(Topic ID: 291050)

What other hobbies do you have that are as cheap as pinball?

By JohnTTwo

2 years ago


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  • 77 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 years ago by undrdog
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#51 2 years ago

Great Lego models! That battleship collection is amazing. Although I wouldn't put Legos in the cheap category. I'll reserve that for one of the best low budget hobbies - hiking.

All you need is access to trail head, a pair of hiking boots and off you go - excercise, fresh air and a good view.

I'll put x-country skiing in a close second place. Skis last many seasons, no lift tickets. Trail passes are inexpensive.

#52 2 years ago

I'll keep answering this disingenuous question as if it was sincere.

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Here's 3 items, less than a couple hundred dollars that will give a lifetime of enjoyment with no maintenance except for stuffing a few rags in the big fella now and then.

The totem tennis ball was actually free when i bought the speed bag from reward points. And it's hours of entertainment and enjoyment. You'll feel fantastic walking away even. I never would have thought a tennis ball on a string could give me so much pleasure.

Except for my ding bat of course.

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#53 2 years ago

All money & zero brains nice combo captain!!!

13
#54 2 years ago

Charcuterie.

From This;

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To this;

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And thus to this;

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Rich is not a number, it's an attitude. If you are happy with what you have, you are a rich person.
Some people sadly never realise this basic truth.

#55 2 years ago
Quoted from punkin:

Charcuterie.
From This;
[quoted image]
To this;
[quoted image]
And thus to this;
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
Rich is not a number, it's an attitude. If you are happy with what you have, you are a rich person.
Some people sadly never realise this basic truth.

Does anything smell better than pork being smoked? Doesn’t get much better than the smoker going and having some drinks on a nice sunny day.

#56 2 years ago
Quoted from DaveH:

Overall this is why I've never let a couple hundred dollars stand between me and a game.

I hated learning that lesson..

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#57 2 years ago

Had to look up the word, the pictures helped It goes without saying that any hobby that involves bacon and smoked pork can only be described as an outstanding one.

#58 2 years ago
Quoted from Chisox:

Does anything smell better than pork being smoked? Doesn’t get much better than the smoker going and having some drinks on a nice sunny day.

One of my favourite hobbies. The look on people faces when faced with a charcuterie plate full of salami, smoked pepperoni, cold cured hams and coppa, pancetta etc and you tell them you made the lot.
Then when they taste the pork from the heritage pigs and realise what they have been missing with supermarket meat.

Once you have the equipment it's really cost effective with a whole pig less than $100 from the farm.
To buy lonzino or coppa etc here it's well over $100 a kilo.

Mushrooms were another. Good mushrooms here are $50 a kilo I made money selling them at work that paid for me to eat as many as i wanted and give to friends and family. Some of these pictured you can't buy in Australia;

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#59 2 years ago

Here's another hobby just for the OP

The pleasure from the gift of a home cooked meal that's as good as any restaurant food.

You might even try taking up a hobby that's not all about you, but allows you to give a precious gift to your friends and family?

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#60 2 years ago

My other hobby includes collecting power-up orbs and transforming into various beasts then killing shit, I don't have fatt stacks like you so I'm glad it's free.

#61 2 years ago
Quoted from Thermionic:

I haven’t been into pinball as a hobby quite as long as you, but definitely long enough to have seen this humble-flex movie many times before.
Like you said, lots of new blood in the recent past who love to telegraph their wealth (or more often, I suspect, appearance of wealth); they come here, make a splash for a time, lose interest, and then it’s on to the next “expensive” pursuit.
And, to answer your (probably rhetorical) questions regarding motivation, I’d say the answer is definitely “YES”, many of these guys seem to be chasing something deeper than mere hobby satisfaction. I think some folks are just hopelessly enslaved to the “he who dies with the most toys wins” ethos. Unfortunately, this outlook is unlikely to ever result in true contentment or satisfaction, so one gets stuck endlessly running in a hamster wheel always chasing bigger and better; just look at all the Pinsiders who are stuck on the idea that the size of one’s “collection” is a proxy for one’s devotion to the hobby! These are the same kind of folks who are unable to enjoy an inherently cheap activity like birdwatching unless they accumulate an arsenal of $3k binoculars and $5k spotting scopes.
(And, in my opinion their ability to endlessly buy their way out of their short attention-spans is NOT “enviable”! My younger self would have probably disagreed, but hopefully I’m wiser now.)

Thank you for your nice response. I'm not sure, though, if the wealthy collectors among us, as a group, are necessarily chasing status, or have short attention spans, or possess other characteristics that might appear to be unattractive in our hobby. Not all of them. I say that because I believe that having a lot of wealth actually affects how you view the world, how you view people, how you view... having wealth. Money gives you options on how to live, what to do, and of having ideas that don't even occur to a guy like me. There is validity in this. Alternately, the lack of money limits your thinking. Not living for payday all the time also influences your morality, I would offer. Now, I hope you know what I mean there because if you ask me to expand on that, I'll have to think about it and get back to you.

Have you ever heard of humble people who won the lottery and it changed their social network? Their friends are still working 9-to-5 and cannot just drop everything and go on excursions. The lottery winner ends up traveling alone or paying for his/her friends, and their may be tension in that. So, they find themselves trying out high-roller activities where they meet other people who have money, perhaps other lottery winners, ha. They kinda leave their old economic tier behind. They bump themselves up into a higher level of activity. Not everyone, I know. But, I bet if I won the lottery, I wouldn't remain at my current level of activity. Heck, I might check out other expensive hobbies or, hey, go to the Grand Caymon. That, or what, leave it to my heirs?

I'll close by saying that, several years ago at Chicago Expo, I was walking around the game room and of course everywhere you looked was the best-looking games, spruced up, modded, and the general feeling I usually get at the shows is that a fellow should always act like he is up on the latest things in pinball, and should know who is making the next DMD upgrade, what blades are now available, when are the playfields coming out, etc. There's a level of participation around that and you want to be able to talk to people. All well and good. But, that year, in walking around all of the beautiful games well kept, I saw a fellow who brought two games to the show, both were beaters. The playfield on one was well-worn. Neither game was crisp. I think he was working on one of them, IIRC. Two beaters among the blue ribbon winners. Now, here's a guy who is not self-conscious to be among the tricked out and beautiful games all around him. I stopped and talked to him. He wasn't in that happening groove that I mention here, so the conversation was different, and he reminded me of me, and of a hobby we all used to know. I have to say, I don't think I ever was more comfortable than talking to this fellow, in the midst of the wealth around us.

#62 2 years ago

Best thing I ever bought hobby wise besides pinball was my main guitar, a Yamaha FG335 in brand new condition for $100 with the case and that was 32 years ago. Other then some picks and a new set of strings ever few years it's brought me far more fun in the guitar playing hobby then I could have ever imagined for a minimal amount of money. I'll never sell it.

John

#63 2 years ago

Play chess........................................screw

#64 2 years ago
Quoted from Slugmeister:

Gourmet dining
[quoted image]

I do get that (meaning I understand it- no-one in the UK has ever said it, as that advert was never broadcast here!)

#65 2 years ago
Quoted from Goronic:

Play chess........................................screw

One of those hobbies has the potential to be *very* expensive

#66 2 years ago
Quoted from Dayhuff:

Best thing I ever bought hobby wise besides pinball was my main guitar, a Yamaha FG335 in brand new condition for $100 with the case and that was 32 years ago. Other then some picks and a new set of strings ever few years it's brought me far more fun in the guitar playing hobby then I could have ever imagined for a minimal amount of money. I'll never sell it.
John

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#67 2 years ago
Quoted from pinballcorpse:

One of those hobbies has the potential to be *very* expensive

I know, I'm married :/

#68 2 years ago
Quoted from Dayhuff:

Best thing I ever bought hobby wise besides pinball was my main guitar, a Yamaha FG335 in brand new condition for $100 with the case and that was 32 years ago. Other then some picks and a new set of strings ever few years it's brought me far more fun in the guitar playing hobby then I could have ever imagined for a minimal amount of money. I'll never sell it.
John

I traded a nintendo64 and a few games for my first guitar. It was another 10 years before I attempted to learn how to play itl. But now I'm 'okay'.

#69 2 years ago
Quoted from vanilla:

Thank you for your nice response. I'm not sure, though, if the wealthy collectors among us, as a group, are necessarily chasing status, or have short attention spans, or possess other characteristics that might appear to be unattractive in our hobby. Not all of them. I say that because I believe that having a lot of wealth actually affects how you view the world, how you view people, how you view... having wealth. Money gives you options on how to live, what to do, and of having ideas that don't even occur to a guy like me. There is validity in this. Alternately, the lack of money limits your thinking. Not living for payday all the time also influences your morality, I would offer. Now, I hope you know what I mean there because if you ask me to expand on that, I'll have to think about it and get back to you.
Have you ever heard of humble people who won the lottery and it changed their social network? Their friends are still working 9-to-5 and cannot just drop everything and go on excursions. The lottery winner ends up traveling alone or paying for his/her friends, and their may be tension in that. So, they find themselves trying out high-roller activities where they meet other people who have money, perhaps other lottery winners, ha. They kinda leave their old economic tier behind. They bump themselves up into a higher level of activity. Not everyone, I know. But, I bet if I won the lottery, I wouldn't remain at my current level of activity. Heck, I might check out other expensive hobbies or, hey, go to the Grand Caymon. That, or what, leave it to my heirs?
I'll close by saying that, several years ago at Chicago Expo, I was walking around the game room and of course everywhere you looked was the best-looking games, spruced up, modded, and the general feeling I usually get at the shows is that a fellow should always act like he is up on the latest things in pinball, and should know who is making the next DMD upgrade, what blades are now available, when are the playfields coming out, etc. There's a level of participation around that and you want to be able to talk to people. All well and good. But, that year, in walking around all of the beautiful games well kept, I saw a fellow who brought two games to the show, both were beaters. The playfield on one was well-worn. Neither game was crisp. I think he was working on one of them, IIRC. Two beaters among the blue ribbon winners. Now, here's a guy who is not self-conscious to be among the tricked out and beautiful games all around him. I stopped and talked to him. He wasn't in that happening groove that I mention here, so the conversation was different, and he reminded me of me, and of a hobby we all used to know. I have to say, I don't think I ever was more comfortable than talking to this fellow, in the midst of the wealth around us.

There are two ways a man can be rich in this world, he can have a lot of money, or he can have a lot of friends. But he cannot have both. > Mr. Heiniken

#70 2 years ago

As cheap as pinball... Hmmmm Cars!

I have 40...

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#71 2 years ago

@punkin
Pinball and smoked pork products, now you’re speaking my language.

#72 2 years ago

Back yard fireworks for the last 25 years. And I still have all ten fingers left.

#73 2 years ago

Comic books. They just seem to keep shooting up in value.

#74 2 years ago
Quoted from GRUMPY:

Back yard fireworks for the last 25 years. And I still have all ten fingers left.

Pyrotechnics is what i always said was going to be my next hobby. She said no back then, but it was only a couple months ago istudied the licencing laws here and decided once again to withhold.

Was just too much hassle and training (on purpose to discourage) for an old guy. Shitted me too as i have an agent in China.

#75 2 years ago
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#76 2 years ago
Quoted from punkin:

it was only a couple months ago istudied the licencing laws here and decided once again to withhold.

I have found it is easier to ask for forgiveness then to get permission.

#77 2 years ago

The pinball hobby is not inexpensive for most but its the only hobby I've
ever had that paid for itself with even a decent profit. The way I accomplished
this was by buying dead pins, fixing them, keeping the ones I liked and selling
the others.

Over 10 years ago ran out of room here (52 pins) so went back to my first hobby
(amateur radio) and having a blast. There are piles of older tube gear around and just
like pins, buying older radios that needs work and fixing them up. So this is shaping up
to be as inexpensive as pinball was.

#78 2 years ago

I've just started casually collecting vintage slot car sets. They are cheap enough to pick up (much cheaper than pinball). Similar in some ways, in that you need to go through and clean, repair and replace missing components to get them up and running. Not sure how far down the rabbit hole I will go with these. I have no space to dedicate to a permanent layout, but at this point they are fun to pick up.

#79 2 years ago

Me and Lovey just sit around counting our money. Could you be anymore of a douche. You have money, good for you.

#80 2 years ago

Holy sh1t! 40 cars! The maintenance has to be insane, then insurance costs, inspections ETC....... WOW. I would love to know what you have and what is your favorite vehicle.

Quoted from Nysbadmk8:

As cheap as pinball... Hmmmm Cars!
I have 40...
[quoted image]

#81 2 years ago
Quoted from DadofTwins:

Holy sh1t! 40 cars! The maintenance has to be insane, then insurance costs, inspections ETC....... WOW. I would love to know what you have and what is your favorite vehicle.

Maybe its a "Used car lot".

#82 2 years ago

I wasn't really offended by the OPs post. Just figured it was more of a "pinball retains it's value compared to other hobbies" post than a flex. Which is absolutely true.

Fortunately pinball is a hobby you can enjoy at almost any tax bracket. I'm sure I'm kicking around in the lower end of the spectrum but am grateful to be in it and having fun. Most hobbies have their high rollers and that's ok.

#83 2 years ago

cost by hobby -

travel $5k

pinball $5k

booze $5k

weed $5k

————-

So pinball costs the same as my other hobbies, BUT it is the only one that is an asset after use and one that maintains a strong residual value. The other hobbies are down the tubes, up in smoke or out of town. My conclusion is that I need some additional hobbies.

#84 2 years ago

Guns are a fun hobby if you like shooting sports. Firearms can get expensive if you get carried away. Right now like everything else with covid, have not been to a range.

#85 2 years ago
Quoted from DadofTwins:

Holy sh1t! 40 cars! The maintenance has to be insane, then insurance costs, inspections ETC....... WOW. I would love to know what you have and what is your favorite vehicle.

We have 8 vehicles, its a PITA. 40 I would just stop working and be the fleet tech full time.

#86 2 years ago
Quoted from AlexF:

I wasn't really offend buy the OPs post.

I wasn't offended either, but then again, I rarely am. The OP does have more than a hint of him letting us know he's a "big baller". Maybe he could take some of his hobby money and take a class on tactfulness?

#87 2 years ago
Quoted from GRUMPY:

I have found it is easier to ask for forgiveness then to get permission.

So have 95 others on Pinside! Luckily pinball affords you a great excuse for needing forgiveness since you can almost always sell your unpermitted acquisition for as much as you paid, if not more. What other hobby has this built-in feature?

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/search?s=1&what=posts&q=Forgiveness+permission&subforum=0&include_basement=1

To answer my own question, thrift store shopping can be very lucrative and fun, I'll buy anything if I can make ten times my money or more. I've even made 100x my money on some things! But I do have to forgive myself for blowing a lot of the possible profit on storage fees. Need to concentrate more on the selling part, but the thrill of the hunt is irresistible, and it's been especially fruitful the last few years, thanks to Marie Kondo. But you can't do well if you just limit yourself to traditionally collectible stuff, they look that kind of thing up and price them too high unless you are buying them to keep. And the bigger the city, the more picked over the stuff will be, but the secret is still to visit often, you have to catch the deals soon after they come out.

#88 2 years ago
Quoted from Honch:

I wasn't offended either, but then again, I rarely am. The OP does have more than a hint of him letting us know he's a "big baller". Maybe he could take some of his hobby money and take a class on tactfulness?

I wasnt offended, I dont get offended but I could just just hear the Thurston Howl 3rd snootyness in the post. Im rich, I spend lots of money on my hobbies.

#89 2 years ago
Quoted from poppapin:

Guns are a fun hobby if you like shooting sports. Firearms can get expensive if you get carried away. Right now like everything else with covid, have not been to a range.

I shoot trap and skeet 3 times a week. That being said, I just bought some fun, but VERY affordable browning bps"s 20ga and 410. Both under $700 each. Now, shells are expensive...and hard to find...reload if you can.

I'm currently enjoying these pumps more then my expensive over/unders..just because it adds to the game. equals fun.

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#90 2 years ago
Quoted from Honch:

I wasn't offended either, but then again, I rarely am. The OP does have more than a hint of him letting us know he's a "big baller". Maybe he could take some of his hobby money and take a class on tactfulness?

And/or it's a bit out of touch with the current secondhand home pinball market, but that's it.
If I was an operator trying to make it on location pinball in this climate, I'd probably have a reason to be offended.

#91 2 years ago
Quoted from AlexF:

I wasn't really offend buy the OPs post. Just figured it was more of a "pinball retains it's value compared to other hobbies" post than a flex. Which is absolutely true.
Fortunately pinball is a hobby you can enjoy at almost any tax bracket. I'm sure I'm kicking around in the lower end of the spectrum but am grateful to be in it and having fun. Most hobbies have their high rollers and that's ok.

Thanks for understanding

#92 2 years ago
Quoted from Honch:

I wasn't offended either, but then again, I rarely am. The OP does have more than a hint of him letting us know he's a "big baller". Maybe he could take some of his hobby money and take a class on tactfulness?

If you consider a construction worker a big baller guilty as charged I do have 2 other jobs as well. Being on welfare as child has taught me a lot about hard work. Starting to relax now and enjoy life as I get older. I laugh at Addams Family every time he screams "who says you can't take it with you" I yell back "me" as in, I say "you can't take it with you"

#93 2 years ago
Quoted from JohnTTwo:

If you consider a construction worker a big baller guilty as charged

If that is the case then I genuinely owe you an apology. You must make good money though as you have a lot of expensive hobbies.

#94 2 years ago
Quoted from zr11990:

If that is the case then I genuinely owe you an apology. You must make good money though as you have a lot of expensive hobbies.

Being poor as child has taught me many valuable lessons in life about money. I would not buy my first home til I had 50%, no debt ever, no over spending, before this no debt Dave Ramsey craze, I was living that life. Still remember my buddy laughing at my toy truck, Ford Ranger, same guy with no retirement savings today. I am not a cheapskate but extremely frugal, and if we ever meet there is a 99% chance the pants I have on will be from Goodwill. Apology accepted, it is tough on line to know a person or their intent, I am a terrible writer who has over come dyslexia (computer help) so usually it is on me when a person gets a wrong read on me from my posts, my apologies for my poor grammer skill (e on purpose). Have a great day! John

#95 2 years ago
Quoted from JohnTTwo:

Being poor as child has taught me many valuable lessons in life about money. I would not buy my first home til I had 50%, no debt ever, no over spending, before this no debt Dave Ramsey craze, I was living that life. Still remember my buddy laughing at my toy truck, Ford Ranger, same guy with no retirement savings today. I am not a cheapskate but extremely frugal, and if we ever meet there is a 99% chance the pants I have on will be from Goodwill. Apology accepted, it is tough on line to know a person or their intent, I am a terrible writer who has over come dyslexia (computer help) so usually it is on me when a person gets a wrong read on me from my posts, my apologies for my poor grammer skill (e on purpose). Have a great day! John

My bad. You seem like the total opposite of what I read into the first post. Nice meeting you and again my apologies.

#96 2 years ago
Quoted from JohnTTwo:

Sorry my point was with pinball the annual cost is not there, heck most guys on this site if they sold out would have a positive gain "from their hobbie" That was the point I was trying to make. Other hobbies cost money that is out the window. Pinball gives back when selling and gives back more in a lot of cases.

I’ve tracked everything in a spreadsheet since I started collecting in 1998. I’ve sold 39 games over 20 years, and I’m down $2300 total. I would be up overall, if not for the notion I carried for 10 years that you don’t sell a game for a profit. I got over that. So anyway, I agree that we’re lucky in that respect. The biggest investment for me is time. I’ve put over 80 hours into some games; you never get that back, it’s sub-minimum-wage work. The dividend is satisfaction.

I regret that I never got a CARGP number, as I was and still am a Cheap-Ass RGP Bastard.

#97 2 years ago

Actual cheap hobbies...

Darts - A top of the line bristle board and set of steel tip darts will cost you $250 at the most. It's free to use, and requires practically zero maintenance. It's social and pretty much anyone can play. I consider it to be the first thing anyone should add to their game room, even before pinball!

Board games (tabletop gaming) - I got into these in the last few years. There's something out there for everyone. The games themselves normally run about 60, but hold their value pretty well. I brought in more games than I need to try and find some staples, and I'll probably sell those others.

Video games - Think about the cost of a system and the amount of utility it offers over its useful life. It's really one of my biggest bang/buck hobbies. If you really want to make it a budget hobby, consider going back one generation and experiencing that huge catalog of games.

Pool - You can get a solid pool cue for less than $200, anything higher and you're typically paying for fancy inlays etc. Sure, there are some high end shafts that can run a bit of money (up to 500), but I don't think those are necessary for a hobbyist. You can rent a table by the hour at a lot of pool halls, or pay per game at a bar. Even a home table isn't all that expensive. If you're patient you can probably find a quality table anywhere from free to a thousand or so. Pay to have someone move it and set it up, and you can spend less than 2k on something that will last you a lifetime and again, require practically no maintenance. Not to mention the pool table itself offers a lot of utility as a work surface (wrapping presents, food for parties, shopping a pin, poker, etc)

Programming - I've been learning python here and there. I find it rewarding and challenging to plug away at my own programs - basically a puzzle for which there's no one answer. The PC requirements are minimal, so I'd consider this one to be practically free.

Education - There's a multitude of resources available for free... khan academy, mit.edu, etc etc. You can pick up any topic of interest and learn as much about it as you can possibly stand. If you enjoy learning, consider free resources first, and then dive into paid materials if you feel it would be beneficial. I obtained a degree from a traditional 4 year university, and I'll admit that I could have accumulated about as much useful knowledge for free.

Golf - It certainly has a reputation of being expensive, but there are a lot of cheap ways to enjoy the hobby. Buy a solid set of used clubs and they'll last you as long as you want them to (regrip every few years as needed). Buy cheap balls and focus on using one ball/round. Take advantage of twilight rates or loyalty memberships. Walk instead of ride (great exercise!).

Sim racing/flying - OK.. maybe not exactly cheap, but as an alternative to REAL racing, you're saving a ton of money. It's one of those hobbies you can sort of ease into. If you already have a gaming PC, your cost of entry could be as low as a few hundred dollars. Building out my rig has been a hobby in itself.

Fishing - The cost of good equipment and a fishing license every year and you're good to go. I sold my canoe a few years ago, so I'm not really bass hunting as much anymore, but shore fishing has been nearly as much fun. I love just hiking around lakes and tossing a line. I used to have several setups at the ready, now I just focus on a simplistic and easy to carry setup for maximum mobility.

Hiking - Some good footwear is really all you need to get started.

R/C - I used to be into this a long time ago and things have really changed. The same companies are still putting out products, and the prices don't seem astronomical to me. There are budget spaces in this, too. The mini R/C stuff is pretty intriguing to me. I personally have some Micro R/C and was running them in my garage with temporary 1/2" pvc tracks. It was loads of fun, and both vehicles and all the materials cost me less than 200.

#98 2 years ago

I've bought 670 pinball machines over the last 24 1/2 years of collecting and only kept 80 something. Like so many others here the rest of the games were fixed up and resold to make a dollar. By doing so I've more then paid for my keeper collection nine years ago so it's only cost me my time which I was happy doing it anyways. I certainly wouldn't call pinball a cheap hobby and I feel sorry for the guys that have only now gotten into it as the prices are through the roof even for junker games, but if done right it can pay for itself eventually. This hobby has brought on a lot of fun and great times with so many others that I never would have meet any other way and you can't put a price on that. I hope to continue doing it for many more years.

John

#99 2 years ago
Quoted from Deaconblooze:

Actual cheap hobbies...
Darts - A top of the line bristle board and set of steel tip darts will cost you $250 at the most. It's free to use, and requires practically zero maintenance. It's social and pretty much anyone can play. I consider it to be the first thing anyone should add to their game room, even before pinball!
Board games (tabletop gaming) - I got into these in the last few years. There's something out there for everyone. The games themselves normally run about 60, but hold their value pretty well. I brought in more games than I need to try and find some staples, and I'll probably sell those others.
Video games - Think about the cost of a system and the amount of utility it offers over its useful life. It's really one of my biggest bang/buck hobbies. If you really want to make it a budget hobby, consider going back one generation and experiencing that huge catalog of games.
Pool - You can get a solid pool cue for less than $200, anything higher and you're typically paying for fancy inlays etc. Sure, there are some high end shafts that can run a bit of money (up to 500), but I don't think those are necessary for a hobbyist. You can rent a table by the hour at a lot of pool halls, or pay per game at a bar. Even a home table isn't all that expensive. If you're patient you can probably find a quality table anywhere from free to a thousand or so. Pay to have someone move it and set it up, and you can spend less than 2k on something that will last you a lifetime and again, require practically no maintenance. Not to mention the pool table itself offers a lot of utility as a work surface (wrapping presents, food for parties, shopping a pin, poker, etc)
Programming - I've been learning python here and there. I find it rewarding and challenging to plug away at my own programs - basically a puzzle for which there's no one answer. The PC requirements are minimal, so I'd consider this one to be practically free.
Education - There's a multitude of resources available for free... khan academy, mit.edu, etc etc. You can pick up any topic of interest and learn as much about it as you can possibly stand. If you enjoy learning, consider free resources first, and then dive into paid materials if you feel it would be beneficial. I obtained a degree from a traditional 4 year university, and I'll admit that I could have accumulated about as much useful knowledge for free.
Golf - It certainly has a reputation of being expensive, but there are a lot of cheap ways to enjoy the hobby. Buy a solid set of used clubs and they'll last you as long as you want them to (regrip every few years as needed). Buy cheap balls and focus on using one ball/round. Take advantage of twilight rates or loyalty memberships. Walk instead of ride (great exercise!).
Sim racing/flying - OK.. maybe not exactly cheap, but as an alternative to REAL racing, you're saving a ton of money. It's one of those hobbies you can sort of ease into. If you already have a gaming PC, your cost of entry could be as low as a few hundred dollars. Building out my rig has been a hobby in itself.
Fishing - The cost of good equipment and a fishing license every year and you're good to go. I sold my canoe a few years ago, so I'm not really bass hunting as much anymore, but shore fishing has been nearly as much fun. I love just hiking around lakes and tossing a line. I used to have several setups at the ready, now I just focus on a simplistic and easy to carry setup for maximum mobility.
Hiking - Some good footwear is really all you need to get started.
R/C - I used to be into this a long time ago and things have really changed. The same companies are still putting out products, and the prices don't seem astronomical to me. There are budget spaces in this, too. The mini R/C stuff is pretty intriguing to me. I personally have some Micro R/C and was running them in my garage with temporary 1/2" pvc tracks. It was loads of fun, and both vehicles and all the materials cost me less than 200.

I’m w you on this 1. Darts are fun and cheap. The flights/shafts can be had at a reasonable price. I use to play a lot of golf when I was younger, but not to many courses where the green fees were over 40/round. Nowadays, I’m happy playing an executive course, or even a par 3 while enjoying a few beers. Playing cards is a very cheap thing to do too.. hearts, rummy, blackjack..red dog/between the sheets and presidents n assholes, cards against humanity w drinks is always fun

#100 2 years ago

Definitely looking to restart some poker nights with friends that have been dormant for years after all this.

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