Hobbies/Crafts and MoneySaving ...

BusyGirl

I re-learnt how to knit last year and I knit simple scarves for the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes each year. The people who check these boxes often discover many items missing from the boxes and try to add extra items if needed. Woolly hats, scarves, gloves, socks etc are so important in many of the cold countries that the boxes are sent to.
My other (low cost hobbies) include
learning to play the guitar (alongside my two young daughters)
reading (library books etc)
MSEing (every day-learnt so much here)
lots of church activities
swimming/gym

I just wish I had more time...life is too short!

Crazychik

Walking the dog, and general days out to the local park with the kids. Feed the ducks, or even a family picnic is nice. Blanket, deck chairs, Bat n ball or a football is always in the boot of my car.

We was given a bike rack a couple of yrs ago, so bike riding is fun & energetic

Sad - But I do actually enjoy ironing. Gives me thinking time!

I like to make greeting cards also, and try my hands at most crafts. I make cards to sell to friends/family, so in a way, it hardly cost anything but my time. As the money I make, I put towards buying new materials. However, I ask friends/family to save their un-wanted cards and I try to re-cycle a lot of things, which I think are suitable to re-use.

I can crochet, and just over the Christmas period, Ive learnt how to knit, very basic at the moment. But you only improve with time. I placed an ad on the freecycle of any un-wanted odd balls of wool. I've shared (what Ive received) with the residents of the nursing home where my mum works.

I also have a sewing machine gathering dust in the loft - I brought it second hand with intensions of using it - but never have - so I think that will be something else to try.

I enjoy cooking, and my next attempt will be to use the breadmaker I borrowed. And if I find, I can bake my own bread, then I will happily purchase a BM for myself.

You dont have to have a hobby which is expensive to do, there are ways around it to keep costs down - but good for you ref buying clubs/balls etc at car boots. That shows you are switched on ref OS.

some1shy

well i like to enter competitions (online and of) to win prizes
and i want to get into knitting (thanks to that commerial that i keep seeing about how to knit that i want to get lol)

i like going feeding the swans ( when i am able)

i want to get a camera and get into photography
and also i amgetting into cooking more (i just made my first bread by hand the other day..okay i know all i had to do was add water and butter but still! it was fun)

Austin_Allegro

Ok here's the stuff I do:

Walking: good for you and doesn't cost much apart from initial cost of boots and waterproofs. You can get o/s maps from the library.

Cycling: again good for you and you can get a decent bike for around £200 (or less via ebay/small ads).

Swimming: only costs £2.50 or so and even cheaper if you get a season ticket.

Reading: I never buy new books: I borrow from the library, or buy second hand from amazon if there's a book the library doesn't have. If I just want to take pot luck I'll buy 5 books for a pound from the local charity shop. You ca sometimes make a bit of cash selling these on amazon as well.

Shopping: I don't go shopping much in expensive shops but visit charity shops, jumble sales, car boot sales etc.

Art galleries/museums - very interesting and nearly always free, supposed to be good pick up joints too, not that I've ever tried!

Cathedrals/churches: I go to free organ/choral recitals, choral evensong etc at places like Westminster Abbey etc, doesn't cost anything except collection money.

Visiting parents: I get a good meal laid on and do jobs in return like changing lightbulbs etc!

Drinking: usually meet friends in a pub that does good quality cheap beer like Wetherspoon's etc, you can have a night out for around £10.

Acting: I'm a member of a drama group, costs about £20 a year in subs and is a good laugh. I also write plays for them and have sold the scripts to other groups.

beemuzed

I love reading, but am getting better at borrowing rather than buying books these days!
My sewing machine has gathered dust in recent years - nowhere seems to sell material these days (or knitting wool! I'm old enough to remember when wool shops existed in large numbers!) - this year I WILL try to sew and knit again as both are relaxing to do.
I walk the dogs - but sadly usually consider this a chore reather than a hobby - especially when gales and rain are beating down as today!

moggins

Try Wilkinsons for wool, they have some lovely stuff in there now at £2.50 for 3 balls.

Tuttifruitty_Theresa

hiya my hobbies are card making, scrapbooking (memory books), i can do basic knitting (i'm going to get my mum to teach me properly) and i've decided that this year i'm going to learn how to crochet and sew. I also love baking but i can't do too much this year as i'm on a diet. I've also made a new years resolution to finish the rug i've been making for the past 2 years


xxx

beemuzed

Sadly I live in a corner of Essex which has Tesco as its cheapest shop (alternative is Waitrose!) I long for Wilkinsons, Asda, Lidl, poundshops, etc. - but all involve fuel and several miles driving! A year or so ago the Suhday press had this as the most desirable location to live...very nice, but cheap? Definitely NOT! I'll need to keep my wool purchase until we visit Mum later this year!

TKP_3

Tuttifruitty_Theresa wrote:

hiya my hobbies are card making, scrapbooking (memory books)... ...I also love baking but i can't do too much this year as i'm on a diet...

Me too! I do card making and scrapbooking, and love baking bread (but am limited by diet...:o )
I love gardening and walking (as in just going for walk every day)
I am a compulsive reader (have 5 books on the go at the moment )
I love cooking/baking, and now make everything (thanks to OS) :T
Finally I dance (is that a hobby?) I do ballroom, latin, american line dancing and this year I am starting ProAm couples

natzini

starlorna22 wrote:

I posted a thread similar to this a while ago, but it must have been over a year ago, so thought I'd start another one if that's ok
I'm feeling a bit bored lately, my life just seems to be made of of work and bed. I'm looking for some kind of hobby(s) I can do that won't cost the earth. I want something I can get better at, so I won't get bored straight away, and if I could actually make money out of my hobby that would be fantastic.
I'm 25, live with my boyfriend and work full-time, so don't have that much spare time, but am looking for something I can do in the evening and maybe weekends.
What does everyone else do in their spare time? If you have any ideas for me, I'd really appreciate it.

How about penpalling, or volunteering with an association like GirlGuiding uK? Or, if you want to make money, why not try your hands at a craft, you never know what talent you could unravel? Or you could try a hand at webdesign?