Inexpensive Hobbies
Hobbies are important–they round out our lives and give us a way to relax; but in some cases, hobbies are also a way to “numb out” and disengage from reality, problems, and what we really want in life.
In other words, they serve as a temporary, short-term escape, rather than a long-term cure to the modern life rat-race.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that you should give up all your hobbies–
that would not be a particularly wise thing to do.
What I do suggest, however, is that you trade some of your more expensive hobbies for inexpensive (or free) ones, with a special emphasis on the word “trade.”
If your expensive hobby of motorcycle racing, for example, gives you the pleasure of feeling fast when coming out of low-speed corners, how about replacing it with the less expensive hobby of mountain-bike racing?
Or, if your expensive Friday night restaurant hobby gives you the pleasure of doing something social, how about weekly hiking with friends instead?
You get the point.
The idea is simple. For every expensive hobby you want to change, you come up with an alternative hobby that will provide an identical or similar reward as the old one.
It would not only make the adjustment easier, but it also has the potential of bringing even more joy to your life, now that you are more in tune with your financial freedom dreams.
Trading Expensive Hobbies for Cheap Ones
Start by making a list of your most expensive hobbies. Then, pick one of these hobbies and make a commitment to swap it with an inexpensive or a free one.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Reading – An incredibly inexpensive hobby that provides so many benefits. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. It stretches our mental muscles and forces us to use our brain (and not just “switch off” as so many do in front of the TV). But the list of benefits doesn’t stop there: reading helps to reduce stress, develop imagination, improve critical thinking, expand knowledge, and enhance focus and concentration. Have you visited your library lately?
2. Running – All you need is a pair of shoes and a place to run. Enough said!
3. Fishing – If you live close to large bodies of water, fishing can be a great option. It requires nothing more than a fishing pole and a little patience…
4. Hiking – Even in the most built-up of cities, there is usually no shortage of scenic trails a short drive away. Great way to stay social and fit!
5. Cooking – The truth is that cooking does not have to be fancy, expensive, or complicated. With a few basic how-to’s, it can be quite easy and fun.
6. Volunteering – Earn yourself some karma points while having fun doing it. The reward of making an impact can be priceless, especially when it supports a cause that’s close to your heart.
7. Mind games – Sudoku, checkers, chess, puzzles, crosswords … the list goes on. Your brain will be thankful for it. 🙂
8. Group meetings – Besides the tangible impact on your social life, the intangible benefits are significant: professional growth, networking, leadership opportunities, etc. Check out meetup.com for groups that match your age range and interests. And if you can’t find one, start one!
There’s really no end to what’s out there. Need more ideas? Just google “cheap hobbies”; you’ll be amazed by the number of options you have!
Inexpensive hobbies that can make you money
Some hobbies are more equal than others when it comes to pursuing freedom.
If you don’t have to spend money on your hobby, and at the same time, it has the potential to make you extra income–well then, this is what I call a win-win.
Here are 5 quick ideas to get you thinking:
1. Writing – The benefits of writing are uncountable; whether it’s to craft a story, an article, or connect with your innermost thoughts, writing can be massively beneficial to anyone. The best part? You don’t have to be a professional writer to earn extra cash with your words. All you need are decent writing skills, a basic understanding of what content attracts online readers (which you already have), and the desire to write. It might be hard to find work in the beginning, but once you build your writing portfolio (and your confidence), you’ll be ready to market yourself and find work in a variety of places, such as elance.com and scripted.com.
2. Dogs – Love dogs but don’t have one yet? Using sites like rover.com or DogVacay.com, you can walk or take care of other people’s pets and they’ll pay you for doing so.
3. Photography – These days, you don’t need a super expensive camera to take really great photos, and there are plenty of good websites that will teach you digital photography for free. Better yet, sites like shutterstock.com and freedigitalphotos.net will help you to turn your creativity into cash.
4. Design – You don’t need an expensive college degree to learn graphic design, web design, or any other type of visual artistic design. Sites like tutsplus.com, lynda.com, and udemy.com make it inexpensive and fun.
5. Programming – Similar to my point about design, you don’t need a college degree to learn programming. The earning potential can be significant. Start here: codecademy.com.
These are just a few ideas to consider. The key, from my perspective, is to brainstorm options that not only contribute to your own well-being–physically, emotionally, and spiritually–but also to the well being of others. When this happens, a financial opportunity is created.
Take Action!
Pick one hobby that:
– is inexpensive or free
– contributes to your betterment
– has the potential to make you money
and make a commitment to trying it for a few weeks. If the hobby holds your interest and you enjoy it, keep it. If it doesn’t, then pick another hobby with earning potential and try it for a few weeks as well.
* If you’re looking for more inspiration to help you on your personal development journey, you may want to check out my extensive list of SMART goals. This page is packed with thousands of different goal ideas that can help you set new aspirations and reach higher heights in your life. Personally, this page helped me to create my own 100 life goals list, which I pursued for over a decade.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an impact-driven creator at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 life goals around the globe. Tal's journey and recent book, The Art of Fully Living, inspired him to found Elevate Society.
