Sometimes, it is not having the time to spend on your hobbies that prevents you from indulging in them so much as being able to afford all the kit and caboodle required to get started. Hobbies and interests, while great at making you a happier human being, can be pricey investments that often get sidelined or sacrificed in favour of more important essentials.
So, when bigger priorities demand your financial attention, how can you make sure you’re still able to indulge your passions?
Take a taste
If you’re looking to get into something new but aren’t sure you’ll enjoy it enough to justify spending on it, or want to indulge a hobby occasionally without paying through the nose, look up taster sessions in your area for the activity in which you’re interested. Whether it’s sewing or sports, chances are you’ll be able to find a way to try it out without paying for costly club membership fees or equipment.
A lot of sports clubs and leisure centres offer free or cheap taster sessions to attract new members throughout the year across all types of activities, from aqua-aerobics to Zumba, so there’s plenty to choose from.
If you’re interested in something else, a quick search online will turn up beginner courses and taster sessions on all sorts from baking to sewing and everything in between. While not usually free, beginners’ sessions typically aren’t expensive and, since lots of hobbies require expensive equipment, they can be a great way to see if you have a natural flair or taste for an activity without committing to spending a lot of money on it.
Be our guest
It may be a cheeky ask, but piggybacking on a friend’s gym membership or work perks using a guest pass or discount is a great way to try out different activities and go to events without committing to the full spend. Obviously, using a guest pass isn’t a substitute for membership, and when you’re reliant on the goodness of your friends, you don’t want to come across like you’re a freeloading sponge, either. If you want to try something new or aren’t ready for a regular time commitment and your friend has the passes to spare, then they may welcome the company!
Beg, borrow, but DON’T steal!
If your hobbies require quite specialist equipment, like a sewing machine, fancy food mixer or even gardening tools, it can be difficult to justify the expense of buying everything you need. Most of us are too busy to indulge in these kinds of “project” hobbies on a very regular basis, which means all that expensive equipment can end up gathering dust when it’s not in use.
One way around this is to hire the equipment you need when you need it, or better yet, borrow from friends and family who have the kit you need and don’t mind you using it occasionally – chances are they won’t use it too often either and will be glad it’s getting some use. Or, you could club together with like-minded friends, family, or even neighbours, to buy equipment that you can all share. This is an especially handy way to go about gardening and DIY – there’s no way a whole street of you can all justify needing your pressure washers or power tools, so consider chipping in for a community supply.
Find a freebie
Of course, there are plenty of hobbies that don’t cost a penny to enjoy, or that needn’t be expensive. Just as you can swap branded buys for cheaper alternatives, you can apply this philosophy to your hobbies, too – like swapping a treadmill for the tarmac as a cheaper way to run regularly. If you’re more likely to be curled up in the corner with a book, get your reading material from your local library or a community book swap rather than buying it as a way to save money and still get some quality down time.
You can even find free alternatives to courses and classes on Youtube so that you can learn from the comfort of your home. Why not learn to cook with Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay, pick up gardening tips from the Royal Horticultural Society, or take a Zumba class in your living room? You can even learn how to fish… just maybe don’t practise on your garden pondlife!
How do you balance your hobbies and your budget? Let us know in the comments!
