What Are Some Affordable and Mentally Stimulating Hobbies?

[Physics is Phun]

learn how to juggle. it'll only take a week to get the basics, work on it for several months and you will be very good. It's a skill that you will never forget, and something you can use to impress people on a regular basis.
It's also good if you just sitting there and bored, you only need 3 things

 

[pace]

but by far in a way the best fun was to play out roles that weren't consistent with your own life, if you like drama or acting then you know already what I'm talking about.

but by far the most fun was to be had in realising consequences for stupidity. Such as trying to jump a chasm that no human had ever jumped just because you could do it on a roll of 1 on a D100; imagination without frontiers was great, but some reality had to insert itself somewhere, I remember a game(Middle Earth role playing game in fact)etc.

Yes, I think you make a very important point. I also think that you maybe learn most from playing characters like that, and trying out things. The existiential part.
It goes with that we always has to push that button don't we, even if we really know we shouldn't. I like to think of it as: humanity often has to learn in extremes. Sadly. I think both individually and socially.

I'm probably overextending the idea now but just for fun:
Socially, 19th century'ish:
No it's not good being a racist or an extreme nationalist, history teaches us that much, and do you really believe it?? But so many others are, and it's so tempting? Life is history, or something, yes! We have to see where this takes us... Ok... 2nd world war. It's bad. Wise now. Gazillion people people dies horribly. Just curious. Sorry.

20th century:
We really should help a country as Rwanda when 800.000 people are being slaughtered at high speed, it goes with all human sense, dignity and whatsoever. But it's.. not quite uh politically correct yet, yes that's it. 20 years later: Ahhhhhhh! Yes. We SHOULD have helped Rwanda!
THEY SHOULD HAVE PLAYED ROLEPLAYING GAMES! *goes prophetical*

 

[larkspur]

Do you have any interest in rocks? Arizona is supposed to be a great place to find interesting rocks or geodes. If you collect several interesting rocks you can polish them and then make jewelry. I personally would love to find a good geode bed around here.
If you are interested here is a website of some good places in Arizona to hunt geodes.
http://www.greatsouth.net/payson.html

 

[FredGarvin]

cyrusabdollahi,

What kinda bike do you ride?

- Warren

Cyrus' bike
http://www.retropedalcars.com/images/Marx-Big-Wheel.jpg

 

[Cyrus]

cyrusabdollahi,

What kinda bike do you ride?

- Warren

I have a Performance bike (a cheap roadbike, but gets the job done), and a 1978 Raleigh Compeition GS with all campy parts in mint condition :!) I bought it for only $500.00 what a steal!

http://retroraleighs.com/1978CompGS-full.jpg

Screw you garvin.

 

[berkeman]

Hey chroot, do you ride MTB, or just road bike? If you like to ride MTB, maybe we could get together some weekend for a morning ride at Coyote Hills on my side of the Bay, or I could come over if you have a favorite trail on your side.

 

[Gale]

learn how to juggle. it'll only take a week to get the basics, work on it for several months and you will be very good. It's a skill that you will never forget, and something you can use to impress people on a regular basis.
It's also good if you just sitting there and bored, you only need 3 things

i actually learned to juggle when i did south pacific in high school. there was so many sailor hats lying around.. i picked them up and just learned. i learned balloon animals too.. i was trying for unicycle, but alas i wasn't meant to be a clown.

wolram, i think that's what i'll probably end up doing. the biggest problem i have though is my age. despite my child care experience, 18 is still really young. actually my age is a big problem for a lot of things... i can't even get some jobs because I'm too young.. arg..

anyway, i think i'd like to build houses as a hobby, that sounds fun. or dance lessons, but i think that's expensive. oh, i was thinking of peddling on the street, anyone ever done that before? i could play guitar, or I'm very crafty and i can make bracelets and sell them... eh?

 

[chroot]

Hey berkeman,

Thanks for the offer! Unfortunately I'm not big into mountain biking, because I would prefer to keep all my OEM teeth. I'm more a road-bike type. :sad:

- Warren

 

[Astronuc]

Cyrus' bike
http://www.retropedalcars.com/images/Marx-Big-Wheel.jpg

[/URL] Trike that is. Keep that Big Wheel rollin'.

I can hear Tina now!

Good one, Fred! How's Cyrus going to top this?

I used to build Raleigh's and other tour/racing bikes at a bike shop - about 35 years ago. I did a lot of repair work as well.

Dang it, someone beat me to it!

I was concurring with and seconding choot's comment about learning astronomy.

 

[GeoMike]

anyway, i was actually really thinking about rock climbing. i loved the wall at camp, but i heard it was pretty expensive to do on your own.

If you stick to indoor climbing most rock gyms have gear you can use/rent (so you don't have to purchase all of your own). Gym fees/memberships are pretty reasonable, usually no worse than a regular gym, and some have regular gym equipment too -- so you can kill two birds with one stone.

Even outdoor climbing is pretty cheap early on since most beginning climbs are fixed protection routes that require little gear. And bouldering is about as cheap as it gets -- just find an old mattress . Making the transition to traditional climbing later on is where it gets expensive because you have to put together a comprehnsive rack, but it isn't necessary to make this transition and it won't be for some time anyway.

The most expensive thing is instruction. There are a number of good books on rock climbing (which are nice to bring on bouldering trips), but there is absolutely no substitute from hands-on learning with an instructor.
-GeoMike-

 

[wolram]

Gale selling stuff on the street is risky, to do any good you have to be where lots off people pass by, and there is all ways some one ready to rob you. do you have (party plans) in the US? a load off people come to your place or one of thiers to view and buy stuff.

 

[wolram]

Gale, if you think building houses is fun and you like kids, why not start building (play houses) wood (lumber) is quite cheap, once you have built one
the skills needed will become obvious, and tools to make the construction ecconomical should be quite cheap, just think every one who has kids will want a Gale house

 

[Gale]

Gale, if you think building houses is fun and you like kids, why not start building (play houses) wood (lumber) is quite cheap, once you have built one
the skills needed will become obvious, and tools to make the construction ecconomical should be quite cheap, just think every one who has kids will want a Gale house

well I've never built a house before, and my wood working skills aren't really much. but that actually sounds like a lot of fun. i used to make the sweetest barbie houses when i was a kid. man i was awesome...

i suppose i'd need to decide what sort of dolls to make it for. and i'd probably need a few tools too. hmm. I'm kinda excited. thanks wolram! that's a really neat idea.

 

[larkspur]

well I've never built a house before, and my wood working skills aren't really much. but that actually sounds like a lot of fun. i used to make the sweetest barbie houses when i was a kid. man i was awesome...

i suppose i'd need to decide what sort of dolls to make it for. and i'd probably need a few tools too. hmm. I'm kinda excited. thanks wolram! that's a really neat idea.

Does Habitat for Humanity build houses near you? You could volunteer.

 

[daniel_i_l]

Programming!
This is a fun, creative and very time consuming (I could easily program 10 hours straight if I didn't know it was bad for me). You could make all sorts of programs depending on your interests like physics simulations, cool graphics, "funny stuff", usefull stuff, games... and nowdays with all the tutorials on the web its pretty easy to learn (although nothings better than a good book).

 

[Gale]

so I've had an idea. i have to go grocery shopping today, and i think i decided I'm going to try my hand at candy making. I've already done a batch of rock candy, but that'll take ages, so I'm thinking of making taffy, lollipops or caramels. i found a cool site already. so it looks fun.

anyone made candy before? any tips or pointers? I'm thinking its a good hobby to have because some day i'd like to open a candy shop, like in willy wonka, and i'll have kids come by after school, and we'll sing and dance on the counters and it will be a jolly ole time!

 

[wolram]

so I've had an idea. i have to go grocery shopping today, and i think i decided I'm going to try my hand at candy making. I've already done a batch of rock candy, but that'll take ages, so I'm thinking of making taffy, lollipops or caramels. i found a cool site already. so it looks fun.

anyone made candy before? any tips or pointers? I'm thinking its a good hobby to have because some day i'd like to open a candy shop, like in willy wonka, and i'll have kids come by after school, and we'll sing and dance on the counters and it will be a jolly ole time!

Oh, traitor, candy is just so bad for kids but if it makes you and them happy what the hey.

 

[star.torturer]

my mo made an atempt at cinder toffee (may be named differently in the US of A) it didnt come out right, it always had a metalic aftertaste, from the bakein soda

 

[slugcountry]

8-ball is a lot of fun =)

 

[turbo]

This isn't a hobby per se, but if you want to kill time productively, you can deliver meals to shut-ins (meals on wheels), you can volunteer at a local soup kitchen or charity pantry, or maybe offer to be a mentor to a child that needs adult guidance and companionship (Big Brother, Big Sister). You will do nice productive things and you will help improve the lives of others, which will make you feel good about yourself. The Salvation Army can use all the free help it can get, and they are heads and shoulders above the Red Cross when helping people get through hard times. They are my favorite charity.

 

[Chi Meson]

I have a Performance bike (a cheap roadbike, but gets the job done), and a 1978 Raleigh Compeition GS with all campy parts in mint condition :!) I bought it for only $500.00 what a steal!

http://retroraleighs.com/1978CompGS-full.jpg

Can I do my "mint" joke again?

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

8-ball is a lot of fun =)

Indeed 9 ball is too, but frankly it isn't always a hobby, in this country it's illegal to bet on it but I've seen people gambelling hundeds of pounds on a single game. Played for fun it's a hobby, I do happen to be better than anyone I play with though generally, ah well being gifted is tough And I've also scammed someone who was trying to hussle me, he played bad for a few quid, then uped the anti, I said na I'm fine and then pocketed the few quid and left, a few games later he'd suckered someone else into losing all their money. Go careful out there. There is always someone who just is better than you, by far. I remember one of my pool team coming into the pub while I was on the table, he said, OK I'll play you loser buys a pint, I immediately said fine, what you drinking, he laughed, we let it go, and I bought him a pint after the game, but then he played for the county and was incredible.

 

[turbo]

For a time, my 2nd cousin and I would meet at a local Hotel/bar/tavern and play pool after I got off work on the 2nd shift (3-11). The people who had been holding the pool table all night were off their games, and when we showed up, we dominated. We generally played for beers, and one night, we agreed to not drink any of them until we lost a game. We filled several table-tops with beers that we won, and eventually gave up the table to the people that we thought played the best. We drank the cold beers (the least-tepid ones, in some instances), gave away the warmer ones, and went home. When I lived in Bangor, my nearest neighbor and I could hold a table for hours in a local bar until a group of older (50-60) guys showed up. They could (and did) kick our butts.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

For a time, my 2nd cousin and I would meet at a local Hotel/bar/tavern and play pool after I got of work on the 2nd shift (3-11). The people who had been holding the pool table all night were off their games, and when we showed up, we dominated. We generally played for beers, and one night, we agreed to not drink any of them until we lost a game. We filled several table-tops with beers that we won, and eventually gave up the table to the people that we thought played the best. We drank the cold beers (the least-tepid ones, in some instances), gave away the warmer ones, and went home. When I lived in Bangor, my nearest neighbor and I could hold a table for hours in a local bar until a group of older (50-60) guys showed up. They could (and did) kick our butts.

That's a great story Bangor Maine right?(US not Wales) I think you always instinctively know when someone is better than you at pool, it's the body language that gives it away as you're playing shots, they can hussle all they want, but the way they hold the cue, the way they go down for a shot, and the way they talk about the game is just a dead give away, I can spot it a mile off, and can honestly say I've never been hussled. Even by an 8 year old kid, now you'd think I'd be confident, but that little weiner played next to us after he tried to hussle us and was just incredible. I thank god my instinct kicked in and we refused, although my mates wanted to teach the young upstart a lesson.

 

[turbo]

That's a great story Bangor Maine right?(US not Wales) I think you always instinctively know when someone is better than you at pool, it's the body language that gives it away as you're playing shots, they can hussle all they want, but the way they hold the cue, the way they go down for a shot, and the way they talk about the game is just a dead give away, I can spot it a mile off, and can honestly say I've never been hussled. Even by an 8 year old kid, now you'd think I'd be confident, but that little weiner played next to us after he tried to hussle us and was just incredible. I thank god my instinct kicked in and we refused, although my mates wanted to teach the young upstart a lesson.

Yep, Bangor Maine. After the older crew would come in and beat the pants off us, we would head down to Wally's Spa and play for another hour or two. A real dive. We learned to be careful there, too. There was one guy in particular that always seemed a little drunker than you might expect, but he brightened right up when it was time to make the "money shot". Luckily, we saw him do this to someone else before we made the rotation to the table.

 

[eveseh]

watch movies,listending to music
play games,chat
write songs,haha