It’s even unfairly skewed against women. A recent Office for National Statistics study found that old habits die hard, and women spend on average half an hour less than men doing what they enjoy, not because of cash, but because they do still do more chores and housework than men.
So what happens if you’ve got no cash and are bored of flicking through Instagram? Well, any of these are a cheap and easy ways to enjoy something new, plus you can do them when you’ve got a spare five minutes!
Collect stuff
Remember the thrill of opening a fresh pack of football stickers, or getting your 17th Beenie Baby? Well, adults can collect too and it can be quite therapeutic. As well as the stuff aimed at kids which is still pretty fun to collect, there’s all sorts of boring grown-up stuff that can be picked up fairly cheaply and of course from the internet, so you don’t need to spend hours traipsing around charity shops. From stamps to old photos and postcards to vintage clothing, picking a theme and going for it can be a rewarding pursuit that doesn’t cost the earth.
If you really don’t have a penny to spare, then you could always collect things that you usually get for free. From business cards to plane and train registration numbers, there are tons of ways to build your collection out without having to spend a single penny. Football sticker groups for adults also exist if the first sentence sounded interesting.
Sport and exercise
If the £15 per month gym membership or £2 per week football subs are still too much, then just bear in mind that going for a run somewhere doesn’t cost a single penny. Exercise has obvious benefits, and you can even turn something like running into a fully fledged hobby, by working on improving your times and entering into races. You could even do the good thing by raising some money for charity while you’re at it!
The other option is to start your own team. By clubbing together a few mates, or advertising for free on gumtree, you could soon set up a sports club, and run it however you wish. This could include scrapping subs and registration fees! If you get really good, or want to take your new team to the next level, then there’s even some free money out there, with government sports grants designed to make sport more accessible.
Play poker
OK, so how am I meant to play poker when I don’t have any money?
Well, the answer is pretty simple. As well as only gambling very small amounts, you can even play for free with many providers. Playing for free allows you to get better at the game, and then you can start playing with real money once you feel more confident.
Although gambling can be highly problematic for people with financial problems to start with, poker is a bit different in that there’s a lot more skill involved than reliance on pure chance. Good players can not only limit the amount of losses they incur, but there’s also a decision involved with whether to gamble or not, rather than just lumping everything on black and hoping for the best.
The trick to enjoying yourself is through poker bankroll management. This included with only gambling what you can afford to lose, and being a bit more conservative with your strategy. Can make poker an exciting hobby that doesn’t actually cost a lot to keep up.
Get creative
The thing about creating a masterpiece is that you can do it with stuff lying around the house. With some scrap paper and a pencil, you can soon start sketching, and as you practice, you’ll get even better. If drawing and painting sounds a bit dull, then why not try some DIY? As well as improving your home, you’ll pick up some new skills along the way. There are some great ideas to do it on the cheap on sites like pinterest too.
Even if you literally don’t have a pen to hand, art equipment isn’t particularly expensive, and there are always really cheap hobbies like knitting and sewing. I mean, who doesn’t love a woolly hat for winter? If you’ve lost all hope with your creative skills, then fear not – you can always pick up a kids’ paint by numbers set for next to nothing on the high street!
Volunteer
A hobby that costs nothing is great, but one that helps is others is fantastic. There are plenty of needy people in the UK and luckily plenty of organisations who provide help and support, and they’re constantly looking for new volunteers to help out.
Organisations like the Samaritans, Help the Aged and the endless number of charity shops are more than happy to accept a couple of hours of help a week, and the help you’ll provide to a wide selection of people from all walks of life can be really rewarding, more so than collecting football stickers in some cases.
So there you have it, a handful of really cheap or even completely free hobbies that even the poorest of us can manage. All you need to do now if you’re a man is start helping around the house more, or if you’re a woman, go on strike and make him do it while you enjoy your new hobby!
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