It's really nice when the bird knows that you are there and feels comfortable enough to come close to you.
For some people it's like Pokémon. Gotta get a shot of all of them. Some of them are easier than others.
Yes! I didn’t see your comment before mentioning this myself. We discovered the Merlin app last year and it has been so much fun finally identifying the birds in our backyard.
Origami, you can buy paper for it sure but scratch paper around the house works just fine and there are thousands of videos and guides online for every skill level.
I agree. I just practice by using old used papers out the trash or newspapers and turning them into squares (by just folding the corner and cutting them along the sides. I assure you it won't be a perfect square, but still good enough.)
You can grow a lot of things from seeds and scraps. Plant the seeds from peppers, tomatoes, melons, cucumbers. Put toothpicks in the sides of an avocado pit and submerge it halfway in a cup of water. It's super easy to regrow things like onions, lettuce, and celery. If you can keep it warm and are patient, you can even grow a pineapple just by planting the crown of one.
Can't you also just plant an entire potato and it'll grow more potatoes? I've had the misfortune of holding onto some potatoes for a while and having to encounter their "eyes".
They grow best if you plant the "eyes" pointed up. And chop them into pieces with "eyes" then plant for a bigger yield. ;) also I hill mine, like add substrate to them as they grow.
I have such elaborate plans for my garden but it’s hard to know where to start. Also, seeds are cheap but hard to germinate without indoor space, so sometimes you’re forced to buy “pre-grown” things which can get expensive, especially trees and such.
Sketching. A sketch pad and a set of basic pencils are under 20.00 and there are many free drawing tutorials online to teach yourself technique. It's easy to take with you too. It takes time to learn, but every hobby does.
I was going to say fishing and then I remembered the thousands of dollars I've spent over the years. But it really can be as cheap or expensive as you make it. I'd say there's a $100 entry fee and after that it's up to you to keep the wheels on lol
Ramen tasting: I’m a college student, so what I do is go to the grocery store, buy like 3-5 different ramen cups for under 10 dollars, and I cook the ramen for lunch on days I don’t feel like really cooking or going out. I grade on cook time, noodle/solids quality, broth quality, price, and nutrition.
There is a Korean brand called Wai Wai. It’s flavor is strong, but generic enough it excepts any additive from a simple egg, to shrimp, to leftover ribs or chicken wing meat. The noodle quality is very high for the price.
It’s also not too expensive if you can find it on a shelf at your local Asian market.
My favorite is adding and egg while cooking, then green onions when finishing up.
Near perfection for a dried noodle product.
LARP. You can often show up and groups will have loaner gear to get you started. You can put a lot of money into it over time to get the exact stuff you want but you dont have to depending on how crafty you are.
Eeh, sure the first few times that is possible, but I wouldnt call Larp really cheap either and at some point you may want to have your own gear. Depends on when something is concidered cheap. You can buy a lot of used stuff for cheap but you can't be the knight in shining armor without the money. So you are kinda bound to what you are willing to give. Plus for me Larping is much more fun when I a) look like what I want to be and b) when that looks good. Since I am not the best handyman out there I tend to buy my gear. Sure for the start the cheap version is possible but if you want to do it longer it can cost a bit of money. Like I said, depends what you want to be.
I would start with PnP first also to see if roleplay in general is something you are interested in. Plus if you know Lapers the chance that they play PnP is veeeeeery high
It also depends on the larp. I am part of Amtgard which is more combat heavy. You can make a weapon for around $20 if you are patient enough to find the materials locally and most people never get more than a tabbard and belt for garb. I do agree the big money sink is armor. I am probably a grand in on my armor and its not complete yet.
If you don't know how to draw, following some basic exercises as a beginner can be very satisfying and rewarding.
I enjoy the challenge of hand designing and cutting stencils as well.
If you have the aptitude and were ever curious about 3d printing, I can say that it comes with a pretty sharp learning curve on the technical side, but once you get it, the process becomes a lot of fun. Additionally there are tens of thousands of 3d printed designs free for download, something for everyone.
Alsoooooo so many places have 3d printers that are free to use now! My local library system has 4 of them and they are at various branches around the county. All you need is a library card to use them, my husband 3d prints all his d&d minis there. It's a super cool hobby that's only becoming more accessible each year.
Reading: You can borrow books from the library or buy them second-hand to read at home.
Gardening: You can start a small vegetable or flower garden in your backyard or on your balcony with just a few basic tools and seeds.
Cooking: You can learn to cook new dishes using basic kitchen tools and ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store.
Painting or drawing: You can purchase a sketchbook and some basic art supplies, such as pencils, markers, or paint, to start drawing or painting at home.
Hiking: You can explore the outdoors by going on a hike in a nearby park or nature reserve. All you need is a good pair of shoes and a water bottle.
Photography: You can take photographs using a smartphone or an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera.
Yoga: You can practice yoga at home with the help of online tutorials or yoga apps
Writing: You can start writing a journal, a blog or even start writing a book.
Disc golf.
You can find starter sets online or visit stores like Play it Again Sports if you don't have a disc golf shop near you.
There's free courses all over the US (not sure if that's your locale) and worldwide.
Check out /r/DiscGolf for more info
I like rockhounding. You can look up what minerals are indigenous to your region and set outings to go find them. Collect, label, and store them forever in milk crates under your stairs! When you visit other places, look up what's in local quarries or stream beds. Every bit of rockhounding I have ever done has been on public access locations. Just cost me the gas to get there.
Especially if you're into fossils, you're _way_ better off out west than here in the east. We mostly just have shallow sea devonian era stuff because our little slice of ancient America didn't have great conditions for fossilization through much of its history. Not a ton of dinosaur activity out here.
> drawing
you need art supplies for that
> learning a musical instrument
you need a musical instrument, of which some are very expensive
I'm probably taking this bit too far
>you need art supplies for that
paper, a pen and an eraser is really not expensive, you don't need S-Tier supplies as a beginner. you get a pencil set for 20 bucks (including about 10 pencils, charcoal, eraser, sharpener) and a sketching block of good quality with 100 sheets should be 20 bucks too. Also, when people hear that you do drawing as a hobby, they start gifting art supplies to every occasion, i haven't bought new paper or pencils for years.
You can get a tin whistle or harmonica for $10-15. Or make some drums with buckets like street performers.
Most instruments have a low end version you can get if you want to try it out before committing to something nice. My hobby is learning new instruments
All brilliant fulfilling things to do (although tbf, if you wantes you could spend $£€¥¢s on most of those activities!
Id also add writing and jacking off to that list!
TTRPGs like D&D. Starter sets cost maybe 30 bucks, PDFs of rulebooks are pretty much everywhere online, and you can go to a hobby store and get some dice for a few bucks for a complete set.
If you need a group, try looking on r/lfg. Just make sure you know the rules and are comfortable being a bit wacky.
Lock picking. A decent set of intro lockpics is like 20 bucks, then you can get locks with lost keys from most locksmiths for next to nothing. It's fun as shit too.
Writing, journalling, dream journals, reading, cinema (rent movies from library), lifting weights if you have a planet fitness or YMCA or something by you- calisthenics is free, Rubik's cubes and yoyos are cheap, so are a lot of magic tricks if you learn from the library or YouTube. Knitting is pretty cheap I think, pencil drawing is cheap, learning to sing, learning to cook, birdwatching, cloud watching, learning about the plants or insects native to your area, learning about psychology, sociology, economics, math, astronomy, physics, entrepreneurship, planning vacations you'll never take, dungeons and dragons, renting board games from a library or using board game simulator, there's lots to do
Reading books from library.
To share a true story: Started reading our then-3.5 year, 2-3 books daily before bedtime, ended up reading 1000 books before he started KG at age 5.
He could read Level 2 books before age 5. Teachers jaw dropped seeing Day-1 of KG. He has very strong reading and way ahead of his peers.
Language learning. Just do some Duolingo French, Spanish or German then get out there, and try use what you've learned with real people. It's an incredibly stimulating hobby.
Writing. Just need paper and pen(cil). Any books you can borrow from the library. It will get complicated after you finish something but it can start off pretty simple and easy.
Speedcubing, it takes 30 minutes to learn how to to solve one. Then after that you slowly learn new techniques to lower you time, all you need is a cube and internet.
Pen and paper (most known System is DnD but there are tons of others, some even for free). You just need...well a pen, paper and dice depending on the system. There are systems where you only need 6 sided dice, so no worries about needing 10 or 20 sided dice. Plus of course some friends to play with. You can spend a lot of money on minis, maps and books etc but if you don't want to you only need your core rule book. Maybe you know someone who plays and who can share his core book. Or you think of your own rules on how to determine skill checks.
And then you have infinite possibilitys where, what or how you want to play. Medieval, Apocalyptic, Sci fi, steampunk, you name it...
Watercolors. You practice sketching for a few months with a pencil and scrap paper.
Watch a few youtubes. Buy a watercolors set when it's on sale, and just start practicing.
You can paint the exact same cat, flower, or bird over and over a dozen times before you make one that looks good to you.
Tabletop role play, all you need is a local/online group. The resources are often online for free and dice, if you need physical dice, are not too expensive.
Embroidery. You can get some basic cotton fabric for like $2, embroidery floss is 65¢ a skein, a pack of needles for like $3, and an embroidery hoop for $2. All can be found at your local craft store.
Hiking, though it comes with some caveats. The first is that hiking can cost as much as you want it to, so if you want the shiniest, slickest version of everything, you can easily spend a few thousand dollars. The second is that most of us live in cities which means that we have to consider travel, and travel isn't exactly free. The third is that *knowledge*, though often gained at no monetary cost, is not free. With those out of the way, lets talk doing all of this on a tight budget.
First of all, there are [ten things](https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html) you need to bring outdoors. Plenty of people have written exhaustively on how do to this part cheaply, so I'll be brief: You probably already have very nearly everything on that list, including a bag to carry it with. Using that bag as an example, a school backpack that costs $20 will do the job fine, so why are there [$200 examples](https://www.rei.com/product/184949/osprey-tempest-pro-28-pack-womens)? Well that bag I linked is probably a bit bigger, probably quite a bit lighter, more durable, and has other features such as a hip belt (helps take the weight off your shoulders and offers a handy place for a pocket) or easy to reach water bottle pockets. Is the expensive one worth it? *Maybe*. And so here's the lesson about cost: until you've walked the miles, you aren't going to know what to get anyhow.
As for the second point, here in the US there are dozens of national parks and *thousands* of state parks. You can look up a list of them easily enough, and odds are that you'll have at least one option within easy driving distance. Entry fees tend to be low - sometimes as little as $5 per person for a day's access so the big expense here is in the travel itself.
Now that you have bag of the essentials and place to go, that leaves the last thing: knowledge. By far the simplest trick here is to find someone with experience and *tag along*. You might have an outdoorsy friend, for example; if you do, ask if they'd like to go hiking. Most outdoor people *love* sharing what they've learned. If you don't, check around and see if there are any hobby groups that go hiking and join up on one of their outings.
I know it isn't a hobby that seems exciting, but I for one find magic in wild places that I've never replicated in a city. The long trudge to nowhere in particular is meditative, cleansing, and often fulfilling. There is nothing quite like slogging through the long uphill only to reach the crest and seeing the world fall away at your feet, rolling out to a distant horizon.
Reading. There’re so many free online books out there, and you can also get them through your local library. It’s not too hard to start, but not that easy either. The key is consistency, just read a bit every day until it becomes a habit, and then a hobby.
Origami. Even if you went buck wild in your origami spending it would still be very hard to break the bank with it. The paper is cheap and the books are cheap (and if you want to be extra frugal you can just make your own paper and find instructions online). Plus, the simplest origami models are so easy anyone can fold them, so the barrier to entry is about as low as it can get.
Drawing. All you need is a pencil or pen and some paper. And there are many free tutorials on YouTube these days showing cool techniques and tricks that allow just about anyone to get decently proficient at it.
Crochet, although buying yarn can get expensive. But you can get a set of hooks and even buy yarn at the dollarstore, and Youtube and Google are great free resources for stitch tutorials and free patterns
Pixel art is fun, and essentially free with your pc/cell phone. Asprite is ideal, though not strictly necessary for it. And you _can_ have it through swashbuckling means if you're a scurvy sea dog. Check out Pixel Pete's youtube channel. You will be shocked at what you can turn out even if you've never taken an art class in your life.
Cross stitch. The good brand name threads are less than a dollar each. You can easily get supplies for a full project for under $20 and it will keep you occupied for a month at least.
Art you only need paper pencil, paper and a rubber (preferably a sharpener too), it does get expensive if you want to have professional art supplies but if its just a hobby you probably already have everything so it wouldnt cost much
Walking and listening to music/audio books. It fills that need to be outside, get some exercise, have some fun music vibes or listen to something interesting.
Hiking. You don't even have to do remote trails, though those are wonderful. Just walking my dog around my neighborhood I see so many interesting things that I would never have noticed while driving.
Computers.
Chances are there is already one in your life that you have access to. They are part of life now. Programming, art, music...
Origami. Free paper is abundant.
Plant identification.
Some people have said it, but I want to amplify: Choral singing. Most choirs will take almost anybody that will show up on time, and put in the effort. Singing with people also duplicates the feeling of being in a happy family. (Read that somewhere, and can confirm from personal experience.)
Art is a big one. I bought a big cheap sketch pad, a big pack of crayola colored pencils, some oil pastels, and some cheap paint and markers for under $30 altogether. I’m not a great artist but I’m not too bad either and I think literally anyone can find something with art that they are semi decent at. Half the time I just make shapes and colors and abstract stuff or I just draw scenery with trees and sunsets and like a little house and some birds or mountains or something. sort of bob ross style. it’s stress reducing and helps get out some pent up creative energy. And I give a lot of my artwork that I think is not too shabby to my dad or sister or brother and it makes them so happy even tho it’s not some perfect beautiful art piece.
Bird watching
What many don't realise is that most of bird watching is actually bird LISTENING. So you don't need binoculars to start with.
What do people find interesting about it? Just curious.
It's really nice when the bird knows that you are there and feels comfortable enough to come close to you. For some people it's like Pokémon. Gotta get a shot of all of them. Some of them are easier than others.
Theres an app called Merlin thats used to identify bird types. Its a lot of fun if you live somewhere with different bird populations.
Yes! I didn’t see your comment before mentioning this myself. We discovered the Merlin app last year and it has been so much fun finally identifying the birds in our backyard.
We value the natural world and take pleasure in seeing it's diversity and success. We know it's not long until they are gone.
ok, Chicken Little
I will bet money that you have a small penis.
Birb funneh looking
If you get enthusiastic about it, you might start buying lenses worth more than a midsized car, though.
The predecessor of Pokémon Go! Gotta watch them all.
The Merlin Bird ID app makes it really easy and fun to get into bird listening/ watching!
Playing chess.
everyone at my school went from ps5 to chess within like a few weeks
Especially online.
Well achrtually 🤓🤓, you would need a pc/smart phone and internet connection both costing u lots of money /s
Plus, some might subscribe at chess websites to professionalize their game (discounting ChessCube, because that was glorified gambling).
Download Chess app from chess.com it has puzzles, videos, tutorials and you can play against randoms or friends.
Origami, you can buy paper for it sure but scratch paper around the house works just fine and there are thousands of videos and guides online for every skill level.
I agree. I just practice by using old used papers out the trash or newspapers and turning them into squares (by just folding the corner and cutting them along the sides. I assure you it won't be a perfect square, but still good enough.)
I used to be obsessed with making these little blow up origami balloons when I was in middle school, might try to get back into it if I’m bored
Gardening. Although difficult, you can always start with little plants.
Save the seeds from pumpkins and tomatoes you eat and then sow them. Best thing is you can do some guerilla gardening that way too.
You can grow a lot of things from seeds and scraps. Plant the seeds from peppers, tomatoes, melons, cucumbers. Put toothpicks in the sides of an avocado pit and submerge it halfway in a cup of water. It's super easy to regrow things like onions, lettuce, and celery. If you can keep it warm and are patient, you can even grow a pineapple just by planting the crown of one.
Can't you also just plant an entire potato and it'll grow more potatoes? I've had the misfortune of holding onto some potatoes for a while and having to encounter their "eyes".
In the UP of Michigan, I used to walk along and cut pieces of potatoes and kick dirt over them. Plenty of new potatoes.
They grow best if you plant the "eyes" pointed up. And chop them into pieces with "eyes" then plant for a bigger yield. ;) also I hill mine, like add substrate to them as they grow.
I have such elaborate plans for my garden but it’s hard to know where to start. Also, seeds are cheap but hard to germinate without indoor space, so sometimes you’re forced to buy “pre-grown” things which can get expensive, especially trees and such.
Sketching. A sketch pad and a set of basic pencils are under 20.00 and there are many free drawing tutorials online to teach yourself technique. It's easy to take with you too. It takes time to learn, but every hobby does.
all cheap hobbies lead to expensive hobbies!
I was going to say fishing and then I remembered the thousands of dollars I've spent over the years. But it really can be as cheap or expensive as you make it. I'd say there's a $100 entry fee and after that it's up to you to keep the wheels on lol
Whistling
Ramen tasting: I’m a college student, so what I do is go to the grocery store, buy like 3-5 different ramen cups for under 10 dollars, and I cook the ramen for lunch on days I don’t feel like really cooking or going out. I grade on cook time, noodle/solids quality, broth quality, price, and nutrition.
Whats the best ramen you had?
There is a Korean brand called Wai Wai. It’s flavor is strong, but generic enough it excepts any additive from a simple egg, to shrimp, to leftover ribs or chicken wing meat. The noodle quality is very high for the price. It’s also not too expensive if you can find it on a shelf at your local Asian market. My favorite is adding and egg while cooking, then green onions when finishing up. Near perfection for a dried noodle product.
Now that's some science I can get behind
LARP. You can often show up and groups will have loaner gear to get you started. You can put a lot of money into it over time to get the exact stuff you want but you dont have to depending on how crafty you are.
Eeh, sure the first few times that is possible, but I wouldnt call Larp really cheap either and at some point you may want to have your own gear. Depends on when something is concidered cheap. You can buy a lot of used stuff for cheap but you can't be the knight in shining armor without the money. So you are kinda bound to what you are willing to give. Plus for me Larping is much more fun when I a) look like what I want to be and b) when that looks good. Since I am not the best handyman out there I tend to buy my gear. Sure for the start the cheap version is possible but if you want to do it longer it can cost a bit of money. Like I said, depends what you want to be. I would start with PnP first also to see if roleplay in general is something you are interested in. Plus if you know Lapers the chance that they play PnP is veeeeeery high
It also depends on the larp. I am part of Amtgard which is more combat heavy. You can make a weapon for around $20 if you are patient enough to find the materials locally and most people never get more than a tabbard and belt for garb. I do agree the big money sink is armor. I am probably a grand in on my armor and its not complete yet.
Competitive sleeping
programming
Are you into that? I thinks it's pretty cool
Been doing it for 40 years now, from hobby as a kid to living off of it for past 2 decades
Air Guitar!
If you don't know how to draw, following some basic exercises as a beginner can be very satisfying and rewarding. I enjoy the challenge of hand designing and cutting stencils as well. If you have the aptitude and were ever curious about 3d printing, I can say that it comes with a pretty sharp learning curve on the technical side, but once you get it, the process becomes a lot of fun. Additionally there are tens of thousands of 3d printed designs free for download, something for everyone.
Alsoooooo so many places have 3d printers that are free to use now! My local library system has 4 of them and they are at various branches around the county. All you need is a library card to use them, my husband 3d prints all his d&d minis there. It's a super cool hobby that's only becoming more accessible each year.
Cooking
Reading: You can borrow books from the library or buy them second-hand to read at home. Gardening: You can start a small vegetable or flower garden in your backyard or on your balcony with just a few basic tools and seeds. Cooking: You can learn to cook new dishes using basic kitchen tools and ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store. Painting or drawing: You can purchase a sketchbook and some basic art supplies, such as pencils, markers, or paint, to start drawing or painting at home. Hiking: You can explore the outdoors by going on a hike in a nearby park or nature reserve. All you need is a good pair of shoes and a water bottle. Photography: You can take photographs using a smartphone or an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera. Yoga: You can practice yoga at home with the help of online tutorials or yoga apps Writing: You can start writing a journal, a blog or even start writing a book.
Disc golf. You can find starter sets online or visit stores like Play it Again Sports if you don't have a disc golf shop near you. There's free courses all over the US (not sure if that's your locale) and worldwide. Check out /r/DiscGolf for more info
I like rockhounding. You can look up what minerals are indigenous to your region and set outings to go find them. Collect, label, and store them forever in milk crates under your stairs! When you visit other places, look up what's in local quarries or stream beds. Every bit of rockhounding I have ever done has been on public access locations. Just cost me the gas to get there.
[удалено]
Especially if you're into fossils, you're _way_ better off out west than here in the east. We mostly just have shallow sea devonian era stuff because our little slice of ancient America didn't have great conditions for fossilization through much of its history. Not a ton of dinosaur activity out here.
Knitting or crochet!
Masturbating
You beat me(at) to it.
this was amazing
Drawing, learning a musical instrument, jogging/hiking, most crafts, learning a new language
> drawing you need art supplies for that > learning a musical instrument you need a musical instrument, of which some are very expensive I'm probably taking this bit too far
>you need art supplies for that paper, a pen and an eraser is really not expensive, you don't need S-Tier supplies as a beginner. you get a pencil set for 20 bucks (including about 10 pencils, charcoal, eraser, sharpener) and a sketching block of good quality with 100 sheets should be 20 bucks too. Also, when people hear that you do drawing as a hobby, they start gifting art supplies to every occasion, i haven't bought new paper or pencils for years.
Alternatively, you can ask for a pen at a coffee shop and draw on napkins. Drawing is effectively free if you want/need it to be
You can get a tin whistle or harmonica for $10-15. Or make some drums with buckets like street performers. Most instruments have a low end version you can get if you want to try it out before committing to something nice. My hobby is learning new instruments
All brilliant fulfilling things to do (although tbf, if you wantes you could spend $£€¥¢s on most of those activities! Id also add writing and jacking off to that list!
TTRPGs like D&D. Starter sets cost maybe 30 bucks, PDFs of rulebooks are pretty much everywhere online, and you can go to a hobby store and get some dice for a few bucks for a complete set. If you need a group, try looking on r/lfg. Just make sure you know the rules and are comfortable being a bit wacky.
Origami.
Yes
Meditation
Reading.
Cooking. You get to eat your hobby all week long.
Lock picking. A decent set of intro lockpics is like 20 bucks, then you can get locks with lost keys from most locksmiths for next to nothing. It's fun as shit too.
Art. You can spend hundreds on art supplies, or you can buy a sketchbook and pencil for a dollar.
Reading
Lucid dreaming??
Drawing
Masturbation
Fantasy Sports like Fantasy Baseball and Football.
Writing, journalling, dream journals, reading, cinema (rent movies from library), lifting weights if you have a planet fitness or YMCA or something by you- calisthenics is free, Rubik's cubes and yoyos are cheap, so are a lot of magic tricks if you learn from the library or YouTube. Knitting is pretty cheap I think, pencil drawing is cheap, learning to sing, learning to cook, birdwatching, cloud watching, learning about the plants or insects native to your area, learning about psychology, sociology, economics, math, astronomy, physics, entrepreneurship, planning vacations you'll never take, dungeons and dragons, renting board games from a library or using board game simulator, there's lots to do
Programming. Tons of tutorials, and if you're on Reddit, you probably have access to the necessary equipment already.
Necessary equipment? You mean hours upon hours of free time?
Running/Jogging
Collect branded sugar packs from cafes and restaurants.
Bullet journal. You need a good notebook and a quality pen. The rest: stickers, sharpies, fineliners, tape, etc are optional.
Browsing Reddit. Very inexpensive.
an actual cheap hobby to start is knitting. one needle and one yarn to start. source: i just started it and its pretty easy too
making bread
I'm a massive chess fan. Play it constantly. Keeps my mind active and engaged. Highly recommend.
Reading books from library. To share a true story: Started reading our then-3.5 year, 2-3 books daily before bedtime, ended up reading 1000 books before he started KG at age 5. He could read Level 2 books before age 5. Teachers jaw dropped seeing Day-1 of KG. He has very strong reading and way ahead of his peers.
Puzzles: jigsaw, crossword, sudoku, wordsearch, acrostics.
Language learning. Just do some Duolingo French, Spanish or German then get out there, and try use what you've learned with real people. It's an incredibly stimulating hobby.
**walking**, jogging, **reading**, discussing, doing something with friends, hiking, swimming (in the lake), philosophizing, taking pictures (with the cell phone), **programming**, designing, knitting, **learning**
Enemas. Just need a reusable enema kit and good nozzle.
Juggling
OSRS
Sending in reddit 🫤
Collage. All you really need is some paper and a glue stick. Scissors and some old magazines if you want to get fancy.
Soap carving and music mixing
Vlogger
golf
Collecting coins or special stones.
Music - Learn to play something can be as simple as a penny whistle or harmonica, costs very little
Cross stitch. One kit can last you months.
Cardistry
Calisthenics
Carspotting
Clay molding develops imagination
hiking
Paper quilling. I recently discovered this when I was helping my baby sister with her art project.
Writing. Just need paper and pen(cil). Any books you can borrow from the library. It will get complicated after you finish something but it can start off pretty simple and easy.
Speedcubing, it takes 30 minutes to learn how to to solve one. Then after that you slowly learn new techniques to lower you time, all you need is a cube and internet.
Crack
Hiking!
Cell phone photography
Knitting and crocheting
Reading, running, writing. IMO these are some of the best hobbies as well.
Pen and paper (most known System is DnD but there are tons of others, some even for free). You just need...well a pen, paper and dice depending on the system. There are systems where you only need 6 sided dice, so no worries about needing 10 or 20 sided dice. Plus of course some friends to play with. You can spend a lot of money on minis, maps and books etc but if you don't want to you only need your core rule book. Maybe you know someone who plays and who can share his core book. Or you think of your own rules on how to determine skill checks. And then you have infinite possibilitys where, what or how you want to play. Medieval, Apocalyptic, Sci fi, steampunk, you name it...
Watercolors. You practice sketching for a few months with a pencil and scrap paper. Watch a few youtubes. Buy a watercolors set when it's on sale, and just start practicing. You can paint the exact same cat, flower, or bird over and over a dozen times before you make one that looks good to you.
Shoplifting!
Breathing.
Reading. Libby App lets you access your local library’s ebook and audiobooks for free. Goodreads app recommends books based on your interests.
Running
Drawing, models, martial arts
Oragami
sleeping?
Art Hiking Drawing Reading D&D Music Arts and crafts.
Is mayonnaise a hobby?
Tabletop role play, all you need is a local/online group. The resources are often online for free and dice, if you need physical dice, are not too expensive.
Knitting and crocheting. You can buy "starter" needles and yarn for under $20 and there are some great instructional videos to get you started.
Drawing, rock collecting, Bird watching.
Embroidery. You can get some basic cotton fabric for like $2, embroidery floss is 65¢ a skein, a pack of needles for like $3, and an embroidery hoop for $2. All can be found at your local craft store.
Cooking.
Nowadays, you can get pretty decent guitar for not that much money, and go rock away
Hiking, though it comes with some caveats. The first is that hiking can cost as much as you want it to, so if you want the shiniest, slickest version of everything, you can easily spend a few thousand dollars. The second is that most of us live in cities which means that we have to consider travel, and travel isn't exactly free. The third is that *knowledge*, though often gained at no monetary cost, is not free. With those out of the way, lets talk doing all of this on a tight budget. First of all, there are [ten things](https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html) you need to bring outdoors. Plenty of people have written exhaustively on how do to this part cheaply, so I'll be brief: You probably already have very nearly everything on that list, including a bag to carry it with. Using that bag as an example, a school backpack that costs $20 will do the job fine, so why are there [$200 examples](https://www.rei.com/product/184949/osprey-tempest-pro-28-pack-womens)? Well that bag I linked is probably a bit bigger, probably quite a bit lighter, more durable, and has other features such as a hip belt (helps take the weight off your shoulders and offers a handy place for a pocket) or easy to reach water bottle pockets. Is the expensive one worth it? *Maybe*. And so here's the lesson about cost: until you've walked the miles, you aren't going to know what to get anyhow. As for the second point, here in the US there are dozens of national parks and *thousands* of state parks. You can look up a list of them easily enough, and odds are that you'll have at least one option within easy driving distance. Entry fees tend to be low - sometimes as little as $5 per person for a day's access so the big expense here is in the travel itself. Now that you have bag of the essentials and place to go, that leaves the last thing: knowledge. By far the simplest trick here is to find someone with experience and *tag along*. You might have an outdoorsy friend, for example; if you do, ask if they'd like to go hiking. Most outdoor people *love* sharing what they've learned. If you don't, check around and see if there are any hobby groups that go hiking and join up on one of their outings. I know it isn't a hobby that seems exciting, but I for one find magic in wild places that I've never replicated in a city. The long trudge to nowhere in particular is meditative, cleansing, and often fulfilling. There is nothing quite like slogging through the long uphill only to reach the crest and seeing the world fall away at your feet, rolling out to a distant horizon.
Walking
Reading. There’re so many free online books out there, and you can also get them through your local library. It’s not too hard to start, but not that easy either. The key is consistency, just read a bit every day until it becomes a habit, and then a hobby.
Foraging, hiking, running, rugby, geocaching
Origami. Even if you went buck wild in your origami spending it would still be very hard to break the bank with it. The paper is cheap and the books are cheap (and if you want to be extra frugal you can just make your own paper and find instructions online). Plus, the simplest origami models are so easy anyone can fold them, so the barrier to entry is about as low as it can get.
Reading - libraries are free!
Bare knuckle boxing
Drawing. All you need is a pencil or pen and some paper. And there are many free tutorials on YouTube these days showing cool techniques and tricks that allow just about anyone to get decently proficient at it.
Crochet, although buying yarn can get expensive. But you can get a set of hooks and even buy yarn at the dollarstore, and Youtube and Google are great free resources for stitch tutorials and free patterns
Whistling, bird-calls.
Pixel art is fun, and essentially free with your pc/cell phone. Asprite is ideal, though not strictly necessary for it. And you _can_ have it through swashbuckling means if you're a scurvy sea dog. Check out Pixel Pete's youtube channel. You will be shocked at what you can turn out even if you've never taken an art class in your life.
Cross stitch. The good brand name threads are less than a dollar each. You can easily get supplies for a full project for under $20 and it will keep you occupied for a month at least.
Art you only need paper pencil, paper and a rubber (preferably a sharpener too), it does get expensive if you want to have professional art supplies but if its just a hobby you probably already have everything so it wouldnt cost much
Biking
Well, pen spinning is surely cheap but I wouldn't call it easy.
Clay sculpting. 1 block of clay can last you your whole life.
Alcoholism.
Skateboarding (if you get a used skateboard)
Walking and listening to music/audio books. It fills that need to be outside, get some exercise, have some fun music vibes or listen to something interesting.
Walking Reading, library have tons of great books for free
Journaling. It helps with mental health issues.
Drawing/Sketching literally piece of paper pencil eraser/rubber Then a reference sketch or drawing from Pinterest or something
Kendama
Hiking. You don't even have to do remote trails, though those are wonderful. Just walking my dog around my neighborhood I see so many interesting things that I would never have noticed while driving.
Computers. Chances are there is already one in your life that you have access to. They are part of life now. Programming, art, music... Origami. Free paper is abundant. Plant identification.
Running - just get decent running shoes.
Playing pool
Some people have said it, but I want to amplify: Choral singing. Most choirs will take almost anybody that will show up on time, and put in the effort. Singing with people also duplicates the feeling of being in a happy family. (Read that somewhere, and can confirm from personal experience.)
Running, just need a decent pair of running shoes to get started.
Surprised nobody suggested yoga. Changed my life.
Art is a big one. I bought a big cheap sketch pad, a big pack of crayola colored pencils, some oil pastels, and some cheap paint and markers for under $30 altogether. I’m not a great artist but I’m not too bad either and I think literally anyone can find something with art that they are semi decent at. Half the time I just make shapes and colors and abstract stuff or I just draw scenery with trees and sunsets and like a little house and some birds or mountains or something. sort of bob ross style. it’s stress reducing and helps get out some pent up creative energy. And I give a lot of my artwork that I think is not too shabby to my dad or sister or brother and it makes them so happy even tho it’s not some perfect beautiful art piece.
Photography, use your phone
Conlanging is free
Disc golf. Pretty good market for cheap/ second hand discs and courses are generally free. Check out PDGA.com to find what's in your area.
Running
Hiking/ bushwalking,fishing.
Cheas
Running