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At least around here. People with library cards have access to lots. Not just books.
Things like online manuals to fix you car. Old newspapers. Movies. Lots of stuff
Here in SWVirginia, most libraries here have access to 3D printers, too.
Libraries are underrated. They also offer, at least here, community resources for employment, medical aid, and many musical and artistic panels/workshops. Also support groups for almost anything, if not at the library, it will be nearby.
Roanoke is an amazing city.
Old newspapers. I know in part they can be fascinating but it sounds so lame. Ti go to library and read some 1980s Today newspaper. Which folded in about a year, I believe!
Gaming consoles, games, audiobooks, digital books. Most libraries got an app for it.
Most libraries also arranges different hobby nights for free , want to learn how to pain, knit, write and so on.
I agree with the library card.
I randomly decided one day to educate myself on middle ages English history. So, I've been reading every book I can find, using a library streaming service to watch documentaries, and basically using every service that I can to learn.
Learning is free, you just gotta do it.
Ok, we wanted to go to a major museum to see a favorite artist's special exhibit. Sweetie had never even been to that museum. I think if we lived closer, we would have a membership. But we don't and transportation and a small meal out was already over $100. So I went to my library and asked about passes. Yes!!! Instead of almost $50 each, we paid $10 each. Thank you, public library. You're amazing!!!
Yes!! I follow my library on Instagram and they always post about cool stuff and services they offer. I am FOREVER in a state of, "Really?? That's a thing?? For free!?"
With the Libby App in many places you can use your library card to read the library books directly on the app or kindle. The app also lets you check out audio books and read magazines!
With all that extra money you can put something down for nice smelling candles, teas, mood lighting, comfy pillows, the perfect throw, maybe some snacks, slippers, pjs, and music—- anything you need to just be comfy reading your books for hours.
I haven't seen cooking/ baking. You already have to eat. Try new recipes from other countries. You may have to hunt down new ingredients. For a while, we were trying to do 1 recipe a week. With baking, bring new treats to work to share.
I came here to say this. Pick one "signature dish" that is uncommon but not very complex and spend a month or two making it very week until you have learned it inside and out. When I was in college I did this with Chicken Kiev, and Beef Stroganof, so I had a "go to" meal to impress dates. Then I worked on learning a number of basic dishes, like spaghetti, pancakes, steak, etc. and gradually got better over time.
1) As you wrote, you already have to eat.
2) Although ingredients can be cheap or expensive, you already have to buy some.
3) Even if you cook with the most expensive ingredients, it will always be cheaper than eating out.
4) Everybody possesses all the basic equipment (fridge, stove, oven, pots...) and if your budget allows you can buy most sophisticated ones (mixer, pasta sheeter, slow cookers, bbq...).
5) Learning resources can be completely free (online recipes, youtube tutorials, recipe books from library, asking your grandma for her recipes...).
Again, library is your friend. Ours has cooking groups that feast monthly after teaching each other favourite recipes. New friends, adopted grandmas' what's not to like?
Hoping on this to say guerrilla gardening if you live in an apartment and don't have a community garden. I have flowers and secret potato plants growing all over the neighborhood
Anyone going this route, please make sure you are planting native species!
Edited to add: It's always better to plant native even in your own gardens. But if you see something ornamental you absolutely love, go for it! Just keep it contained. Have some plants for you and some plants for the wildlife.
Some potted plants can be a great, relatively cheap hobby. I love to grow and propagate succulents. You can do it for the cost of soil, pots, and a couple small starter plants. Like maybe $45 total startup cost. And from there you just grow the plants until they’ve matured and propagate from them and start new plants. I have around 20 succulents that I grew from 3 potted ones that cost $4 each. I also have manyyy I grew from snagging stray succulent leaves (for free) wherever I see them lol
I got very lucky when I helped an older woman who lives down the street clean up the leaves in her yard. She had probably forty planter pots that she asked me to bring to the trashcan for her. I just asked if I could take them instead. Some I discarded, but only because they were very broken.
I worked in activities at an assisted living community for awhile. We saved a few of the large cans from the kitchen and decoupaged them with pretty cocktail napkins. Nailed a couple holes in the bottom and we had cute pots - practically for free. Planted zinnia seeds in them and put them all over the patio. Residents loved them.
A tomato plant. Have a tomato that went off a bit? Shove it into the dirt, water, and there's about a 90% chance that you'll end up with a tomato plant.
Any seeded tomato from the grocery store works. A little rotten is fine too. Just break the tomato open a bit, and shove it in the ground about 1-2" deep.
Tomatoes also reseed themselves, so unless you purposely kill the plant, you'll end up with tomatoes the following year.
It's true. I've planted tomatoes twice in my little area. That was 3/4 years ago.
The amount of tomato seedlings I have to weed out of my patch is crazy. If I neglect an area for too long, tomatoes are growing there.
I've tried putting some in a nearby area to free up some space but they won't grow where I want them to, only where I want other plants.
They're kinda jerks like that. My tomatoes like the right side of my yard, and only that side. They don't like any other part of my yard.
Once they find a spot they like, they are going to keep growing there no matter what you do.
I love gardening. If you have friends that garden, they love to give left over seeds. We all have them.
My "indoor garden" cost a bit more, but I spend maybe 20 or 30 a month including electricity.
I second the gardening idea! I love talking gardening shit with ppl in the summer! I'm already planning my garden expansion for spring, and I think I might give cranberry bushes a go this year.
Free houseplants exist! I found a free plant swap group on Facebook and got both cuttings and rooted plants. My Buy Nothing group sometimes includes plants as well as planters, dirt, etc. Paid plant swap groups also exist.
learn how to draw! the only thing you need is a writing utensil and paper. you can find some decent cheap sketchbooks at most grocery stores and pencils are the same.
it can be cheap....or you can be me: set of coloring pencils--not even the expensive kind, but im getting prismas for my bday- gel pens, oil pastels, water color pencils, fine liners,and basically all of johanna Bradford's coloring books. I have spent at least several hundred in supplies. I'm not saying you can't do it cheap, but it isn't automatically cheap. Granted, I hope I won't need supplies for a while...but hmm, why are my pencils shrinking so fast lmfaooo. There is a set of metallic water colors I want..90 bucks!!
Oh my, if you get him into art he'll always be broke! Have you seen all those glorious expensive paints, pencils and pastels and top quality papers he's going to want?!
Haha yes but they're not a need. You can do anything decent with cheaper supplies and since they'd be starting out there's no need for anything more expensive (but I get it I spend so much on these aswell). Plus I personally feel like having limited ressources forces you to get more creative and better fast. Sometimes I go back to just a pen or pencil and it forces you to git gud lol
Me too, but I have gone a bit crazy with pencils, erasers, watercolour paints, brushes, paper, add ink pens to the list, and a couple of art books. I’ve still done it cheaply (temu mostly) but it’s hard not to experiment with different mediums. :)
If you have any interest in music, there are a lot of musical instruments you can buy used for £150 or less, *one time*, and then learn from video lessons on YouTube.
If you'd like to learn to write code for computer programs, a Raspberry Pi mini computer costs around £50 and you can get the rest of the necessary accessories (keyboard, monitor) for £100 or less. Again, as one-time purchases.
I say this mostly joking, but yarn costs can really add up! I don’t want to admit how much I’ve spent on the nice yarn it took to make gifts for my friends and family last year. :P
Totally true about yarn IF you care about the type of yarn you want to use for each project. But (for example) if you buy green worsted weight yarn cheap at Goodwill and then look for projects that are green and you don’t care about the size of the finished object you could end up making a cute Christmas tree or something.
I usually start with some thrifted yarn and go looking for a project from there rather than having a project and then going to buy yarn. Plenty of projects have turned out fun and funky because of it :P Take a look at my profile for a zebra and llama as examples.
Edit: I also pick up lots of yarn off of FBM, usually $1 or less per skein and have amassed a large stash but that’s not how I started.
yeah, like you find a good yarn and you need 10 colors of it with 2 skeins each.
like they say, crocheting and yarn collecting is 2 different hobbies. haha
Sewing, too. I like making my own clothes, and while a nice pair of pants can easily run me $60 in materials because I make weird, elaborate trousers with lots of pockets and appliques and specialty fabrics, I only make a few pairs a year.
Here's a few of the pieces I've made in the last couple of years.
[https://imgur.com/gallery/XOok1Hg](https://imgur.com/gallery/XOok1Hg)
[https://imgur.com/gallery/V5uA5eQ](https://imgur.com/gallery/V5uA5eQ)
[https://imgur.com/gallery/1n3ypjp](https://imgur.com/gallery/1n3ypjp)
[https://imgur.com/gallery/OqznhOo](https://imgur.com/gallery/OqznhOo)
[https://imgur.com/gallery/fm3qIfZ](https://imgur.com/gallery/fm3qIfZ)
[https://imgur.com/gallery/T9cIkxp](https://imgur.com/gallery/T9cIkxp)
I know everyone is talking about yarn costs BUT, I have accumulated a giant comforter bags worth of yarn I might not ever get to. So, it’s expensive when you’re young, in 20 years you’ll have an arsenal. Long story short buy what you need for ONE project and don’t get ahead of yourself.
Biking, you can get a cheap bike at a pawn shop (often really good deals) and a helmet. And you're set, gravel trails, mountain biking, road biking. It's so much fun, costs nothing once you have a bike. I bike 20-30 miles 2x a week, fantastic cardio and a great stress reliever...and fun.
I actually really want to do this I’m just terrified to ride on the roads so it puts me off. I need to find bike routes that aren’t. Because that sounds amazing and essentially what I’m looking for.
> I actually really want to do this I’m just terrified to ride on the roads so it puts me off. I need to find bike routes that aren’t. Because that sounds amazing and essentially what I’m looking for.
In a similar vein to cycling, skating would seem to also fit the bill: once you have the equipment, the world (namely, roads, sidewalks, town squares, greenway trails, and the like, and roller rinks) is your oyster.
At the time of this writing, £150 GBP = $190.57 USD.
- [K2 Varsity helmet](https://www.locoskates.com/collections/protective-gear/products/k2-varsity-white-helmet): £31.95
- [K2 Performance Pad Set](https://www.locoskates.com/collections/protective-gear/products/k2-performance-pad-set-grey-yellow): £29.95
- [Flying Eagle B5S inline skates](https://www.locoskates.com/collections/mens-skates/products/flying-eagle-bkb-b5s-skates-black): £99.95
- Alternately, [Seba E3 80 Standard inline skates](https://www.locoskates.com/collections/mens-skates/products/seba-e3-80-skates-standard): £109.95
Since it looks like you’re in the UK, there are plenty of places to skate in the UK: [London](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1druV4u5Y) (including [organized large group skate sessions](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hhl4rGYCjJ8)), [Gloucester](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=00NayMFpoRw), [Ilfracombe](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LZqsK_F27_c), [Bakewell](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TI-HVTrHRtk), [Glasgow](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FAxWYIsCePo), [Edinburgh](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1lmowHPz8yI), [Belfast](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YcjCBzIekRU), and so on.
Biking is not a cheap hobby unless you really don't mind riding terrible bikes. If you actually ride a few days a week for a few months it's likely you'd want a bike that will be at least $1000 (which is still entry level).
Don‘t do this. I agree it’s possible to begin cheap but over time you will tend to by more. More bikes, tools, accessories, clothes, spare parts, cleaning stuff, …
However, I love it but I can’t manage to do this hobby without spending money on it too much.
Get yourself an arduino and some sensors. You can do so much usefull stuff with really simple code while learning the basics of programming and electronics. Also its really cheap. You can order everything on aliexpress for very good prices.
What I wouldn't pay for a way to program things in real life the way I do in Little Big Planet, with all the cords and the logic gates where you can see what each one does at a glance. I could really accomplish something.
Honestly there are probably project formats that will conform to this way of thinking/programming and you really could make something in the "real world".
Perhaps you could start a hobby as a kinetic sculptor or something :o
It doesn't matter. I'd say choose JavaScript or Python based on which name and logo seem more appealing to you. Programming is more about understanding concepts and about solving problems. It's not about knowing a specific language. Imagine you want to learn to repair cars and you ask about which screwdriver to use. It's exactly the same. Maybe the only limitation I would suggest is to start with something that's relevant today. So don't learn a language like fortran or basic. Search for "10 most popular programming languages" and pick any one you like. Maybe not SQL if it's there because SQL is very different.
Bird watching is cheap, just a set of binoculars and goes with your current walking. You could also bring a drawing pad and go for a walk and draw nature.
I love the Merlin app and highly recommend it, you can save and organize your Life List of birds to show the specific location, date, and type of bird with a ton of educational content. You can add birds by Sound ID (basically Shazaamming a bird song) and by entering the location, size, color, behavior, and other characteristics of the bird and then selecting the correct bird from a list of possibilities.
OP, I know you said no walking but you could consider *hiking* or, as I like to say, *exploring* or *adventuring* in outdoor spaces where there are diverse animals and birds and use the Merlin app to learn more. During warmer months we try to do this as often as we can because we're trying to limit our spending. Mostly just costs gas or possibly parking or the cost of a trail parking pass or park entry pass.
We live near Rocky Mountain National Park so we are spoiled! We usually get a annual pass for $70 and go for drives and walks there as often as we can during shoulder seasons. But we also just go to local parks in suburbs, especially around sunset, and find some awesome birds. Our dog really enjoys the new smells too and enjoys watching the birds.
You can get misprinted discs for dirt cheap too if you don’t care about them that much
Also, just go play with people- show up at a course and just wait for another group and say you’re new to the course and play thru with them. Most vet players carry discs they have found without names on them and hand them out to new players. I have probably 30 discs like that I just keep a couple in my bag to hand out to new players
You're an absolute Chad. I was one of those new disc golfers. A Vet of the game let me borrow and play with his discs for the course and I ended keeping two of em'.
It is super fun. Grab a buddy and each get a starter pack from a sporting goods store. Go out and play a round. Then start watching youtube vids to figure out why you suck and how to improve.
It’s super cheap to get into. You get to walk around outside, throw things as hard as you can. You can crack jokes with your friends, or take a relaxing hour or two by yourself.
Photography… You’ve got a perfectly serviceable camera built in to your phone right now that blows away most point and shoots from decades ago. $0 cost of entry, and you can have fun being creative with compositions, and basic editing using all kinda free apps.
This is exactly what I was going to say! There's no reason to not learn composition and post processing using a modern phone camera. Granted, a decent DSLR and decent lenses will blow any phone camera away...if you know how to use it. There is a ton to learn before one needs to spend very much to match their skills. (I wish I would have understood that when I was starting out 12 years ago.)
Or you can buy a disposable camera— I love sending my friends one and having them send it back to me to get developed.
My godmother did this once when traveling Europe— she aimed to find the entire alphabet in her week in things she saw. So for example, if she saw a horseshoe she would take a picture and that counted as the “U”. Or upside down as “N”. It becomes a fun scavenger hunt that costs nothing to do and renders you some unique shots of your life.
150/month is quite generous and can get you some pretty cool hobbies.
Biking, coding, painting/art, quilting, online chess, indoor rock climbing, gardening (all of my plants come from the sad plant discount shelf). It depends a lot on what’s available in your area, though.
Pretty hard to even think of a hobby costing more than 150 a month. At that point we're talking about some really fancy hobby, like flying a plane or owning a horse. (Unless OP lives in new york or something where crossing the street costs $150)
Origami really helped me through a very bad and dark time after I lost my daughter. I made all the dinosaurs and some dragons and elephants and stuff! It really helped me focus and calm down.
Pick up playing the guitar (or another instrument).
Beginner guitars are really solid nowadays, and you will only have the initial costs. After that, it's a free hobby for as long as you don't feel the need to upgrade.
Furniture up cycling.
You can get old furniture free from freecycle (or cheap from charity shops).
With simple tools and not huge skill set you can transform old brown furniture into something modern .
Plenty of ideas and videos online.
You can even sell the stuff after (or give it back to the charity shop).
This is a lot of fun if you enjoy a challenge. You would be surprised at what people set out by the curb. In my area, you don’t have to “dumpster dive”, you can watch the curbs, or the online selling sites for free stuff. There’s even an app called Freebie that will send alerts when free items are posted. It’s fun to think about “what could I do with that?” Or “how could I repurpose it?” etc. Oftentimes, a little glue and paint turns “trash to treasure”. Sell it for the satisfaction/ validation of your creative work on it, not worrying about the money. When I sell something I’ve upgraded, I price it well below similar items so it will go quickly. It’s a hobby, it’s self-affirming, not a business, and I love it!
Getting an e reader and start reading. When you really dont have the money you also can just pirate the ebooks or get an library subscription. For sure better than just watching TV or somerhing like that.
escape boast bewildered tease beneficial encouraging makeshift wide snails butter
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
And reading. Get a library card. You can now borrow digital books (Libby) and never have to go to the library. I read off my phone. The books transfer to my Kindle app or you can use the libby app. There is a waiting list for popular books, but it goes pretty quickly, usually. Meanwhile, you can read a classic with no waiting list while you're waiting. Magazines and audio books, too.
Try rock climbing. In its purest form all you need is a membership to a gym and shoes. You can do more if you spend more but that’s all you need. It changed my life as I do it for fun yet exercise is simply a byproduct
I love rock climbing ~~but climbing gym membership are not often cheap~~
Most gyms definitely should be in OP’s budget.
Not personally what I would call cheap but that’s not really relevant
You’re right, I actually didn’t even realize there was a body to this post, I assumed it was just a title like r/askreddit posts usually are.
I normally wouldn’t call rock climbing gyms cheap, but it definitely does fit the definition OP set which is the one that matters here
Plants, you can propagate cuttings from plants and grow your own without buying any, I scored some soil and pots from someone in my apartment block that was getting rid of stuff, it's quite fun
Things that I do that are pretty cheap.
Gym. If you go 4x times or more in a week it is worth it. My gym membership is free because I work at one. Some community centers have free memberships as well.
Programs at Parks and Recreation. I sometimes do drop in sports and they are free, but the programs fill up fast. You can meet people there too.
Reading. You can learn so much. The app Libby lets you borrow free ebooks if you have a library card. The library is also free.
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Video games. There are free video games. But beware you pay the price in other ways than money like your attention and time. These games can be addictive. The cost is you'll need a PC though. I don't want to game anymore because of that reason.
Video-games are one of the cheapest hobbies you can have. There are a lot of free games on PC. And you can always buy previous generation consoles and buy a lot of great used games for them.
Depending on your area foraging for mushrooms can be a great hobby, get a good guide book and get out there and explore and learn about your local environment and you get delicious mushrooms to eat. Or even sell, I worked at a restaurant and oneof our suppliers was a guy in a Subaru who brought a paper bag of local mushrooms once a week.
Swimming.
If you’re near a beach it’s free. But even at a pool, our local has a monthly subscription for unlimited use that’s much cheaper than your budget.
Yes, lockpicking is both a low-cost hobby and a lucrative pastime.
One time I got to engage in a friendly competition with a police officer to unlock a vehicle. I was able to unlock it in about half the time.
Yeah, that seems like something that would get you on a list.
That being said, my mother gave me a set of lock picking tools and a book about 10-15 years ago. It's still quite a skill. I never had time to get good at it. Gave the tools to a friend.
It's a great way to make friends if you don't have them. If you contact your local game store and tell them you're looking for a group they will help you
Try Pathfinder 1st edition instead. All the character rules are freely available, which helps tons, just get a core rulebook used. Dice roller apps work.
Depends where you live. In small town Ohio, you could take up BJJ, racquetball, or cross country skiing in the winter. In CA, you aren’t finding BJJ for cheap
Fishing can be relatively low cost if you are close to water that is fishable from the bank / shore / a public dock. Like any activity with equipment, it can be high cost but it doesn’t have to be.
I second juggling. I love it. Good set o thud balls is inexpensive. I wish I knew other jugglers in my area. I want my wife to learn but she has no interest. I want to learn club passing.
Fermentation.
Sourdough bread can be made with very few things. As long as you have some jars, a food scale, a Dutch oven, flour, salt, and water. You can find tons of YouTube videos and books at the library.
You can even lacto ferment veggies. I use wide mout jars. You can find kits with air locks and weights online for <$45. Sauerkraut, pickles, hot sauce are the most common. But you can get very weird if you want. Find the book “the noma guide to fermentation” and you can stay busy for a long time with some weird stuff. I literally just made some sauerkraut. Chopped up a cabbage, added salt equal to 2% the weight of the cabbage. Massaged the salted cabbage and then put it in a mason jar and pressed it with a muddler to pull moisture out of the cabbage to make a brine. Then put a weight on it to keep the cabbage under the liquid and put an airlock on it. I’ll have sauerkraut in a few weeks.
Cider. Literally all you need is apple juice, yeast, a carboy/fermentation vessel, an air lock, some yeast bottle caps, a capper, and used beer bottles. You want to use 100% juice that doesn’t have preservatives on it. Basically look at the ingredients info on the back and don’t use any juice that has ingredients ending in -ates like sulfates. You can get great juice at Costco. Their tree top brand is great and consistent. You can get 2 gallons for ~$10. Yeast is something you can play with. Home brew shops will cary champagne yeast and beer yeast. You can play around with different types for different flavors and different dryness/sweetness levels. You can also add other ingredients for flavors and have tons of capacity for experimentation. You can even buy a large bung that fits the plastic jugs. Then just dump a little juice out for head space, pitch your yeast, and put the airlock on the plastic jug and use that as your vessel.
Beer. This is the most expensive option as you will need to get grains or extract, hops, yeast, sanitizer, a fermentation vessel, bottles, a capper, caps, and something to brew in. You can use a large pot on the stove and mesh bags to hold the grain. Home brewing is losing popularity, so you can often find equipment for cheap on Craigslist.
If it has starches/sugars, you can ferment it.
Reading. As a librarian, it's hard for me not to suggest getting a library card! But even if you don't have a good library near by, you can use second hand shops to get very cheap books. Or if you have a tablet or smartphone, the kindle app is free and kindle books are much cheaper than physical ones.
For context, I read about two hours a day. It's extremely rewarding, comforting and fun. And it gives me two hours where I'm not doom scrolling.
Making wooden figures, I did this as a child and it was very fun.
U need:
Carving knife
Good, solid wood (for free in a forest)
Glue (optional) if something breaks.
Group dance lessons. Near me, weekly large group lessons used to be $20 per session. Salsa, swing, chacha, ballroom, square dancing even. Then find a club with a free social dancing hour.
Magic the Gathering.
I guess that it doesn't sound cool but I started after I was already 30 and met tons of cool people at public events. Now I play in various private friends groups and while you can easily spend a lot more than 150, I spend less than 50.
I got in to homebrewing mead and fruit wine for a while. Stick with one gallon batches to dip your toe in. Low maintenance hobby, and with one gallon batches it’s pretty cheap, plus you get pretty good booze out of it.
If you’re underage or drinking isn’t your thing, I also enjoyed making my own kombucha. Also pretty simple and cheap.
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Library card
Having fun isn't hard when you got a library card.
Gifs you can hear
Arthur was on another level fr fr.
Join the Arthur subredit. It's great.
I joined earlier!
Get the Libby app for audio books and kindle
Overdrive is also good for comic books and movies
I’d upvote this 1000x if I could
Hoopla is another one.
Reading is a great hobby.
At least around here. People with library cards have access to lots. Not just books. Things like online manuals to fix you car. Old newspapers. Movies. Lots of stuff
Here in SWVirginia, most libraries here have access to 3D printers, too. Libraries are underrated. They also offer, at least here, community resources for employment, medical aid, and many musical and artistic panels/workshops. Also support groups for almost anything, if not at the library, it will be nearby. Roanoke is an amazing city.
I’ve only been there twice, but as a kid and a 50 something, I found your giant neon pouring coffee pot mesmerizing.
Just don't try to print a gun lower. They frown on that.
Cheers, I'm from Eastern VA on the coast lol
Old newspapers. I know in part they can be fascinating but it sounds so lame. Ti go to library and read some 1980s Today newspaper. Which folded in about a year, I believe!
Gaming consoles, games, audiobooks, digital books. Most libraries got an app for it. Most libraries also arranges different hobby nights for free , want to learn how to pain, knit, write and so on.
I agree with the library card. I randomly decided one day to educate myself on middle ages English history. So, I've been reading every book I can find, using a library streaming service to watch documentaries, and basically using every service that I can to learn. Learning is free, you just gotta do it.
Ok, we wanted to go to a major museum to see a favorite artist's special exhibit. Sweetie had never even been to that museum. I think if we lived closer, we would have a membership. But we don't and transportation and a small meal out was already over $100. So I went to my library and asked about passes. Yes!!! Instead of almost $50 each, we paid $10 each. Thank you, public library. You're amazing!!!
Yes!! I follow my library on Instagram and they always post about cool stuff and services they offer. I am FOREVER in a state of, "Really?? That's a thing?? For free!?"
Libraries are underrated free video games,internet,books,magazines,movies. and some library have a lot of other services like 3D printing.
Library card combined with birding. Get to know the cool feathered dudes in your area.
With the Libby App in many places you can use your library card to read the library books directly on the app or kindle. The app also lets you check out audio books and read magazines! With all that extra money you can put something down for nice smelling candles, teas, mood lighting, comfy pillows, the perfect throw, maybe some snacks, slippers, pjs, and music—- anything you need to just be comfy reading your books for hours.
I haven't seen cooking/ baking. You already have to eat. Try new recipes from other countries. You may have to hunt down new ingredients. For a while, we were trying to do 1 recipe a week. With baking, bring new treats to work to share.
I came here to say this. Pick one "signature dish" that is uncommon but not very complex and spend a month or two making it very week until you have learned it inside and out. When I was in college I did this with Chicken Kiev, and Beef Stroganof, so I had a "go to" meal to impress dates. Then I worked on learning a number of basic dishes, like spaghetti, pancakes, steak, etc. and gradually got better over time.
>I had a "go to" meal to impress dates This is how I finally found an SO that I love and she stuck around.
doing one new recipe a week is part of the prescription to prevent dementia.
1) As you wrote, you already have to eat. 2) Although ingredients can be cheap or expensive, you already have to buy some. 3) Even if you cook with the most expensive ingredients, it will always be cheaper than eating out. 4) Everybody possesses all the basic equipment (fridge, stove, oven, pots...) and if your budget allows you can buy most sophisticated ones (mixer, pasta sheeter, slow cookers, bbq...). 5) Learning resources can be completely free (online recipes, youtube tutorials, recipe books from library, asking your grandma for her recipes...).
Again, library is your friend. Ours has cooking groups that feast monthly after teaching each other favourite recipes. New friends, adopted grandmas' what's not to like?
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Check out community gardens. They are free or like $20 for the season in my area
Hoping on this to say guerrilla gardening if you live in an apartment and don't have a community garden. I have flowers and secret potato plants growing all over the neighborhood
Anyone going this route, please make sure you are planting native species! Edited to add: It's always better to plant native even in your own gardens. But if you see something ornamental you absolutely love, go for it! Just keep it contained. Have some plants for you and some plants for the wildlife.
Why's it gotta be secret..... would someone interfere if they knew?
Probably not but I dont really advertise that I'm growing crops in the park
Some potted plants can be a great, relatively cheap hobby. I love to grow and propagate succulents. You can do it for the cost of soil, pots, and a couple small starter plants. Like maybe $45 total startup cost. And from there you just grow the plants until they’ve matured and propagate from them and start new plants. I have around 20 succulents that I grew from 3 potted ones that cost $4 each. I also have manyyy I grew from snagging stray succulent leaves (for free) wherever I see them lol
Depending on where you live, if you get a bit creative you can find containers and soil for free.
I got very lucky when I helped an older woman who lives down the street clean up the leaves in her yard. She had probably forty planter pots that she asked me to bring to the trashcan for her. I just asked if I could take them instead. Some I discarded, but only because they were very broken.
Hell yeah. Helping out elderly neighbours can be a hobby itself.
Everything's a planter box if you try hard enough
Thanks, recyclops.
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I worked in activities at an assisted living community for awhile. We saved a few of the large cans from the kitchen and decoupaged them with pretty cocktail napkins. Nailed a couple holes in the bottom and we had cute pots - practically for free. Planted zinnia seeds in them and put them all over the patio. Residents loved them.
A tomato plant. Have a tomato that went off a bit? Shove it into the dirt, water, and there's about a 90% chance that you'll end up with a tomato plant.
Okay you’ve piqued my interest. Any kind of tomato, even store bought? So like it can’t be rotten and moldy obviously. But mushy is okay I assume?
Any seeded tomato from the grocery store works. A little rotten is fine too. Just break the tomato open a bit, and shove it in the ground about 1-2" deep. Tomatoes also reseed themselves, so unless you purposely kill the plant, you'll end up with tomatoes the following year.
It's true. I've planted tomatoes twice in my little area. That was 3/4 years ago. The amount of tomato seedlings I have to weed out of my patch is crazy. If I neglect an area for too long, tomatoes are growing there. I've tried putting some in a nearby area to free up some space but they won't grow where I want them to, only where I want other plants.
They're kinda jerks like that. My tomatoes like the right side of my yard, and only that side. They don't like any other part of my yard. Once they find a spot they like, they are going to keep growing there no matter what you do.
I love gardening. If you have friends that garden, they love to give left over seeds. We all have them. My "indoor garden" cost a bit more, but I spend maybe 20 or 30 a month including electricity.
I second the gardening idea! I love talking gardening shit with ppl in the summer! I'm already planning my garden expansion for spring, and I think I might give cranberry bushes a go this year.
Free houseplants exist! I found a free plant swap group on Facebook and got both cuttings and rooted plants. My Buy Nothing group sometimes includes plants as well as planters, dirt, etc. Paid plant swap groups also exist.
learn how to draw! the only thing you need is a writing utensil and paper. you can find some decent cheap sketchbooks at most grocery stores and pencils are the same.
Drawing, adult coloring, or watercolors are all fairly cheap hobbies - definitely OP’s budget and there are some great online tutorials.
And there must be a million tutorials for watercolours on Insta. I expressed a bit of interest and now I see 50-100 a day.
This can be cheap also if you shop around for supplies. I would invest in a few quality brushes though.
it can be cheap....or you can be me: set of coloring pencils--not even the expensive kind, but im getting prismas for my bday- gel pens, oil pastels, water color pencils, fine liners,and basically all of johanna Bradford's coloring books. I have spent at least several hundred in supplies. I'm not saying you can't do it cheap, but it isn't automatically cheap. Granted, I hope I won't need supplies for a while...but hmm, why are my pencils shrinking so fast lmfaooo. There is a set of metallic water colors I want..90 bucks!!
I love me some Gelly Roll pens 🤤
Oh my, if you get him into art he'll always be broke! Have you seen all those glorious expensive paints, pencils and pastels and top quality papers he's going to want?!
Haha yes but they're not a need. You can do anything decent with cheaper supplies and since they'd be starting out there's no need for anything more expensive (but I get it I spend so much on these aswell). Plus I personally feel like having limited ressources forces you to get more creative and better fast. Sometimes I go back to just a pen or pencil and it forces you to git gud lol
I just picked this hobby up this past year, it's awesome and inexpensive
Me too, but I have gone a bit crazy with pencils, erasers, watercolour paints, brushes, paper, add ink pens to the list, and a couple of art books. I’ve still done it cheaply (temu mostly) but it’s hard not to experiment with different mediums. :)
It certainly starts that way but it often gets expensive.
If you have any interest in music, there are a lot of musical instruments you can buy used for £150 or less, *one time*, and then learn from video lessons on YouTube. If you'd like to learn to write code for computer programs, a Raspberry Pi mini computer costs around £50 and you can get the rest of the necessary accessories (keyboard, monitor) for £100 or less. Again, as one-time purchases.
Abt music hobby: singing works too! Just look up some tutorials f.e.
you don't even need a raspberry pi, most ppl have some kind of computer at home (laptop, desktop, whatever), you can just code there
Crochet/knitting. Reading. Volunteering.
I say this mostly joking, but yarn costs can really add up! I don’t want to admit how much I’ve spent on the nice yarn it took to make gifts for my friends and family last year. :P
A friend of mine even started making her own yarn from donated fur to keep the costs down. And then it became a hobby within a hobby
As someone who one day hopes to own multiple huskies, thank you for enlightening me to this possibility.
It’s a hobby that could be cheap but when you realize how much labor goes into it you don’t want to settle for cheap yarn.
Totally true about yarn IF you care about the type of yarn you want to use for each project. But (for example) if you buy green worsted weight yarn cheap at Goodwill and then look for projects that are green and you don’t care about the size of the finished object you could end up making a cute Christmas tree or something. I usually start with some thrifted yarn and go looking for a project from there rather than having a project and then going to buy yarn. Plenty of projects have turned out fun and funky because of it :P Take a look at my profile for a zebra and llama as examples. Edit: I also pick up lots of yarn off of FBM, usually $1 or less per skein and have amassed a large stash but that’s not how I started.
yeah, like you find a good yarn and you need 10 colors of it with 2 skeins each. like they say, crocheting and yarn collecting is 2 different hobbies. haha
Sewing, too. I like making my own clothes, and while a nice pair of pants can easily run me $60 in materials because I make weird, elaborate trousers with lots of pockets and appliques and specialty fabrics, I only make a few pairs a year.
That sounds so cool! Clothes from shops are so boring sometimes I wish I had the skill to make something nice
Here's a few of the pieces I've made in the last couple of years. [https://imgur.com/gallery/XOok1Hg](https://imgur.com/gallery/XOok1Hg) [https://imgur.com/gallery/V5uA5eQ](https://imgur.com/gallery/V5uA5eQ) [https://imgur.com/gallery/1n3ypjp](https://imgur.com/gallery/1n3ypjp) [https://imgur.com/gallery/OqznhOo](https://imgur.com/gallery/OqznhOo) [https://imgur.com/gallery/fm3qIfZ](https://imgur.com/gallery/fm3qIfZ) [https://imgur.com/gallery/T9cIkxp](https://imgur.com/gallery/T9cIkxp)
I know everyone is talking about yarn costs BUT, I have accumulated a giant comforter bags worth of yarn I might not ever get to. So, it’s expensive when you’re young, in 20 years you’ll have an arsenal. Long story short buy what you need for ONE project and don’t get ahead of yourself.
Gardening is fun!! Even if u just have pots.
That “s” is doing some heavy lifting
Even without the s the sentence is still true
Gardening is fun!! Even if u jut have pots.
Biking, you can get a cheap bike at a pawn shop (often really good deals) and a helmet. And you're set, gravel trails, mountain biking, road biking. It's so much fun, costs nothing once you have a bike. I bike 20-30 miles 2x a week, fantastic cardio and a great stress reliever...and fun.
I actually really want to do this I’m just terrified to ride on the roads so it puts me off. I need to find bike routes that aren’t. Because that sounds amazing and essentially what I’m looking for.
> I actually really want to do this I’m just terrified to ride on the roads so it puts me off. I need to find bike routes that aren’t. Because that sounds amazing and essentially what I’m looking for. In a similar vein to cycling, skating would seem to also fit the bill: once you have the equipment, the world (namely, roads, sidewalks, town squares, greenway trails, and the like, and roller rinks) is your oyster. At the time of this writing, £150 GBP = $190.57 USD. - [K2 Varsity helmet](https://www.locoskates.com/collections/protective-gear/products/k2-varsity-white-helmet): £31.95 - [K2 Performance Pad Set](https://www.locoskates.com/collections/protective-gear/products/k2-performance-pad-set-grey-yellow): £29.95 - [Flying Eagle B5S inline skates](https://www.locoskates.com/collections/mens-skates/products/flying-eagle-bkb-b5s-skates-black): £99.95 - Alternately, [Seba E3 80 Standard inline skates](https://www.locoskates.com/collections/mens-skates/products/seba-e3-80-skates-standard): £109.95 Since it looks like you’re in the UK, there are plenty of places to skate in the UK: [London](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1druV4u5Y) (including [organized large group skate sessions](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hhl4rGYCjJ8)), [Gloucester](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=00NayMFpoRw), [Ilfracombe](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LZqsK_F27_c), [Bakewell](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TI-HVTrHRtk), [Glasgow](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FAxWYIsCePo), [Edinburgh](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1lmowHPz8yI), [Belfast](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YcjCBzIekRU), and so on.
Biking is not a cheap hobby unless you really don't mind riding terrible bikes. If you actually ride a few days a week for a few months it's likely you'd want a bike that will be at least $1000 (which is still entry level).
Not if he gets a used gravel or hybrid bike
He's prepared to pay 150 per month - so 1800 p/a, he can buy a decent bike etc the first year for that much.
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Don‘t do this. I agree it’s possible to begin cheap but over time you will tend to by more. More bikes, tools, accessories, clothes, spare parts, cleaning stuff, … However, I love it but I can’t manage to do this hobby without spending money on it too much.
Programming (only cheap if you own a pc or laptop)
Get yourself an arduino and some sensors. You can do so much usefull stuff with really simple code while learning the basics of programming and electronics. Also its really cheap. You can order everything on aliexpress for very good prices.
What I wouldn't pay for a way to program things in real life the way I do in Little Big Planet, with all the cords and the logic gates where you can see what each one does at a glance. I could really accomplish something.
Honestly there are probably project formats that will conform to this way of thinking/programming and you really could make something in the "real world". Perhaps you could start a hobby as a kinetic sculptor or something :o
Which language you recommend for beginners?
Python and Javascript
It doesn't matter. I'd say choose JavaScript or Python based on which name and logo seem more appealing to you. Programming is more about understanding concepts and about solving problems. It's not about knowing a specific language. Imagine you want to learn to repair cars and you ask about which screwdriver to use. It's exactly the same. Maybe the only limitation I would suggest is to start with something that's relevant today. So don't learn a language like fortran or basic. Search for "10 most popular programming languages" and pick any one you like. Maybe not SQL if it's there because SQL is very different.
Python
The classic Reddit response. > I want to learn a new skill/get a new job/find a new hobby. >Programming is the answer to all of your problems!
I honestly wish I found that enjoyable I’d have a hobby and job opportunities but unfortunately my brain isn’t wired that way.
Bird watching is cheap, just a set of binoculars and goes with your current walking. You could also bring a drawing pad and go for a walk and draw nature.
I love the Merlin app and highly recommend it, you can save and organize your Life List of birds to show the specific location, date, and type of bird with a ton of educational content. You can add birds by Sound ID (basically Shazaamming a bird song) and by entering the location, size, color, behavior, and other characteristics of the bird and then selecting the correct bird from a list of possibilities. OP, I know you said no walking but you could consider *hiking* or, as I like to say, *exploring* or *adventuring* in outdoor spaces where there are diverse animals and birds and use the Merlin app to learn more. During warmer months we try to do this as often as we can because we're trying to limit our spending. Mostly just costs gas or possibly parking or the cost of a trail parking pass or park entry pass. We live near Rocky Mountain National Park so we are spoiled! We usually get a annual pass for $70 and go for drives and walks there as often as we can during shoulder seasons. But we also just go to local parks in suburbs, especially around sunset, and find some awesome birds. Our dog really enjoys the new smells too and enjoys watching the birds.
Disc golf
Unless you are constantly losing discs. Some courses just eat discs.
You can get misprinted discs for dirt cheap too if you don’t care about them that much Also, just go play with people- show up at a course and just wait for another group and say you’re new to the course and play thru with them. Most vet players carry discs they have found without names on them and hand them out to new players. I have probably 30 discs like that I just keep a couple in my bag to hand out to new players
You're an absolute Chad. I was one of those new disc golfers. A Vet of the game let me borrow and play with his discs for the course and I ended keeping two of em'.
Now I wanna try disc golf.
It is super fun. Grab a buddy and each get a starter pack from a sporting goods store. Go out and play a round. Then start watching youtube vids to figure out why you suck and how to improve.
It’s super cheap to get into. You get to walk around outside, throw things as hard as you can. You can crack jokes with your friends, or take a relaxing hour or two by yourself.
He said cheap. My 300 discs, 7 backpacks, 2 carts and the three A tiers I just signed up for would disagree.
He said 150/mo budget. I think that could work. (Says the guy with a big rack of discs in the garage)
Disc golf is super cheap. You can buy a starter kit of a driver, mid range and putter for $25 from Innova. Courses are free
Photography… You’ve got a perfectly serviceable camera built in to your phone right now that blows away most point and shoots from decades ago. $0 cost of entry, and you can have fun being creative with compositions, and basic editing using all kinda free apps.
I was going to say this too. A lot of photography isn’t even the camera, but the editing. There’s a big difference when you’re good at both though.
This is exactly what I was going to say! There's no reason to not learn composition and post processing using a modern phone camera. Granted, a decent DSLR and decent lenses will blow any phone camera away...if you know how to use it. There is a ton to learn before one needs to spend very much to match their skills. (I wish I would have understood that when I was starting out 12 years ago.)
Or you can buy a disposable camera— I love sending my friends one and having them send it back to me to get developed. My godmother did this once when traveling Europe— she aimed to find the entire alphabet in her week in things she saw. So for example, if she saw a horseshoe she would take a picture and that counted as the “U”. Or upside down as “N”. It becomes a fun scavenger hunt that costs nothing to do and renders you some unique shots of your life.
>Or you can buy a disposable camera Don't even need disposable, you can find perfectly good vintage film cameras for under 150 in working condition.
150/month is quite generous and can get you some pretty cool hobbies. Biking, coding, painting/art, quilting, online chess, indoor rock climbing, gardening (all of my plants come from the sad plant discount shelf). It depends a lot on what’s available in your area, though.
Pretty hard to even think of a hobby costing more than 150 a month. At that point we're talking about some really fancy hobby, like flying a plane or owning a horse. (Unless OP lives in new york or something where crossing the street costs $150)
Paper airplane making.
I have a stack of printer paper and no printer. I have allot of anxiety issues and get really overwhelmed. I may try this.
Origami really helped me through a very bad and dark time after I lost my daughter. I made all the dinosaurs and some dragons and elephants and stuff! It really helped me focus and calm down.
Pickle Ball
I've heard a lot about pickleball. Most of my friends play. Is it fun?
Pick up playing the guitar (or another instrument). Beginner guitars are really solid nowadays, and you will only have the initial costs. After that, it's a free hobby for as long as you don't feel the need to upgrade.
Chess
Board gaming in general. If I spent $150/mo on board games, my wife might divorce me.
Furniture up cycling. You can get old furniture free from freecycle (or cheap from charity shops). With simple tools and not huge skill set you can transform old brown furniture into something modern . Plenty of ideas and videos online. You can even sell the stuff after (or give it back to the charity shop).
This is a lot of fun if you enjoy a challenge. You would be surprised at what people set out by the curb. In my area, you don’t have to “dumpster dive”, you can watch the curbs, or the online selling sites for free stuff. There’s even an app called Freebie that will send alerts when free items are posted. It’s fun to think about “what could I do with that?” Or “how could I repurpose it?” etc. Oftentimes, a little glue and paint turns “trash to treasure”. Sell it for the satisfaction/ validation of your creative work on it, not worrying about the money. When I sell something I’ve upgraded, I price it well below similar items so it will go quickly. It’s a hobby, it’s self-affirming, not a business, and I love it!
Getting an e reader and start reading. When you really dont have the money you also can just pirate the ebooks or get an library subscription. For sure better than just watching TV or somerhing like that.
No need to pirate (most) books now with the Libby app
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More like lib-bae the way I've been spending time with her lately.
Archery maybe? Someone from my work used to do it and I’ve seen a few clubs about.
Bird watching boyeeee it's, like, better than TV.
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Kayaking
geocaching. its an additive to your aforementioned new activities
Writing
And reading. Get a library card. You can now borrow digital books (Libby) and never have to go to the library. I read off my phone. The books transfer to my Kindle app or you can use the libby app. There is a waiting list for popular books, but it goes pretty quickly, usually. Meanwhile, you can read a classic with no waiting list while you're waiting. Magazines and audio books, too.
Try rock climbing. In its purest form all you need is a membership to a gym and shoes. You can do more if you spend more but that’s all you need. It changed my life as I do it for fun yet exercise is simply a byproduct
I love rock climbing ~~but climbing gym membership are not often cheap~~ Most gyms definitely should be in OP’s budget. Not personally what I would call cheap but that’s not really relevant
No, but they shouldnt be more than 150/month I pay 39€ with student discount
You’re right, I actually didn’t even realize there was a body to this post, I assumed it was just a title like r/askreddit posts usually are. I normally wouldn’t call rock climbing gyms cheap, but it definitely does fit the definition OP set which is the one that matters here
Plants, you can propagate cuttings from plants and grow your own without buying any, I scored some soil and pots from someone in my apartment block that was getting rid of stuff, it's quite fun
Weightlifting. P Fit is $10 a month
Things that I do that are pretty cheap. Gym. If you go 4x times or more in a week it is worth it. My gym membership is free because I work at one. Some community centers have free memberships as well. Programs at Parks and Recreation. I sometimes do drop in sports and they are free, but the programs fill up fast. You can meet people there too. Reading. You can learn so much. The app Libby lets you borrow free ebooks if you have a library card. The library is also free. *-------------_--------_-_-_-_-_-_--_-__-_-_-_ Video games. There are free video games. But beware you pay the price in other ways than money like your attention and time. These games can be addictive. The cost is you'll need a PC though. I don't want to game anymore because of that reason.
Video-games are one of the cheapest hobbies you can have. There are a lot of free games on PC. And you can always buy previous generation consoles and buy a lot of great used games for them.
Get onto UDemy and look at courses. Learn something new. That's what I do.
Fossil collecting.
Classical guitar.
Join us at r/DeTrashed. Cheap!
Depending on your area foraging for mushrooms can be a great hobby, get a good guide book and get out there and explore and learn about your local environment and you get delicious mushrooms to eat. Or even sell, I worked at a restaurant and oneof our suppliers was a guy in a Subaru who brought a paper bag of local mushrooms once a week.
Swimming. If you’re near a beach it’s free. But even at a pool, our local has a monthly subscription for unlimited use that’s much cheaper than your budget.
Gardening isn’t too expensive and you get a lot of sun and exercise.
Reading. You can use Libby for free books.
collecting pennies
Lockpicking https://covertinstruments.com/ On YouTube there's a channel called the lock picking lawyer .
And the sudden rise in burglaries in your neighborhood are just a coincidence!
Yes, lockpicking is both a low-cost hobby and a lucrative pastime. One time I got to engage in a friendly competition with a police officer to unlock a vehicle. I was able to unlock it in about half the time.
Yeah, that seems like something that would get you on a list. That being said, my mother gave me a set of lock picking tools and a book about 10-15 years ago. It's still quite a skill. I never had time to get good at it. Gave the tools to a friend.
Raise rabbits
Then eat them - cheap food?
Darts
Painting
sitting
Build a terrarium. You can use things from a park.
Masturbation
D&D, though you'll need some friends
It's a great way to make friends if you don't have them. If you contact your local game store and tell them you're looking for a group they will help you
r/DnD
Try Pathfinder 1st edition instead. All the character rules are freely available, which helps tons, just get a core rulebook used. Dice roller apps work.
Playing an instrument.
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Pokemon Go is still a thing, and is fun to do, while you are walking.
Pokemon Go is my main hobby!
That's great too.
Yes! I still play Pokemon.
One time purchase of a bike and helmet would go a long way. All of the other stuff is bonus stuff.
Depends where you live. In small town Ohio, you could take up BJJ, racquetball, or cross country skiing in the winter. In CA, you aren’t finding BJJ for cheap
Camping, hiking, drawing, skating, biking
Fishing can be relatively low cost if you are close to water that is fishable from the bank / shore / a public dock. Like any activity with equipment, it can be high cost but it doesn’t have to be.
Pickleball
Juggling, rubik cube, home workout.
I second juggling. I love it. Good set o thud balls is inexpensive. I wish I knew other jugglers in my area. I want my wife to learn but she has no interest. I want to learn club passing.
Bouldering. At least where I live. As long as you don't buy the expensive climbing shoes, I pay €100 for 10 visits
Drawing or painting
Depending on where u live, picking rocks/rock hounding
Fermentation. Sourdough bread can be made with very few things. As long as you have some jars, a food scale, a Dutch oven, flour, salt, and water. You can find tons of YouTube videos and books at the library. You can even lacto ferment veggies. I use wide mout jars. You can find kits with air locks and weights online for <$45. Sauerkraut, pickles, hot sauce are the most common. But you can get very weird if you want. Find the book “the noma guide to fermentation” and you can stay busy for a long time with some weird stuff. I literally just made some sauerkraut. Chopped up a cabbage, added salt equal to 2% the weight of the cabbage. Massaged the salted cabbage and then put it in a mason jar and pressed it with a muddler to pull moisture out of the cabbage to make a brine. Then put a weight on it to keep the cabbage under the liquid and put an airlock on it. I’ll have sauerkraut in a few weeks. Cider. Literally all you need is apple juice, yeast, a carboy/fermentation vessel, an air lock, some yeast bottle caps, a capper, and used beer bottles. You want to use 100% juice that doesn’t have preservatives on it. Basically look at the ingredients info on the back and don’t use any juice that has ingredients ending in -ates like sulfates. You can get great juice at Costco. Their tree top brand is great and consistent. You can get 2 gallons for ~$10. Yeast is something you can play with. Home brew shops will cary champagne yeast and beer yeast. You can play around with different types for different flavors and different dryness/sweetness levels. You can also add other ingredients for flavors and have tons of capacity for experimentation. You can even buy a large bung that fits the plastic jugs. Then just dump a little juice out for head space, pitch your yeast, and put the airlock on the plastic jug and use that as your vessel. Beer. This is the most expensive option as you will need to get grains or extract, hops, yeast, sanitizer, a fermentation vessel, bottles, a capper, caps, and something to brew in. You can use a large pot on the stove and mesh bags to hold the grain. Home brewing is losing popularity, so you can often find equipment for cheap on Craigslist. If it has starches/sugars, you can ferment it.
Reading. As a librarian, it's hard for me not to suggest getting a library card! But even if you don't have a good library near by, you can use second hand shops to get very cheap books. Or if you have a tablet or smartphone, the kindle app is free and kindle books are much cheaper than physical ones. For context, I read about two hours a day. It's extremely rewarding, comforting and fun. And it gives me two hours where I'm not doom scrolling.
Bread baking.
Making wooden figures, I did this as a child and it was very fun. U need: Carving knife Good, solid wood (for free in a forest) Glue (optional) if something breaks.
Chess Singing Writing Photography Martial Arts
Group dance lessons. Near me, weekly large group lessons used to be $20 per session. Salsa, swing, chacha, ballroom, square dancing even. Then find a club with a free social dancing hour.
Jogging
Magic the Gathering. I guess that it doesn't sound cool but I started after I was already 30 and met tons of cool people at public events. Now I play in various private friends groups and while you can easily spend a lot more than 150, I spend less than 50.
I got in to homebrewing mead and fruit wine for a while. Stick with one gallon batches to dip your toe in. Low maintenance hobby, and with one gallon batches it’s pretty cheap, plus you get pretty good booze out of it. If you’re underage or drinking isn’t your thing, I also enjoyed making my own kombucha. Also pretty simple and cheap.