Spend Time, Not Money: Cheap Hobbies for Students

Spend Time, Not Money: Cheap Hobbies for Students

Student Life

You’ve got one life to live so we want you to have plenty of inexpensive options. Not everything has to drain your bank account, there are endless legions of things you could do with your time that will enrich you and this world and won’t cost much if anything. For example…

1 – Body Sculpting

If you’re a college student, a part of your tuition pays for a nice well-equipped (hopefully) gym somewhere, usually near the stadiums and locker rooms. Now, once you’ve found it you should know that Body Sculpting isn’t just “working out” like everybody thinks.

It takes time, effort, discipline and hard work to REALLY sculpt your body into something brag-worthy. But what a way to spend time! And hey, even if you aren’t into the gym scene, you can sculpt through pure body weight training and nutrition. However, it should be noted that if you opt to put on tons of extra muscle (vs. just sculpting what you were born with) this is going to cost a fair amount of money!

2 – Outdoor Fitness

Sure, there’s probably hiking and jogging and walking and so forth but what if you got into something a bit cooler? Like, there’s suspension rope training where you walk tight ropes low to the ground, say, between two trees. Or, how about outdoor obstacle courses or serious mountain biking (the kind that involves scary trails and requires you to wear protective gear)? There’s no end to the things you can do for free outside your dorm room. Tons of people like you have already created fun little outdoorsy groups and they’re yearning for more members!

3 – Podcasting

Why not create a Podcast? You can do that for free. All you gotta do is talk and minimize the amount of “dead air” on the channel and you’ve got the basic down. Who cares if anyone’s listening, because if you podcast regularly and consistently you WILL build some kind of audience (which you can then monetize for free as well) over time. If you want to be super-cool, have the topic revolve around your major, or your career goals. For example, focus on the industry you’re aiming at. But technically, you can podcast about ANYTHING.

4 – Twitch

If you’re going to game, why not set up a stream and do it with people around the world? You can set up your own stream channel, start broadcasting your gaming and even interact with viewers.
Did you know that tons of gamers now make their living through streaming on Twitch? Not a bad way to make your gaming hobby a bit more productive. Like podcasting, just remember it will take time to build a viewing audience.

5 – Volunteer!

If you already volunteer, thank you! If not, and it’s something you avoid because of whatever preconceived notions you harbor, try it out! What you’ll find is that volunteering is a proverbial good-karma-factory. And, it typically leads to new exciting opportunities as well, especially once you put your heart into it. It’s not always the “bleeding heart” stuff either. You could mentor someone, or teach people a skill you possess. You could even create your own way to give back to the community and make your environment a better place without spending a dime.

7 – Politics

Here’s a thought…get involved in local and state politics! And this goes for all college kids across the world: you’re sorely needed! The world needs more people to care about what politicians are doing and where the money and resources are going. Join a current events or politics-based discussion group and start from there. Plus, this type of stuff always looks good on a resume.

8 – Certifications

Hop online and take a gander at all the little certifications you can get for free. Some are funny, but some are actually quite interesting and handy. Just don’t go “cert-crazy” and start collecting certifications like stamps…it starts to look weird after about four or five. Then of course there’s all the ultra-cheap certifications that you can get for probably around $20-$40 and the same thing goes – don’t jump completely overboard. Stick with certifications that you can see yourself actually putting to good use.

9 – OpenSource Ed

If certifications aren’t up your alley and you would like something a bit more challenging, then head into the online OpenSource Education revolution and pick something spectacular! Think of it…imagine any subject, discipline or methodology…and you’re likely to find an OpenSource class, course, ebook, training manual, or something on it. Welcome to the 21st century!

So, now you know about some pretty cool options to put your time to use and keep yourself productive rather than lounging around wasting it. If all the listed hobbies are too boring for you, consider these weird hobbies. Perhaps you’ll find them more suitable for you!