The chill of the winter months can bring a restlessness associated with the need to stay indoors. Warmer places in the United States, such as Southern California, Florida and Hawaii, don’t require a drastic change to regular activities in the winter, while colder regions, like the Midwest and Northeast, necessitate cozy hobbies to prevent cabin fever.
If you have financial New Year’s resolutions to tackle your budget, eliminate debt or start building a sizable savings, the last thing you need going into 2015 is a pricey new hobby to preoccupy your time. Luckily, there are plenty of free and cheap activities you can pursue while seeking sanctuary from freezing temperatures.
1. Painting
Painting — and drawing in general — can be an excellent winter hobby. Not everyone is artistic, but the beauty of art is that it’s subjective and open to interpretation (although art critics and instructors might say otherwise).
With the holidays quickly approaching, purchasing some canvasses and painting them can make unique, personalized gifts. For around $60, you can buy a six pack of 24-inch by 36-inch stretched canvasses, and make six paintings for friends and family. Whether it’s an elaborate work of art or a simple image you paint, the gesture will go far and look better than gifting a $10 gift card.
2. Writing and Reading
These are two of the most classic pastimes. Writing — from maintaining a personal diary to crafting a novel for millions to read — can provide a release for your creative side and help you tackle your thoughts. Although National Novel Writing Month just passed in November, the colder months can be an excellent time to exercise your brain in front of a comfortable fire or, at least, in a heated room.
The Internet has made it even easier to grow an audience and share your opinions, thoughts and commentary in the form of blogs. WordPress is an easy-to-use interface for a free blog or business site, though obtaining your own domain and additional design requires spending some cash. Writers can even get around the competitiveness of traditional publishing by self-publishing through sites like Amazon.
On the flip side, reading can make you a more well-rounded person, as it can introduce you to new concepts and perspectives, and help abate the gloom that winter usually brings. As the term “armchair travel” implies, reading can transport you to a world of new landscapes, from the fantastical to the futuristic — and even warmer climates. Try some travel reads about tropical locales if the snow becomes insufferable.
3. Dancing
Dance classes can rack up a hefty bill, but community centers often provide dance lessons for residents to partake in at little to no cost. These classes can provide an outlet when outdoor sports are out of the question, as well as an opportunity to meet other people in your city. There’s no better way to keep your muscles warm than to dance or partake in an indoor sport during the winter months.
4. Cooking
The holidays might be the perfect excuse for you to learn new dishes or become more comfortable in the kitchen. Cooking is a great pastime that might cost a bit upfront to stock your kitchen but can lead to better costs per serving on your meals than dining out.
Buy a cookbook, select some seasonal dishes and visit your local grocery store to get started. Cooking is an impressive skill that can help you take control of the portions and quality of the foods you eat. Not every dish will turn out great at first, especially for the novice cook, but with time this skill could help you stretch your grocery budget and lead a more healthy life.
5. TED Talks
In the same vein as reading, TED talks can expand your world view and teach you about new concepts. Featuring thought leaders, professors, philosophers and entrepreneurs, among others, TED talks span from social issues to scientific quandaries. Feeling anxious about a hard decision in your life? There’s a TED talk for that. Fascinated about the notion of an expanding universe? A six-minute video can elaborate on that topic for free.
Just visit Ted.com for new talks released daily and playlists of talks that dive into thematic concepts. Who knows, these might inspire your next novel or blog entry.
6. Volunteering
The holiday season is synonymous with giving, making volunteering in your community an excellent way to stay busy and support those in need. Some volunteering projects might require outdoor exposure, like street cleaning projects and providing care packages for the homeless; however, the coldest months are when it’s crucial to have an abundance of volunteers to meet the needs of those less fortunate. Volunteering at a soup kitchen, a toy drive or homeless shelter will provide others with the support they need, especially during this time of year.
Don’t know where to start? Visit VolunteerMatch.org where you can search local nonprofits focused on the issues you care about.
7. Pottery
Pottery studios and community centers often offer this hands-on activity at a relatively low cost. Ceramics can be a creative outlet with the benefit of utility, as you can use your craft to create vases, pots and bowls for yourself or gifts for family and friends. Because these workshops are often in large studios with others, like dance classes, this creative outlet can help you meet others and feel closer to your community.
8. Geocaching
Ever read a mystery novel and long to trace your steps through a city to find clues and solve a mystery? Then geocaching might be right up your alley. Although perhaps not wise if you live somewhere with treacherous winter conditions, geocaching can be a fun hobby when you need to get out of the house.
Simply download the free Geocaching app (available on the Apple Store, Google Play and Windows Phone Store), choose a nearby geocache, travel to it and log your experience in the logbook. It’s essentially a treasure hunt created for you with 2 million geocaches scattered around the world. Bring out your inner child and explore your city, especially on the few warmer days between snowfalls.
9. Brain Training
If you can’t exercise your body as easily in the winter, you can always exercise your mind. Rather than binging on the newest Netflix original series or catching up on some junk food television, strengthen your brain through free education websites like Khan Academy and games inspired by neuroscience like those offered by Lumosity. While Khan Academy can help you brush up on concepts you’ve forgotten since the end of your formal education — like basic algebra and calculus — Lumosity can strengthen your memory, attention, problem-solving and multitasking skills, among other brain functions. These games will do more for your mind than another round of Angry Birds or Candy Crush Saga.
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9 Cheap Hobbies for Restless Winter Months originally appeared on usnews.com
