Low cost hobbies?
Discussion
If you are musical, then buy an instrument.
I bought an expensive piano in 2001. It seemed a big investment at the time (£2.5k). However, I have played it every single day for an average 2 hours(excluding holidays). That works out at about 34p per hour. I suspect that you can buy a similiar instrument today for a few hundred quid. I'm still bloody useless, but I really enjoy it.
If you think that you would enjoy the countryside, then join a walking group.
For completely free unfettered access to the countryside, look up your local Beagles pack.
Don
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I bought an expensive piano in 2001. It seemed a big investment at the time (£2.5k). However, I have played it every single day for an average 2 hours(excluding holidays). That works out at about 34p per hour. I suspect that you can buy a similiar instrument today for a few hundred quid. I'm still bloody useless, but I really enjoy it.
If you think that you would enjoy the countryside, then join a walking group.
For completely free unfettered access to the countryside, look up your local Beagles pack.
Don
--
Hudson said:
Guitar as a cheap hobby....
Im up to about £5000 on gear in the last 7 years
Yup, my wife dropped that on a single guitar.Im up to about £5000 on gear in the last 7 years
If you're a spender, you'll spend. Hillwalking can be as cheap as a decent pair of boots or as expensive as a light weight one man tent, full goretex kit and driving to Skye for a weekend.
Cycling can be as cheap as serviving the bike you have and getting out there to the cost of a minor F1 team.
How about you use the stuff you have already, vow not to spend more on kit but to fully use/perfect the stuff you have?
Instrument is a good shout, but really you need lessons for motivation and finesse. Again, my wife (ok, so she has a diploma and plays concerts on occasion) spends £40+ an hour on lessons, £500ish of retreats and masterclasses every now and agian, and £15 a go on sheet music. And load and loads of CD's. Not a cheap hobby.
One think I have found cheap and very involving recently is Flight Sims - A £25 Thrustmaster joystick, a copy of FSX gold edition and you've got countless hours of entertainment and challenge there. MS Flight is shinier and free (for the basic game) and there are laods of sims out there cheap or nearly free.
It is a bit iffy recommending Maplin for electronics. Some of the shops have staff that know their stuff, but many of the ones I have been in seem to have people who weren't quite clever enough for PC World. They also seem to be pretty low on proper electronics components, preferring to sell cheap RC cars, disco lights and CCTV cameras.
Electronics is a huge subject, so it might be an idea to look at one part of it, such as amateur (ham) radio. The courses leading to the exam are run by local amateur radio groups. Some of them can turn into "hey look how much cash I just spent on this new blahblahblah", but then all social / hobby clubs can be like that. http://www.rsgb.org/clubsandtraining/
Coursera is excellent, but the courses are very definitely university level, and require a regular amount of hard work.
Electronics is a huge subject, so it might be an idea to look at one part of it, such as amateur (ham) radio. The courses leading to the exam are run by local amateur radio groups. Some of them can turn into "hey look how much cash I just spent on this new blahblahblah", but then all social / hobby clubs can be like that. http://www.rsgb.org/clubsandtraining/
Coursera is excellent, but the courses are very definitely university level, and require a regular amount of hard work.
Learning a language is fairly cheap. Well, unless you add the cost of practising in a foreign country.
I'm learning Spanish. I've probably spent about £150 over the last two years, and that's probably overestimating the cost to be honest. So much available on the internet. I record internet radio from Seville, and listen to it back. Or just listen live. It's good because the accent and distinción pronunciation is similar to where I go on holiday.
Iggy - regarding minecraft. What's the attraction? That's a genuine question, as I know it's unbelievably popular, but the graphics are so retro that I wonder how it's got such widespread appeal?
I'm learning Spanish. I've probably spent about £150 over the last two years, and that's probably overestimating the cost to be honest. So much available on the internet. I record internet radio from Seville, and listen to it back. Or just listen live. It's good because the accent and distinción pronunciation is similar to where I go on holiday.
Iggy - regarding minecraft. What's the attraction? That's a genuine question, as I know it's unbelievably popular, but the graphics are so retro that I wonder how it's got such widespread appeal?
Mobile Chicane said:
Krav maga's cheap. £7 a lesson even in Surrey, and certainly 'challenging'.
Whereabouts in Surrey? I did look a while back and most courses seemed to be in Central London during the week and given that I would have to schlep in after work was not sure I could get in in time for the startSurrey would be a lot better as I am in Richmond
When I need to save money I buy computer games. A standard night out for me is about £40-50, sometimes more. A computer game costs this or less. If I want to save for something, I buy a game, and if it stops me going out twice it's already paid for itself.
Or in the case of BF3, and my 5 days 19 hours played on it, it's saved me a hell of a lot
Or in the case of BF3, and my 5 days 19 hours played on it, it's saved me a hell of a lot
Vieste said:
19 hours in 5 days pfft i can do that on friday and saturday
You misread this. It's 5 days 19 hours total play time, so 139 hours total over a space of 8.5 months...So averages at 1.7 hours a day.
Some of the people at the top of the leaderboards on XBOX have 90+ days in the same period...!
Which could lead onto another hobby - shagging.Geocaching is a very good hobby to do, and it can be combined with your walking, jogging, running, rollerskating, bird spotting, dog walking, stalking, biking and w
king too. It's also good if you've got kids as well...
Why not try building some models as well, Lego Technic and Airfix are nice choices.
king too. It's also good if you've got kids as well...Why not try building some models as well, Lego Technic and Airfix are nice choices.
iphonedyou said:
regarding minecraft. What's the attraction? That's a genuine question, as I know it's unbelievably popular, but the graphics are so retro that I wonder how it's got such widespread appeal?
It's lego in digital form.Build a house, build a circuit to open a door, build an escalator or a lift... survive, hit zombies with a wooden sword... explore vast cave systems, find gold, make a compass and a boat and discover new lands. Meet funky animals and tame them or eat them. Play with mates and exchange gold and diamonds for stuff you can't find yourself. Build a life sized Wembley Stadium. Battle dragons, go to hell and back, fall into lava and die. Become a farmer, make bread, realise that's boring and go and slaughter a whole forest worth of pigs instead.
It's an unbelievably "deep" game.
WeirdNeville said:
It's lego in digital form.
Build a house, build a circuit to open a door, build an escalator or a lift... survive, hit zombies with a wooden sword... explore vast cave systems, find gold, make a compass and a boat and discover new lands. Meet funky animals and tame them or eat them. Play with mates and exchange gold and diamonds for stuff you can't find yourself. Build a life sized Wembley Stadium. Battle dragons, go to hell and back, fall into lava and die. Become a farmer, make bread, realise that's boring and go and slaughter a whole forest worth of pigs instead.
It's an unbelievably "deep" game.
Aw balls. That's Friday night sorted then! Build a house, build a circuit to open a door, build an escalator or a lift... survive, hit zombies with a wooden sword... explore vast cave systems, find gold, make a compass and a boat and discover new lands. Meet funky animals and tame them or eat them. Play with mates and exchange gold and diamonds for stuff you can't find yourself. Build a life sized Wembley Stadium. Battle dragons, go to hell and back, fall into lava and die. Become a farmer, make bread, realise that's boring and go and slaughter a whole forest worth of pigs instead.
It's an unbelievably "deep" game.
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