I'm curious what type of hobbies are popular among the ERE community. Looking for hobbies that are either cheap or that can produce some extra income.
I've been into bicycle racing for the last few years and it can be fairly expensive. I've also been nervous at times about the safety risks. I've been considering starting a new type of racing this fall (Cyclocross), but with that comes buying a new bike and certain equipment. So I'm looking for other options.
One thing I'm thinking about now, since I have been into photography for a number of years and already have a good DSLR body and some good lenses, is to pick up small jobs like senior pictures (Not interested in weddings, and I'm not too confident about trying stock photography.)
So -- what are some hobbies?
A few options to get the ball rolling:
- Reading (from the library or paperbackswap)
- Video games (I already have a computer, TV, and PS3. If I buy games cheaply the hours/$ can be very high)
- Real estate - repairng/flipping (I won't be doing this anytime soon - no experience and not likely to stay in the same area long)
- Gardening. (Probably not an option for me right now as I live in an apartment. I look forward to doing it if/when I buy a house)
- Volunteering. (haven't really ever found myself interested so far)
- A 2nd Job. Part-time. (ehh, not for me)
???
What HOBBIES? (cheap or money-making)
- Stand up paddle boarding - Boards can be had for cheap on Craigslist. You can buy a brand new inflatable one on Amazon.com for around $600. Don't let the word inflatable fool you, when fully pumped with air, the boards are very solid and stiff. Stand up paddle boarding provides a great full-body workout and can be done on a lake, river, or pool (if permitted).
- Knitting - I've only knitted 3/4 of a scarf, but knitting is cheap and provides a zen-like experience. You can also make custom gifts (instead of buying usual mass produced stuff) for friends and even sell some of you knitted items for minuscule profits.
- Knitting - I've only knitted 3/4 of a scarf, but knitting is cheap and provides a zen-like experience. You can also make custom gifts (instead of buying usual mass produced stuff) for friends and even sell some of you knitted items for minuscule profits.
My favorite cheap hobby is to gather a 3-10 people together to play board games or card games. We make stove top popcorn for everyone, so it costs us around $0.20 to host game night, in exchange for many hours of entertainment and small-talk-free bonding. We've found the best board game for this purpose is Settlers of Catan, and the best card game is Spades (although we're trying to transition to Bridge now).
My favorite income producing hobby is designing t-shirts. I've made a few thousand dollars over the past few years on some t-shirts I created on cafepress.com. All I had to do was design and upload the shirts (and cash the checks), no marketing, no SEO, nothing unpleasant. My first few shirts didn't sell at all, but I got better at it.
My favorite income producing hobby is designing t-shirts. I've made a few thousand dollars over the past few years on some t-shirts I created on cafepress.com. All I had to do was design and upload the shirts (and cash the checks), no marketing, no SEO, nothing unpleasant. My first few shirts didn't sell at all, but I got better at it.
I'm a big fan of the fiber arts. Especially embroidery and knitting. Trying to branch out into *actual* sewing without too much success.
Much like any other hobby, you can spend as much or as little as you like on it. I haven't tried monetizing this because most of the things I work on are 1. time consuming and 2. pretty generic.
Much like any other hobby, you can spend as much or as little as you like on it. I haven't tried monetizing this because most of the things I work on are 1. time consuming and 2. pretty generic.
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irononmaiden
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Sun May 08, 2011 5:33 pm
Sewing is a big one for me. It's possible to sew clothes, accessories, gifts, home stuff, etc., very cheaply by shopping thrift stores for fabric yardage, vintage sheets, and clothes to refashion. Estate sales are also apparently a great way to get sewing supplies for next to nothing.
Sewing doesn't make me money, but it keeps me from spending money by:
--stopping me from shopping (now I "shop" by going through patterns and fabrics I already own, and by reading sewing blogs)
--giving me an easy way to make gifts that people love
--giving me a creative outlet and entertaining me for hours on end
--fostering skills I can use for bartering
My other hobbies are reading, playing piano (lessons aren't cheap by ERE standards), and studying Classical Greek (free now, but I paid big bucks for my degree).
Sewing doesn't make me money, but it keeps me from spending money by:
--stopping me from shopping (now I "shop" by going through patterns and fabrics I already own, and by reading sewing blogs)
--giving me an easy way to make gifts that people love
--giving me a creative outlet and entertaining me for hours on end
--fostering skills I can use for bartering
My other hobbies are reading, playing piano (lessons aren't cheap by ERE standards), and studying Classical Greek (free now, but I paid big bucks for my degree).
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irononmaiden
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Sun May 08, 2011 5:33 pm
"Looking for hobbies that are either cheap or that can produce some extra income."
i have one friend who sews and she makes side money doing jobs for people like hemming drapes, sewing simple curtains, making simple pillows, etc. - mostly house-related things rather than clothing-related.
my sister knits and makes baby sweaters and booties that she sells through a local boutique.
i have another friend who turned her photography hobby into a side business doing outdoor portraits. she undercuts the "real" studios and just through word of mouth she's developed a nice side income. she even started doing weddings. (i am into photography as well - although i haven't utilized it for extra income, i did photograph my sister's wedding and saved her a lot of money that way.)
my best friend loves to thrift and she makes money selling things she buys at the thrift store on ebay. she mostly resells children's higher-end clothing, often bought at the thrift store with the tags still on. she's in a great city for thrifting - we don't have anything like that here. she has thought seriously about opening an etsy store to resell thrifting finds (small vintage goods).
yet another friend did open an etsy store to sell things that she sews. she makes quilts to order for people (crib-size) and she makes a lot of smaller, inexpensive things (burp cloths, etc.) out of trendy fabrics.
i also know someone who is running a lucrative small business selling baked goods, but she doesn't have a license, and i wouldn't recommend that.
i have one friend who sews and she makes side money doing jobs for people like hemming drapes, sewing simple curtains, making simple pillows, etc. - mostly house-related things rather than clothing-related.
my sister knits and makes baby sweaters and booties that she sells through a local boutique.
i have another friend who turned her photography hobby into a side business doing outdoor portraits. she undercuts the "real" studios and just through word of mouth she's developed a nice side income. she even started doing weddings. (i am into photography as well - although i haven't utilized it for extra income, i did photograph my sister's wedding and saved her a lot of money that way.)
my best friend loves to thrift and she makes money selling things she buys at the thrift store on ebay. she mostly resells children's higher-end clothing, often bought at the thrift store with the tags still on. she's in a great city for thrifting - we don't have anything like that here. she has thought seriously about opening an etsy store to resell thrifting finds (small vintage goods).
yet another friend did open an etsy store to sell things that she sews. she makes quilts to order for people (crib-size) and she makes a lot of smaller, inexpensive things (burp cloths, etc.) out of trendy fabrics.
i also know someone who is running a lucrative small business selling baked goods, but she doesn't have a license, and i wouldn't recommend that.
Hobbies I've had for a while are: Reading/writing/cooking new things/hiking/yoga/swimming.
Recently, I've become interested in identifying the trees/shrubs/wildflowers I see on my hikes. As a result of an off-hand conversation, I also realized last week (to my horror), that I cannot identify anything in the sky other than the north star and the big dipper (sometimes). So some really feeble attempts to fix this are underway. Any star gazers here?
Recently, I've become interested in identifying the trees/shrubs/wildflowers I see on my hikes. As a result of an off-hand conversation, I also realized last week (to my horror), that I cannot identify anything in the sky other than the north star and the big dipper (sometimes). So some really feeble attempts to fix this are underway. Any star gazers here?
Seems like most of my hobbies have already been mentioned:
Bike racing - I raced track which is much cheaper than road or mountain since the bikes are simpler (no gears, brakes, shocks, etc), the races are short, and the location doesn't change. However after two broken arms and a lot of stitches, I'm not sure this was such a great deal.
Knitting and crochet - This can be expensive if you buy high quality yarn at retail. You can get yarn from unraveling thrift store sweaters that are ugly or too big for cheap though.
Gardening - I love growing things.
Dog training - I took pricey classes with my first dog, but I think after learning the basics I could just go to a club with my next dog. Going to shows and getting first place with the only mix breed there was fun.
Cycling (not as a sport) and gardening are good for saving money. I knit too slow to make money doing it, but the possibility of being a part time dog trainer or petsitter in the future could be a small side income.
Bike racing - I raced track which is much cheaper than road or mountain since the bikes are simpler (no gears, brakes, shocks, etc), the races are short, and the location doesn't change. However after two broken arms and a lot of stitches, I'm not sure this was such a great deal.
Knitting and crochet - This can be expensive if you buy high quality yarn at retail. You can get yarn from unraveling thrift store sweaters that are ugly or too big for cheap though.
Gardening - I love growing things.
Dog training - I took pricey classes with my first dog, but I think after learning the basics I could just go to a club with my next dog. Going to shows and getting first place with the only mix breed there was fun.
Cycling (not as a sport) and gardening are good for saving money. I knit too slow to make money doing it, but the possibility of being a part time dog trainer or petsitter in the future could be a small side income.
With kids, and before I've achieved ERE, there's not much time for hobbies. The two I still have are long distance running and my online business.
I used to race ultramarathons, but that was somewhat expensive due to entry fees and travel. I run a lot but rarely race anymore (my last race was December 2008).
My business is nice because I control the time, I make a little side cash, and I really enjoy taking on new projects within the business when I have time. When I had 1.5 months of time off between switching jobs, I voluntarily worked on it several hours a day just for fun. It probably didn't increase income of the site, but it looks a lot cooler!
I used to race ultramarathons, but that was somewhat expensive due to entry fees and travel. I run a lot but rarely race anymore (my last race was December 2008).
My business is nice because I control the time, I make a little side cash, and I really enjoy taking on new projects within the business when I have time. When I had 1.5 months of time off between switching jobs, I voluntarily worked on it several hours a day just for fun. It probably didn't increase income of the site, but it looks a lot cooler!
I continually try to hobby with wife and kids in mind. Kayaks have been great for us. We have one stand up paddle board and all four of us switch off an on it. Star gazing is something that we have mentioned and would like to pursue. I have enough friends who need good sailing crew that anytime I have availability my friends are happy to take us sailing on their sail boats. I hope to include the childrens effort in our future rise to slumlord status. (Part of my passive income stream plan includes a couple of non financed rental units)
Juggling. I'm sure everyone here could find 3 balls for nothing. If not here's my instructions for making your own & here's my instructions for the 3 ball cascade.
Even buying the top end balls, clubs, diabolos, unicycle... is cheap compared to many other hobbies I've come across. It's good exercise, no matter how good you get there is always something harder to learn (& someone who can already do it!).
In Europe (England, Germany & France especially) there are lots of cheap juggling festivals which make fantastic holidays, I often spend less living at these festivals than I do living in my house. In America though for some reason most festivals are organised around corporate conference centres & the traditional accommodation is a hotel room rather than a tent. Most American jugglers that I meet say that it is cheaper to fly to Europe to attend a festival than stay at their home event. I'm told that Portland & Madison festivals are notable exceptions though if you are near there.
At these festivals frugality is the norm rather than the exception. I also find there is a higher concentration of people who don't have a TV so the quality of conversation is much better too.
I used to perform on stage in theatres, parades, fayres, did a few nightclub gigs, & used to run workshops as a teenager which paid very well but work was few & far between unless you liked to travel everywhere. For the INTJs worried about stepping into the spotlight. I'm an INTJ too, stage presence is a skill that can be learnt like any other & confidence is easily faked.
Even buying the top end balls, clubs, diabolos, unicycle... is cheap compared to many other hobbies I've come across. It's good exercise, no matter how good you get there is always something harder to learn (& someone who can already do it!).
In Europe (England, Germany & France especially) there are lots of cheap juggling festivals which make fantastic holidays, I often spend less living at these festivals than I do living in my house. In America though for some reason most festivals are organised around corporate conference centres & the traditional accommodation is a hotel room rather than a tent. Most American jugglers that I meet say that it is cheaper to fly to Europe to attend a festival than stay at their home event. I'm told that Portland & Madison festivals are notable exceptions though if you are near there.
At these festivals frugality is the norm rather than the exception. I also find there is a higher concentration of people who don't have a TV so the quality of conversation is much better too.
I used to perform on stage in theatres, parades, fayres, did a few nightclub gigs, & used to run workshops as a teenager which paid very well but work was few & far between unless you liked to travel everywhere. For the INTJs worried about stepping into the spotlight. I'm an INTJ too, stage presence is a skill that can be learnt like any other & confidence is easily faked.
I walk. It's a great hobby and it's a multi-tasking hobby.
On urban walks you can:
- find free stuff on the curb, leftovers from garage sales
- run errands
- I find things my pet birds like to eat, such as seed pods from certain trees
- get extra exercise by carrying laundry to the laundromat or melons home from the grocery store
On wilderness hikes you can:
- have a nice vacation where you can't spend any money
- get a great workout
- search for mushrooms or wild greens or other edibles, hunt and fish, too
On urban walks you can:
- find free stuff on the curb, leftovers from garage sales
- run errands
- I find things my pet birds like to eat, such as seed pods from certain trees
- get extra exercise by carrying laundry to the laundromat or melons home from the grocery store
On wilderness hikes you can:
- have a nice vacation where you can't spend any money
- get a great workout
- search for mushrooms or wild greens or other edibles, hunt and fish, too
In terms of media consumption, the hands down winner for hours of entertainment per dollar spent has to be library books and video games. Library books are free (theoretically) and a video game with high replayability can give you 150-200 hours of entertainment, easy. (Examples would be shooters such as Unreal Tournament or Counterstrike, or strategy games such as Age of Empires or Starcraft).
The past week or so I've been following the annual Steam summer sale, which most video game players know about... you can pick up 2 year old brand-name games for $5-$10 and indie games for $2-$3. I've spent 50-60 dollars for 10-15 games, which I expect to keep me occupied for at least 6 months, maybe longer. That's a pretty good deal.
Obviously hobbies such as learning guitar are even cheaper, but sometimes you want something that requires a little less effort.
The past week or so I've been following the annual Steam summer sale, which most video game players know about... you can pick up 2 year old brand-name games for $5-$10 and indie games for $2-$3. I've spent 50-60 dollars for 10-15 games, which I expect to keep me occupied for at least 6 months, maybe longer. That's a pretty good deal.
Obviously hobbies such as learning guitar are even cheaper, but sometimes you want something that requires a little less effort.
A strong second to Piper's suggestion for walking; I can never get enough of it. One added benefit in NYC, apparently, you won't be arrested and fined thousands of dollars for picking up free stuff at the curb, as you would be if you were in a car:
http://consumerist.com/2010/07/be-caref ... sands.html
Another suggestion; a friend who is early-retired does movie night; library dvds, cheap popcorn as a base and anything the guests can scroung up for snacks. Paying retail for snacks is strongly discouraged. Good company and color commentary; if the movie is bad enough you can do your own version of Mystery Science Theater 3000!
http://consumerist.com/2010/07/be-caref ... sands.html
Another suggestion; a friend who is early-retired does movie night; library dvds, cheap popcorn as a base and anything the guests can scroung up for snacks. Paying retail for snacks is strongly discouraged. Good company and color commentary; if the movie is bad enough you can do your own version of Mystery Science Theater 3000!
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dot_com_vet
- Posts: 603
- Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:07 am
Buying, fixing, and playing with motorcycles, quads, scooters, 3 wheelers. Then sell for profit. In addition to being fun I've learned a lot. Troubleshooting a malfunctioning system is a challenge. Sometimes it's frustrating but that teaches good mellow character.
Real estate investing for buy and hold rentals.
Planning and going on cheap vacations with my girlfriend. The next trip I'm planning is a 50 mile bicycle trip.
Exploring the great outdoors. I enjoy seeing wildlife. Sometimes I will sit somewhere out of sight for hours and watch the animals come out. The ultimate goal is to see a mountain lion.
Vegetable gardening.
Real estate investing for buy and hold rentals.
Planning and going on cheap vacations with my girlfriend. The next trip I'm planning is a 50 mile bicycle trip.
Exploring the great outdoors. I enjoy seeing wildlife. Sometimes I will sit somewhere out of sight for hours and watch the animals come out. The ultimate goal is to see a mountain lion.
Vegetable gardening.