After a long, tough day/week at work, one needs to unwind. But do you need to spend money for that? Most people do. However, there are ways you can save that money you'd have spent buying beers, traveling out of town, etc. Ever thought of acquiring a new hobby that would eventually help you save money. Maybe you should. A few suggestions: 1) Learn to cook. Try new, cheap[er] recipes. 2) If you have some space, start gardening. Will give you all the exercise you need and save you lots of money on vegetables. 3) Learn how to repair your car. 4) Be a photographer. People make thousands selling their photos online. 5) Start blogging.
6) exercise free or cheap with things like walking, cycling, and natural movements 7) find a ride-share to work to save on gas 8) learn to do basic household maintenance. 9) if you own a dog breed with fur that needs a high amount of grooming, learn to groom. Then let others pay you to do their dogs too. (I want to do this. my groomer earns a small fortune from me each year because I haven't figured out how to blowdry and cut my own poodle; I can bathe him if he's short but not if he's long enough to need drying)
A hobby that I like that I think can actually save you a lot of money in the long run is learning how to sew. A lot of my family members know how to sew and they are I so handy when it comes to not only making clothes from scratch but also altering them such as shortening pant lengths and maybe decreasing the waist size a bit which would cost about $7 per item at an altering shop. Also it's great for whine you just need some minor fixes which also cost a good amount when having it done at professional tailors.
I don't think it's money saving hobbies that will change much in one's spending ways, it's one's understanding and discipline in money management skills that is require! Most people were never taught money managing, including me, and this is why so many people remain broke or spend frivolously on things that don't help them beyond short durations of gratification. I have learned to manage my money far better now, because I decided to take a "hobby" into reading money managing systems and practiced it. Some simple accounting books or courses, can make a huge difference in one's managing affair with their money.
My hobbies are writing, reading and knitting, these days. None of them are very useful at "saving money", but knitting does permit me to make small or large knitting gifts to people, which as far as I'm concerned is a nice way to show love as gifts-- does not need to be terribly expensive, and it shows some time and appreciation invested. I do consider that hobbies that teach you skills are investments. Learning languages, programming, handyman work, etc, they might not be getting you a job right away, but in the future they might help!
Hobbies are vital part of our lives. They renew us and make us inspired again. Most, they help us not to be burnt out, so it's indispensable that we have one to maintain. It doesn't have to be expensive, but you have to be creative in finding the one that fits to your budget. As for me, I really like doing exercises. I don't go to the gym. Instead I jog and watch Youtube and watch myself in the mirror while I am executing the movements that I do to make sure that I am the movements that I've watched right. I do them alone! If I think that I am not able to do them right, no matter how much I have practiced already, that's the time that I seek for professional advice. But as long as I am able to get it right myself, I avoid shelling out money.
