13 of the Cheapest Hobbies You Can Teach Yourself

One of the first things people sacrifice when they cut their budgets is their hobbies. Hobbies can be very expensive. It adds up quickly when you engage in an activity that requires special equipment or regular payments. It's easy to think that if you're broke you can't have a hobby, but there are a lot of things you can do that don't cost a lot and can even make you money.

If you want to use your free time in ways that nourish your spirit without draining your bank account, here are a bunch of suggestions for hobbies that are completely free or very low-cost.

There are a lot of puzzles in this world and it will take a long time to get through them. There are tons of physical puzzles for free at libraries or for a few dollars at thrift stores, and puzzle books at libraries or used books stores, so you can indulge in this hobby for a minimal budget. You get hours of absorbing fun that will help keep your mind sharp and give you a sense of accomplishment when you solve a difficult problem.

Wood working is a hobby for rich people who can afford to have a shop built in their home and acquire all the specialized tools necessary. In its most basic form, wood working can be done with a sharp knife and a hunk of wood, but you need a hunk of wood and a sharp knife. When you are ready for something more complex, you can find affordable wood working kits that will take you to the next level for less than $30.

Why not start a hobby that pays for itself? You don't need a sewing machine or a lot of specialized tools if you have a basic sewing kit and the time to learn some basics. Once you get used to the basics, you can expand your skill set and collection of tools.

When you think of photography as a hobby, you might think you need an expensive camera, access to equipment, and a lot of education. You can go a long way with just a basic phone and some basics. There are a lot of free online tools you can use. You don't need to spend a dime to get some amazing photos that you can post online or display in other ways.

A hobby that is ideal for people who like to be active is geocaching. People all over the world have hidden geocaches and listed their coordinates at a central site. You can use your phone to find the location of the geocache using the gps coordinates. You can swap out what's inside for something else if you locate the hidden treasure. It is possible to make the world a little more magical.

Combining restless energy with improved health and fitness is a good idea. There are usually trails for all levels of fitness and difficulty so you don't have to buy new footwear or equipment. You don't have to spend a lot of money to take up running. You can find yoga classes in your own home for free with a variety of online resources.

The internet is a great place to learn to dance without spending a dime, and you can find free dance classes at libraries, community centers, and even a local dance studio. Dancing is one of those hobbies that pays off in real social dividends because you can become that person who burns down the dance floor at your next wedding or company holiday party

Everyone has to consume food. We assume all the joy goes out of our meals when finances are tight because we will be eating rice and beans for the foreseeable future. The point of cooking is to make food more interesting and enjoyable. If you don't have access to a full kitchen, you can make some pretty impressive meals with a microwave. You can find plenty of free cookery courses online that will give you a fundamental grasp of the basics, which will allow you to turn those bargains from the grocery store into fun projects and a delicious meal.

A hobby that involves using scrap materials is called scrapbooking. Some people use it to remember the big moments of their lives. It's possible to use paper, ribbon, and other scrap materials to make something beautiful in a book or on a page, even if it's just for an artistic purpose. Since it can be done with materials you have lying around, the only cost is usually a bit of glue and a piece of paper.

A lot of people think gardening is expensive. It is possible to harvest seeds from vegetables and fruits you buy for your meals. You don't need a lot of special tools, and you can often find plants on a clearance shelf at your local garden store that just need some attention and care to be brought back to life. If you don't have enough outdoor space, you can still garden inside.

It doesn't have to be expensive to learn how to play an instrument. If you know where to look, you can often find free or cheap instruments if you choose to. It is worth checking with your library to see if you can find instruments that the local library system loans out.

There is no need for a stage, huge sets, or complex tricks in magic. You can still impress people with sleight-of-hand and simple card tricks. If you have a deck of cards and some time, you can learn some pretty nifty tricks that will challenge your powers of concentration and hand-eye coordination while giving you something to entertain yourself.

One of the oldest pastimes is reading. You can read tens of thousands of books for free with a library card. You can use books to learn about other hobbies if you don't consider reading to be fun. Making reading your hobby can have a social aspect to it, as you can join a book club to read and discuss books with other people.