Marina | February 27, 2014 | DIY |

cfEver find yourself bored at home with absolutely nothing to do? Yeah, we all go through that every now and then. Being bored is normal but that doesn’t mean you should just sit there and do absolutely nothing until it’s time for your usual routine. In between your everyday tasks and during days off school or work, you get a lot of time to indulge in hobbies. A lot of people choose to stay bored because they think taking up a hobby is just too much work and needs a lot of funds. Here are 10 inexpensive hobbies that you can indulge in without breaking the bank.

• Reading – if you’re on a really tight budget but would still like to take up a hobby, reading is by far the most entertaining and cheapest one you can count on. You don’t need to spend money to get yourself some reading materials. There are lots of good books out there that you can buy used but still in very good condition and these are priced anywhere from 50% to 80% off compared to brand new ones. If you’re lucky, you’ll even find the latest books in some surplus bookstores. You can also get reading materials free by borrowing them from public libraries. Contrary to popular belief, libraries don’t only contain academic reading materials. They have all sorts of books, magazines and comics in there too!

• Gardening – not everyone has a green thumb to grow a beautiful lush garden but don’t let that stop you from trying. Buy a few seeds (which don’t cost much) and plant them in your backyard to see if you have a ‘green thumb’. Living in a high rise building? You can always get planters and leave them by the window to grow your plants. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, at least you can always say you tried.

• Baking – this is a really fun hobby that’s not only inexpensive but could get you earning some cash, too! They say baking is a science but that doesn’t mean you have to take baking courses to get started. To be honest with you, I learned to bake just by watching other people bake on TV and on YouTube when I was about 14. You can also try following recipes from a recipe book. The great thing about cooking is that you only need to learn how to measure and follow instructions to the T. If you can do that, you can search for recipes online and start baking whatever you fancy.

• Scrapbooking – if you’re someone who like to create and hold on to memories, you should definitely try scrapbooking. It’s not only an inexpensive hobby to take, it’s a great way to reminisce too and a lot of people who are into it actually find it therapeutic. Just print out your favorite pictures, rummage around the house for things that you can use for decoration and start immortalizing your memories in a beautiful book.

• Doodle and draw – another hobby that can pay off is drawing or doodling. If you have a hand for drawing things, why not take the time and draw whatever it is that your imagination brings you? All you need is a piece of paper and some pencils and you’re off to Doodleland.