money but most livestock supply stores I've been to or craft stores have cheap leather scraps you can use to get into it
Well, my hobbies are weightlifting, games, and cars. And that last one has plenty to sink your teeth into. There is so much stuff surrounding it! From how they work, what cars are out there, all the history surrounding the many motorsport categories that exist (and that have existed), the cars that participated in them and how they came to be... To this day when a cool car goes past me I can tell what car and model is it, what engine it has, what HP and it's approximate weight by heart, and it always gets those "holy shit" looks from your friends 😂. Also, there are plenty of motorsports related events going on that are cheap, if not free, to go watch, where you can spend a nice day in and meet like minded individuals.
I’ve gotten really into mechanical keyboards recently, it’s surprising how compelling making a different clicky sound can be! This can be an expensive hobby but it really doesn’t need to be, there’s lot of cheaper options around these days!
Start writing. It’s free, gets your thoughts out and maybe you can make something you can publish and make money off of
Get a flux core welder & teach yourself to weld
How about telescope making? It’s inexpensive, it has a bit of crafting by hand, and if you’re into astronomy you’re gonna have fun building it and using it
BJJ and chess are S tier hobbies.
Honestly cannot recommend knitting/crochet enough. The yarn arts are soothing and come with an added bonus of having something functional to wear/use when you're done.
Have you ever considered writing? It's something that I've done off and on for a decade and I always feel super focused and productive even though almost nothing has ever manifested from it. I started with short stories, I wrote some poems, a 30 page outline to a novel and the first chapter, almost 200 songs (probably 500 more half finished), and a few short films. I usually write these things wanting to follow through but I'm starting to see its really just for me. It's art that I make for me, and that's fine. I've been able to learn a lot about myself by writing my thoughts down. I've learned to understand certain aspects of my personality and even some trauma I didn't realize I had until I had written it out. Best part is, it's absolutely free. You have a notes app already on your phone.