Spending an afternoon indulging in our favourite hobby is one of the best ways to look after our mental health and boost our wellbeing. Our interests stretch our imagination and help us see the world in a new way, and encourage us to take time for ourselves.
Hobbies are proven to help lower stress, increase our social connections, and raise our happiness levels. But hobbies can be expensive, creating a barrier in taking on new interests that can ultimately benefit our wellbeing.
There are plenty of ideas that are cheap, entertaining, and just as engaging. We simply need to think outside of the box and find something we are drawn towards. So we’ve come up with ten great low-cost hobbies for you to consider.
1. Do It Yourself
DIY may strike fear into the best of us, but it can be a fantastic hobby that can come in relatively cheaply with a little bit of ingenuity. In fact, becoming a dab hand at DIY can save you long-term with the high costs of unnecessary tradespeople.
2. Learn Something New
The world is our oyster when it comes to learning something new. There are a mountain of free online courses that can help us expand our horizons and understanding. Coursera.com offer free lessons from Yale University in all manner of expertise.
3. Dig A Hole
Gardening is one of the best free hobbies to take on board, and even though the weather may turn, there are all sorts of seasonal jobs to do throughout the year. Not only is gardening fulfilling as we watch our garden grow, but it is also incredibly beneficial to your mental health.
4. Pick and Stick the Scraps
Scrapbooking may seem like an old-world hobby, but it is incredibly therapeutic to pull together bits and pieces of your summer or year and compile them together in a scrapbook with important memories. A beautifully creative hobby, scrapbooking is therapeutic and cheap.
5. Read and Write
Reading is one of the cheapest and best hobbies, with books easily sourced from the library or cheap deals on your e-reader. It’s most certainly not a hobby to overlook. And if writing has always been a passion and dream, it is never too late to start writing as a hobby.
6. Start a Blog
Writing a blog can be a great start to your writing career. With free online programmes and websites to kickstart your blogging hobby, you can write on any topic that grabs your attention and build an audience of like-minded people.
7. Listen to Podcasts
There are podcasts on absolutely every topic, meaning we can learn about something new or indulge in a conversation on something we are passionate about. We can even listen to podcasts while doing another topic we love, like scrapbooking!
8. Get Snap Happy
Photography does not have to be an expensive hobby. You can take great photos with your phone and play around with free editing apps and software to create some truly stunning images. There are plenty of free tutorials online to get you started.
9. Stretch It Out
We may believe we need to start our yoga journey with in-person classes, but if the last couple of years has taught us anything, we can learn online from those eager to teach. Free online yoga classes can be easily watched on Youtube.
10. Flex Your Volunteer Muscle
Volunteering can be an enriching pastime as we give a little bit of ourselves back to our community. Find local opportunities that align with your passions and goals in life, and you will benefit yourself and others.
