Lately I’ve been feeling the itch to work on some of my hobbies. One is painting and decorating either my own home or the homes of family and friends. Another one of my hobbies is sewing and quilting. I love to make little crafty things, like Kleenex pouches for your purse, coin purses, bags, and queen size quilts.
But, depending on what I’m creating, some of those hobbies can be hard on my wallet. Luckily, If you like to make things too, there are hobbies to try without destroying your budget.
1. Sewing
If you already have a sewing machine and tools, you don’t have to always spend a fortune to make fun stuff. You can shop sales for fabric and use the scraps of friends. Here’s a hint: Give them one of what you’re making as an incentive to let scraps go.
You can also reuse fabric from old clothes, sheets, curtains, blankets, and more to make other useful and pretty items. That makes sewing one of the fun hobbies to try without destroying your budget.
Want to make sewing an even more economical hobby? Try turning your hobby into a side hustle by selling your items on Etsy. That can bring down the cost of your hobby even more.
2. Baking
Do you like to cook and bake? If so, baking is still one of the economical hobbies to try that should be included on this list.
Most people who decide to try a new recipe have at least part of the ingredients on the list already. At least, that’s how it usually works for me. That means I only have to buy a few things to try something new, which keeps down my costs.
What’s more, my family gets to try new things, which is always fun. To top it off, we end up with more winning recipes to make again in the future. Of course, there are always a few that don’t pass the test, too!
3. Weaving
Weaving is something you can do at home or even in the car on a trip. You can also make more than just baskets by weaving.
Rugs, baskets, and even blankets can be made using a variety of different materials, including some you’ve recycled. That makes weaving one of the inexpensive hobbies to try and enjoy.
Some people use materials such as old jeans, t-shirts, plastic sacks, and even dried corn husks. With imagination and a little creativity, there’s no telling what you can make.
4. Whittling
Another of the hobbies to try that’s enjoyable and creative is whittling. Although I’ve never tried it, some people find it to be relaxing.
If you aren’t sure where to start, poke around on Pinterest to see if there are any tutorials. You can also check to see if there are any books about whittling in your local library.
5. Gaming
When you want to try something new without destroying your budget, try playing a new game. There are tons of free ones you can play on your phone or computer. Some are one player and some must be played with others.
But not all games have to be played using a device. You can play marbles, jacks, pick up sticks, and other sometimes forgotten games. There are even chess clubs you can join.
6. Building
Creating new things not only passes time, but helps you make decorative and useful items too. For instance, you could build model planes, ships, or cars.
Building larger items is another of the hobbies to try that can give you useful things to use at home. Sheds, workbenches, tables, cabinets, and many other things can be built from scrap wood, pallets, and other recycled materials.
7. Coloring
Who said coloring is only for kids? Adult coloring books have become quite popular in the past few years. Coloring can be a relaxing pastime and provide you with wall art at the same time.
Materials, such as crayons, markers, books, or printed coloring pages are relatively cheap and easy to find.
8. Speaking
Learning a new language is another of the useful hobbies to try that isn’t costly. You can find instruction on the internet as well as through books, videos, and more.
If you’ll be traveling to another country, why not learn to speak their language before your trip? You don’t have to be an expert, just fluent enough to understand and be understood.
Clearly there are lots of hobbies to try without destroying your budget. If you have the time, I encourage you to try something new. You just never know how much fun you might have.
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Personal Capital lets you see all of your accounts in one convenient place. Sign up now for free.Do you have a hobby? If not, do you plan on learning one now that you know they don’t have to cost a bunch?
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