We all have those fidgety days, y’all. Those days where you just need to be a busy bee, but the laundry’s done, the dishes are washed, and the kids are staring at their screens. That’s when a hobby can be your friend. You don’t have to be especially “crafty,” and you don’t have to spend a lot of money. And that’s great, because I don’t recall a time when I had a lot of money to spend! There are so many fantastic hobbies for frugal people to try. Some of them can actually save you money, and if you’re the entrepreneurial type, some can make you money. Here are a few that sound good to me:
Sewing
I’m of the opinion that no Mom should send their adult children out into the world without teaching them how to hem a pair of pants or sew on a button. If you learn to sew, you can stitch up some quilts, new pillow covers for the couch, or even an entire outfit for yourself. Machines can be pricey, but you can get a basic model that will do what you need for under $200. You could also get a refurbished older model, or a mini-model for just the basics.
Gardening
In 2020, lots of people who have never watered a houseplant before have taken to vegetable gardening. There’s something really rewarding about growing your own food. You know where it came from, what kind of soil grew in, and what kinds of critters like to steal it. That’s an education in backyard ecology all by itself. Done right, with raised beds and a fence to keep the thieving critters out, you can get a season’s worth of veggies from a two-dollar pack of seeds.
Simple Upholstery
When the day comes that you just can’t stand looking at your grandma’s old dining room chairs anymore, grab a staple gun, and reupholster them. Mix and match fabrics just for fun (and now that you’re sewing, you’ll have plenty of scraps around), and add inexpensive new foam cushions to soften them up a bit. If they’re really old, you may be surprised by what you find under the old fabric. When I did my Grammie’s old pink wicker chair, the seat board was padded with horsehair. That was interesting, but also kind of gross. Be prepared!
There are plenty of things you can take up to keep yourself busy, y’all. Make sure you check out these hobbies for frugal people to try.
