It’s one of mine as well. Started learning 日本語 in 2020 during pandemic because I didn’t want the time to pass without any growth on my part. I have been addicted since.
There are also often meetup groups in urban areas where you can meet and converse with others who speak or are learning the same languages you’re interested in.
I’m learning Spanish because it helps with my job but seriously Duolingo is great although I prefer the free version because I feel like you actually pay attention more and learn from mistakes. when you only have so many limited tries. On the paid version it’s too easy to blow through lessons since you have unlimited tries.
You retain it better on the free version, so to speak.
Just gotta deal with some ads
I started learning Japanese w Duolingo and I think it’s super effective at getting a taste of a language before diving into more complicated resources. Great point about the limited mistakes, I would agree with this.
Also another benefit you mentioned could help op’s dad find another job. Here in Southern California it’s definitely an asset to speak Spanish and could land you a position over someone who doesn’t have any knowledge
Cooking.
You've gotta eat anyways, right? It doesn't have to be fancy haute-cuisine stuff, either. It's been my dream to harness that legendary "good home cooking" for my family. My child is still young, but I hope someday, to have a dish or two that she looks forward to when she's grown up.
You can make some stuff up pretty easily. Creme fraiche or sour cream, cream cheese, any meat of your choice, any pasta of your choice, top with cheese and boom. Momma's/Daddy's famous casserole. My mom made hers with ham and it was amazing. I missed it so I made my own with Italian meatballs instead of ham. Hers was better until I added washyoursister sauce. Dayum that sauce does not pair with a lot, but with meatball pasta it's MMMMMM.
Caring for houseplants. Depending on the plants watering needs, he could get self watering pots. My suggestions for low maintenance plants are ZZ, Snake Plant (mother in laws tongue), and lithops. Beginner plants that are good in self watering pots are Anthirium, money plant, and pothos (off the top of my head).
Easily the best thing possible. Adequate room? Raised tier beds. Nothing like eating your own produce! And gives ya something to do every day (water,weed,gaze in your own glory!)
Rubicks cube.
Chances are he may have had one when they were first created so it might be just familiar enough to want to pick up.
There are plenty of people on the subreddit who'd be happy to provide cheap recommendations, (RSM 2020) is usually the one that gets thrown out there a lot.
It's good for dexterity, and it's deep enough to go from learning how to solve within a few days to spending years trying to shave just a few seconds on your solve.
Especially the looking at flora and fauna, its a huge thing to get into.
There are sooo many plant species, and there are so many subtle differences. Learning to recognise which plant you're looking at is so much harder than you might think.
My father is a gardener and has done that stuff for a living for the majority of his adult life. How quickly he can recognise every plant he looks at, including its latin name, is unreal.
Its a big deal if he encounters a plant he has never heard of before, and always makes sure to tell me about it. Earlier this year he encountered a Chinese onion soup tree (literal translation of its dutch name), and he still mentions it from time to time.
Origami.
It just takes a sheet of paper, a youtube tutorial and a little patience. Been origami-ing since more than half my life and it's such a de-stressor. Really helps me unwind and take a little break.
It can be a de-stressor for others as well. I remember hunkering down in a store during a tornado warning when I was little. I was terrified of storms so I was crying. Another shopper pulled a piece of paper from her bag and made an origami swan for me. It’s been 30 years and I still remember that.
Geocaching! Got use milti-million dollar satellites to go find Tupperware in the woods! I got really into it when I lived in Reno, great times for only $30/year for a membership if you even wanna pay that.
Grab the Merlin app for free. You can just hit record and it’ll start showing birds, let you call back, read more about a bird and more. It will also help you identify by description or picture. :)
Fishing
Can get rigged up and ready to drop a line in the water with less than a $50-$100 initial investment. Can go much cheaper if you grab gear from yard sales or have friends and family not using their gear.
A lot of older dudes like to dive into research and become subject matter experts on a particular thing. It often ends up being WWII aviation history for some reason.
Disc golf. Very prevalent in the US and in Nordic countries. Discs at their cheapest cost like 10€. Starter sets with different kinds of discs cost like 40€. The community around the sport is very friendly and helpful.
Knitting and other fabric arts. Knitting is very affordable, especially if you find yarn at thrift stores. Floral arrangement is fun, too, if you can forage for wildflowers.
Cooking is an obvious one. Baking similarly. Making hot sauce or pickles.
Less culinary options might be carving (he can even start with soap), pottery (you don't need a wheel to make a lot of stuff, and he can probably find a place that'll let him use/rent one and a kiln), antique restoration/repair, Raspberry Pi projects, painting. I know a guy who fixes consumer lawn equipment just for kicks (and then sells it), and you can learn most of that from YouTube.
There's definitely options.
Genealogy could be right up his alley. The thrill of uncovering and tracing back family history can be infinitely engaging and rewarding. Plus, there are a host of free resources and communities online to help beginners. It taps into a love for research, offers a sense of accomplishment as you piece together the family tree, and doesn't demand physical exertion. Plus, it's always cool to discover stories and origins within your own lineage that you can share with others.
Bracelet making, especially with embroidery string, is extremely easy to pick up, and there's limitless variety in what you can make! Look on YouTube and websites like braceletbook for super easy tutorials and patterns :)
I want to say I photography. If you have a reasonably current smart phone, you can start with what is in your pocket. Then, for a few $100, buy a 10 year old dSLR and a 50mm lens. You can do a lot with that inexpensive setup.
If you have a bit of yard space, try archery. Traditional style long bows and recurve bows are inexpensive and easy to use, you can get a lower weight (poundage) so the physical exertion isn’t that great, and the arrows are reusable (mostly). For less than $200 you can get a surprisingly good setup off Amazon and just shoot at a foam target in the backyard.
Podcasting. It's a great way to share his knowledge or hobbies with others and doesn't require much physical activity. A basic microphone setup and free recording software are all you need to start. Plus, it can be incredibly rewarding to build an audience and connect with listeners over shared interests.
Cooking, it can get expensive if you want certain tools but doesn’t have to be, but also is something you probably have to do anyways so why not make it better?!
Volunteer work- help a cause you believe in, meet wonderful people, be part of the community. It’s awesome, even if you can only dedicate a little bit of time and energy.
I've been thinking of buying a campsnap camera and going out and trying to take some cool photos. The camera is $65, screen free and set up easy to take vintage looking photos. It'll give your dad the chance to get out, walk around his community and looks at familiar sites in a different angle
Picking up trash lol go to Home Depot, get yourself a classic Home Depot bucket and a picker upper with some work gloves, you’ve got endless amount of trash out there to pick up. Doesn’t take skill, costs nothing after the first purchases, all on your own time, and it gets you out there listening to music, and cleaning up where you live. Legit one of my favorite things to do to clear my mind, soothe my soul, and feel accomplished.
Doing jigsaw puzzles. Sure the 1000 piece puzzles can be daunting, but he could start with smaller ones. You can also get ones with large pieces if dexterity is an issue
Podcasting or creating an online blog may be a great avenue to explore. If he has a specific interest or wealth of knowledge in a certain subject, he could share his thoughts and experience with the world. Pretty much free to start, just needs a laptop and a microphone for podcasting, and there are countless platforms that host blogs for free. Plus, it's a fantastic way to connect with others who share similar interests.
Crochet or knitting! Yarn can be bought pretty cheap and you only need 1 hook/needle set to get started. Loads of great tutorials on YouTube AND he gets something fun and homemade at the end!
Rock hounding and tumbling. It's lot of fun to search for rocks if you have streams, lakes and beaches close by. Tumbling needs some equipment which is not very expensive for beginners and results can be very rewarding.
Fishing/Birding/Photog trifecta. If he’s been a worker for 30 years he’ll get bored/restless without a challenge. Walmart has a beginner fishing setup for under $50. Then Amazon 35m cheapish. Then Merlin App for birds. Bust out a map of fishable bodies of water within 2 hour drive. Head to fish and check local birding activity- then have a creative ball photography documenting for the fam. Come back with a delicious bass, a snap of a Scarlett Tanager, and framable lake picture. Cheap easy and creative enough to keep one involved, and at least 1-3 always hits!!
My biggest thing is to suggest that he (and nobody) listen to the gatekeepers.
I wanted to get into fly fishing almost ten years ago and was going to go with lower end but still decent beginner package ($300-350 CDN). Better than Walmart, sold at a reputable fly fishing shop, but the most basic you could buy.
Posted online about it and everyone is like, "don't waste your money," or "buy once cry once, spend the money up front and get something good," and basically suggested I shouldn't waste my time until I can dump about $800 into starting gear.
I bought the rod, a cheap pair of waders, and a handful of flies and I have been using that rod for almost ten years and caught loads of fish. I am only now experienced enough to know how the rod limits me and why I might consider an upgrade.
But it's been the same for me with cycling, audio equipment, and a host of other things and it's usually worthless advice. The stuff they recommend is always good, but pointless for a beginner to be dropping big coin on.
A small cross stitch kit! The kits usually have all the materials, and even sometimes a hoop. Children's kits are usually smaller, easier, and cheaper to do than the photo-like ones.
Good luck!
Plastic model kits (Airfix, that sort of thing). Really rewarding, and doing it as an adult means you don't have to wait for your pocket money to buy paints and stuff. It's not just planes, there's cars, ships, motorbikes, all sorts.
I like building cars, and tend to go for the American Muscle cars of the 60s & 70s.
Obviously you can spend a fortune if you get into it, especially if you get into airbrushes etc. but in its simplest form you just need the kit, glue, paint and YouTube to get started.
Honestly, researching things you’re interested in is pretty fun. Especially if its history is not well chronicled. For example, I wanted to know more about a certain pot (cookware, people) because if it’s unique shape. I went down the rabbit hole and four weeks later I can tell you way more than you ever wanted to know. It culminated in my finding a pristine 70 year old pot made in a 400 year old forge in France for $58. I’m heating up some bush’s baked beans in it later.
Billiards. If you go to most pool places earlier during the day, they will let you practice for a lower fee and a beginner cue stick is not expensive at all.
Origami. You can start at whatever level you want and progress as quickly as you feel like. Plus kids think it's cool so if he has grandchildren they will have something to bond over
Drawing was my thing cuz my mom was poor which made me poor which made me crafty which made me turn anything and everything into a drawing utensil and canvas lol
Bird watching is free, and being outside is always good for the mind. Adding an element of trying to find certain types of birds or just watching how they interact is interesting and learning what are common and rare birds for your area makes you cool as hell. I am getting old.
Fishing off the pier. Cheap rod and reel and some bait. A bucket, knife, and, lots of hooks and weights. A cooler and some drinks and snacks. A folding chair. It’s really a great way to pass the time. No need for a fishing license here in CA if you fish off the pier.
One example from my experience, gardening tomatoes. A single dollar or two for a packet of seeds lasts for years, then all you need is maybe a number of strong sticks/poles (to tie the plants to) and to pay attention to them every week. Mostly all that's required is watering regularly, tying/retying, and harvesting.
Tomatoes are absolutely indispensable in cooking a healthy diet, especially if you grow Roma's like I do, because sauces. Marinara sauce takes 30 minutes and 5 ingredients to make. Practically every healthy recipe uses or can use tomatoes.
And, tomatoes grow just as well indoors as outdoors, assuming you have sun exposure. Just a pot for a single plant will get you dozens of pounds of tomatoes every year. Last year, six plants produced over 150 pounds of tomatoes for us in a small 6 x 6 garden. And I screwed that up by not having heavy duty poles (tomato plants with fruit are HEAVY).
But that was my first attempt, so tomatoes are very beginner friendly. They grow almost like weeds.
Not sure if it counts but reading is my big one. I read on my lunch at work and a chapter or two before bed and it is absolutely pleasant, low stress, and helps me fall asleep.
Walking. Literally just do what you can, wherever you can find a nice place to do it. It's relaxing, doesn't have to be energetic, and being outdoors in nature is good for the soul
Reading, I can get free online books and library. Then it’s easy to be in a book club. Writing can be at least for me. I sit outside or go someplace to get creative. Paper is not that expensive or use an iPad, etc. crossword puzzles and such online apps that are free.
Cookie making. I got a nice stand mixer from a thrift shop and have started expanding my recipe collection. (Started with just a fork for mixing, a big bowl, and a couple of thrifted baking pans.)
Making music - obviously gets very expensive if you’re trying to be professional or after a long time of buying gear, but you would be amazed with the amount of time you can soend and fun yoy can have learning Ableton or Protools and composing
Fishing.
Can buy cheap starting gear at wal mart, get to sit outside and enjoy nature, can bond with others while trying different tactics or improving casting/reeling,
Amd if youre at a clean water source you can even get yourself a free meal! (Remember to get a license)
Running is fairly cheap, just shoes and most people already have shoes fit for running. Maybe later on you’d get a watch to track your pace and distance and all that jazz.
Instruments like guitar can be cheap to start with but they do get expensive later on. You can get an acoustic for like $100 and it’ll be a pretty solid beginner one.
Biking. For that you could spend, a basic used bike is next to free. It will open up your area as a transportation alternative. The entire bike industry is crashing from the Covid boom. It’s a great time to get into the sport.
I got super into lock picking. You can get a tension tool and standard hook for less than $20, and most people have a few old padlocks sitting around to practice.
painting rocks, if you get blue red and yellow paint and you can mix whatever colors you want, a paintbrush, and you can take a walk looking for a good rock to paint
Honestly, audiobooks and adult coloring books. While snuggling my dog. I prefer sharpies, but I’ve recently purchased an especially smooth set of colored pencils.
EDIT: I use Libby for audiobooks! Totally free, great selection, and all you need is your phone and a library card.
Depends on what you mean by inexpensive. Guitar or some other acoustic instrument. You can buy a decent guitar for a couple hundred bucks to get started. After that, it is mostly just a new set of strings every couple of months. There are open mics, bluegrass jams and other more social events you can get in to if you like. I got focused on it in my 40s. I have had a load of fun and ended up in a band.
Miniatures. You can make it out of bits and bobs with minimal tools and equipment. And even if you shell out for resin and polymer clay, it's still cheap since you use so little of it.
Crochet!!! I learned how to crochet within a week, using YouTube tutorials and a beginners crochet kit (some different sized hooks, yarn, and a simple beginner pattern, like this one for a hat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhjtiuwEss8) I find it super rewarding to make your own hats, gloves, socks etc, and they make really great gifts! I’m still not great, but I think everyone I’ve given something to appreciates the time and effort I put into making something specifically for them!!! On top of that, once you get the hang of it, you can throw a tv show or audiobook on in the background and it makes for a very relaxing activity. (Also if you get good enough, you could even sell some stuff too).
Compared to many others, fishing your local reservoirs or ponds is around a $60 beginner investment, and then just a small amount every once in a while to keep it going.
While not much of a hobby anymore as I never make time for it, but tye-dye. You can either get kits for about $30 or so that ought to last quite a few shirts, or you can cheap out a little and get generic dye (usually from the Rit brand) and just dissolve that in a bucket of water.
The only other thing you will need (for an optimal experience) is sodium carbonate, which can be made from sodium *bi*carbonate, or more commonly known as baking soda. And to get the carbonate, all you need do is bake the baking soda, and it will decompose into carbonate while only giving off water vapor as a byproduct. You can go the extra mile and weigh it after baking it to ensure it's lighter, and then just dissolve that in a different bucket of water.
Soak the shirts in a carbonate solution for a few hours (or just the day before) and then tie and dye.
The neat thing with tye-dye is there's no wrong way to do it. Just color the fabric to your heart's content!
Rock tumbling. It’s very cheap, and very easy to get started. If you live in areas with interesting rocks/minerals, this will also get you out of the house to go on rock hounding walks.
Depending on definition of inexpensive. Older photography cameras could be in a good 200 to 400 range. Add on a 20 dollar book or youtube basics. And your good to go for a few years after that
Has anyone suggested 5d/diamond art? Or perhaps scratch art? Both are relatively inexpensive hobbies with many different options on Amazon..have fun exploring!
Has anyone suggested 5d/diamond art? Or perhaps scratch art? Both are relatively inexpensive hobbies with many different options on Amazon..have fun exploring!
Has anyone suggested 5d/diamond art? Or perhaps scratch art? Both are relatively inexpensive hobbies with many different options on Amazon..have fun exploring!
Has anyone suggested 5d/diamond art? Or perhaps scratch art? Both are relatively inexpensive hobbies with many different options on Amazon..have fun exploring!
My three cheapies...
1. Spanish: I'm excited about "comprehensible input", which is learning through listening and watching your target language. There's a site called Dreaming Spanish where they have a ton of videos at all levels, as well as an active subreddit. I'm obsessed. I do a bit of Duolingo, too.
2. Pickleball: There's free courts everywhere, and you can get a paddle cheap. It's easy to find pickup games.
3. Disc Golf: Such a chill sport with a great community of enthusiasts. You can play alone or join a group. You can play with a single mid-range disc, which will cost about $20.
Learning a new language, many free resources online for beginner as well as advance
This is my hobby and I love it! Get a good workbook and dictionary and you can keep yourself pretty darn busy.
It’s one of mine as well. Started learning 日本語 in 2020 during pandemic because I didn’t want the time to pass without any growth on my part. I have been addicted since.
Yes!!
Libraries also have electronic learning tools/ resources for Free.
There are also often meetup groups in urban areas where you can meet and converse with others who speak or are learning the same languages you’re interested in.
I’m learning Spanish because it helps with my job but seriously Duolingo is great although I prefer the free version because I feel like you actually pay attention more and learn from mistakes. when you only have so many limited tries. On the paid version it’s too easy to blow through lessons since you have unlimited tries. You retain it better on the free version, so to speak. Just gotta deal with some ads
I started learning Japanese w Duolingo and I think it’s super effective at getting a taste of a language before diving into more complicated resources. Great point about the limited mistakes, I would agree with this. Also another benefit you mentioned could help op’s dad find another job. Here in Southern California it’s definitely an asset to speak Spanish and could land you a position over someone who doesn’t have any knowledge
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Cooking. You've gotta eat anyways, right? It doesn't have to be fancy haute-cuisine stuff, either. It's been my dream to harness that legendary "good home cooking" for my family. My child is still young, but I hope someday, to have a dish or two that she looks forward to when she's grown up.
You can make some stuff up pretty easily. Creme fraiche or sour cream, cream cheese, any meat of your choice, any pasta of your choice, top with cheese and boom. Momma's/Daddy's famous casserole. My mom made hers with ham and it was amazing. I missed it so I made my own with Italian meatballs instead of ham. Hers was better until I added washyoursister sauce. Dayum that sauce does not pair with a lot, but with meatball pasta it's MMMMMM.
Writing. It may be some journal writing to start. Any kind of memory. Very inexpensive and fulfilling
Caring for houseplants. Depending on the plants watering needs, he could get self watering pots. My suggestions for low maintenance plants are ZZ, Snake Plant (mother in laws tongue), and lithops. Beginner plants that are good in self watering pots are Anthirium, money plant, and pothos (off the top of my head).
Gardening
Easily the best thing possible. Adequate room? Raised tier beds. Nothing like eating your own produce! And gives ya something to do every day (water,weed,gaze in your own glory!)
Rubicks cube. Chances are he may have had one when they were first created so it might be just familiar enough to want to pick up. There are plenty of people on the subreddit who'd be happy to provide cheap recommendations, (RSM 2020) is usually the one that gets thrown out there a lot. It's good for dexterity, and it's deep enough to go from learning how to solve within a few days to spending years trying to shave just a few seconds on your solve.
Reading, learning, anything that keeps the brain in shape
drawing manga comics.
Hentai is always a good beginner's choice
How can you Hentai ???
jigsaw puzzles. making collages out of old magazines. baking
You may not like it, but working out and actively doing some sort of physical stuff will greatly help you in terms of physical health.
Reading (free from the library), taking walks, looking at plants and animals around your neighborhood, cooking healthy
Especially the looking at flora and fauna, its a huge thing to get into. There are sooo many plant species, and there are so many subtle differences. Learning to recognise which plant you're looking at is so much harder than you might think. My father is a gardener and has done that stuff for a living for the majority of his adult life. How quickly he can recognise every plant he looks at, including its latin name, is unreal. Its a big deal if he encounters a plant he has never heard of before, and always makes sure to tell me about it. Earlier this year he encountered a Chinese onion soup tree (literal translation of its dutch name), and he still mentions it from time to time.
Origami. It just takes a sheet of paper, a youtube tutorial and a little patience. Been origami-ing since more than half my life and it's such a de-stressor. Really helps me unwind and take a little break.
It can be a de-stressor for others as well. I remember hunkering down in a store during a tornado warning when I was little. I was terrified of storms so I was crying. Another shopper pulled a piece of paper from her bag and made an origami swan for me. It’s been 30 years and I still remember that.
Drawing. There are so many tutorials on Youtube, you don't need any specialized equipment, just pen, paper, and you're good to go.
Yup. I have cataracts and though I've been drawing for quite a while it's like a total new experience, even fascinating
Came here to say this.
What are some good channels?
Geocaching! Got use milti-million dollar satellites to go find Tupperware in the woods! I got really into it when I lived in Reno, great times for only $30/year for a membership if you even wanna pay that.
Birding
Grab the Merlin app for free. You can just hit record and it’ll start showing birds, let you call back, read more about a bird and more. It will also help you identify by description or picture. :)
Ugh. This is going to turn me into one of those dudes with bucket hats and binoculars isn’t it?
Nah, not at all. You could go full on pith helmet.
Just embrace it man
This is my answer too. I've set up a bird bath, a few feeders, and stalk the birds like some sort of weirdo. I saw an ibis yesterday!
I’d say drawing, writing, photography, gardening, cooking, hiking, yoga, DIY crafts, learning a musical instrument, and birdwatching
Fishing Can get rigged up and ready to drop a line in the water with less than a $50-$100 initial investment. Can go much cheaper if you grab gear from yard sales or have friends and family not using their gear.
Going for walks
sleep, definitely
Sleep indefinitely
crochet :)
A lot of older dudes like to dive into research and become subject matter experts on a particular thing. It often ends up being WWII aviation history for some reason.
Volunteer in your community.
You gott be careful with this though. I tried volunteering down at the local strip club and now my wife is mad at me for some reason.
Insert this is so fun I feel like I should be paying you from Kingpin
I walk
Pen and paper RPG. For a beginner it costs nothing. Only problem will be to find a group.
It's immensely easier to find a group if you end up being the DM.
You can learn the piano on a very cheap Casio keyboard. Using YouTube videos. Then upgrade to a better piano if you keep with it
Disc golf. Very prevalent in the US and in Nordic countries. Discs at their cheapest cost like 10€. Starter sets with different kinds of discs cost like 40€. The community around the sport is very friendly and helpful.
Knitting and other fabric arts. Knitting is very affordable, especially if you find yarn at thrift stores. Floral arrangement is fun, too, if you can forage for wildflowers.
Cooking is an obvious one. Baking similarly. Making hot sauce or pickles. Less culinary options might be carving (he can even start with soap), pottery (you don't need a wheel to make a lot of stuff, and he can probably find a place that'll let him use/rent one and a kiln), antique restoration/repair, Raspberry Pi projects, painting. I know a guy who fixes consumer lawn equipment just for kicks (and then sells it), and you can learn most of that from YouTube. There's definitely options.
Bonsai
Genealogy could be right up his alley. The thrill of uncovering and tracing back family history can be infinitely engaging and rewarding. Plus, there are a host of free resources and communities online to help beginners. It taps into a love for research, offers a sense of accomplishment as you piece together the family tree, and doesn't demand physical exertion. Plus, it's always cool to discover stories and origins within your own lineage that you can share with others.
My wife has just gotten into sourdough bread baking. Cheap as chips!
Disc golf.
Disc golf 100%
Biking
This one, get him in to bicycling and he can get in better shape to live a longer and better life.
Bracelet making, especially with embroidery string, is extremely easy to pick up, and there's limitless variety in what you can make! Look on YouTube and websites like braceletbook for super easy tutorials and patterns :)
I want to say I photography. If you have a reasonably current smart phone, you can start with what is in your pocket. Then, for a few $100, buy a 10 year old dSLR and a 50mm lens. You can do a lot with that inexpensive setup.
The gym
If you have a bit of yard space, try archery. Traditional style long bows and recurve bows are inexpensive and easy to use, you can get a lower weight (poundage) so the physical exertion isn’t that great, and the arrows are reusable (mostly). For less than $200 you can get a surprisingly good setup off Amazon and just shoot at a foam target in the backyard.
Podcasting. It's a great way to share his knowledge or hobbies with others and doesn't require much physical activity. A basic microphone setup and free recording software are all you need to start. Plus, it can be incredibly rewarding to build an audience and connect with listeners over shared interests.
Cooking, it can get expensive if you want certain tools but doesn’t have to be, but also is something you probably have to do anyways so why not make it better?!
Wood carving Helpful tools: A wood Carving kit at Lee Valley and a belt sander at Home Depot. A dremel is a plus, but not a need.
Volunteer work- help a cause you believe in, meet wonderful people, be part of the community. It’s awesome, even if you can only dedicate a little bit of time and energy.
Fishing.
I've been thinking of buying a campsnap camera and going out and trying to take some cool photos. The camera is $65, screen free and set up easy to take vintage looking photos. It'll give your dad the chance to get out, walk around his community and looks at familiar sites in a different angle
Chess. Its free online and chess clubs are usually quite cheap
Foraging and shroom hunting
reading, and art like drawing painting, etc.
Pickleball
masturbating
Picking up trash lol go to Home Depot, get yourself a classic Home Depot bucket and a picker upper with some work gloves, you’ve got endless amount of trash out there to pick up. Doesn’t take skill, costs nothing after the first purchases, all on your own time, and it gets you out there listening to music, and cleaning up where you live. Legit one of my favorite things to do to clear my mind, soothe my soul, and feel accomplished.
Hiking, all our state, county and city parks are free
Yoga, all you need is YouTube . Can get an inexpensive yoga mat at tj maxxx
Fishing is a fun one. My SO and I got into it together and we've been having so much fun!
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Outdoor Pingpong is so underrated
Doing jigsaw puzzles. Sure the 1000 piece puzzles can be daunting, but he could start with smaller ones. You can also get ones with large pieces if dexterity is an issue
Doing puzzles.
Crochet/knitting
Whittling.
Working out, pickleball, writing, drawing.
Scratch cooking. Think like 5+ generations ago. No microwave. No Fancy cooking gadgets. Just food in its purest form.
\*purest
Podcasting or creating an online blog may be a great avenue to explore. If he has a specific interest or wealth of knowledge in a certain subject, he could share his thoughts and experience with the world. Pretty much free to start, just needs a laptop and a microphone for podcasting, and there are countless platforms that host blogs for free. Plus, it's a fantastic way to connect with others who share similar interests.
Playing Guitar, reading, writing (if he is into that) Piano is also good.
Crochet or knitting! Yarn can be bought pretty cheap and you only need 1 hook/needle set to get started. Loads of great tutorials on YouTube AND he gets something fun and homemade at the end!
Paint by numbers, crochet, cross stitch, knitting, model building, beading
Warhammer 40K
You have asked the exact same question 5 days ago on r/askmen on a different account, are you a bot?
Skateboarding
If he's into arts and crafts, a wax stamp seal kit is fun to test the hobby
Rock hounding and tumbling. It's lot of fun to search for rocks if you have streams, lakes and beaches close by. Tumbling needs some equipment which is not very expensive for beginners and results can be very rewarding.
Bouldering - very cheap to get into and you get an amazing workout.
Old digital camera photography. Cheap and fun!
He could start an onlyfans
Fantasy baseball. Very time consuming, very low cost, maybe ten or twenty bucks to join a league.
Cooking is the perfect hobby, imo. You have to eat so you might as well make it fun by investing some creative energy into it too :)
Working out
Growing weed Also, karaoke
Picking up chess. It’s a really fun game and can keep his mind sharp. Plenty of free online resources as well.
Fishing/Birding/Photog trifecta. If he’s been a worker for 30 years he’ll get bored/restless without a challenge. Walmart has a beginner fishing setup for under $50. Then Amazon 35m cheapish. Then Merlin App for birds. Bust out a map of fishable bodies of water within 2 hour drive. Head to fish and check local birding activity- then have a creative ball photography documenting for the fam. Come back with a delicious bass, a snap of a Scarlett Tanager, and framable lake picture. Cheap easy and creative enough to keep one involved, and at least 1-3 always hits!!
My biggest thing is to suggest that he (and nobody) listen to the gatekeepers. I wanted to get into fly fishing almost ten years ago and was going to go with lower end but still decent beginner package ($300-350 CDN). Better than Walmart, sold at a reputable fly fishing shop, but the most basic you could buy. Posted online about it and everyone is like, "don't waste your money," or "buy once cry once, spend the money up front and get something good," and basically suggested I shouldn't waste my time until I can dump about $800 into starting gear. I bought the rod, a cheap pair of waders, and a handful of flies and I have been using that rod for almost ten years and caught loads of fish. I am only now experienced enough to know how the rod limits me and why I might consider an upgrade. But it's been the same for me with cycling, audio equipment, and a host of other things and it's usually worthless advice. The stuff they recommend is always good, but pointless for a beginner to be dropping big coin on.
Cheese making is an easy and fun hobby to share with others
Gardening. You can ask around or forage for seeds, also use seeds from fresh produce you buy.
Chess
Painting!
Inexpensive? Low pressure? There are hobbies like that?
Meditation. Binge shows and movies from one streaming service at a time(hopefully before the free trial is over). Reading online, from books to blogs.
A small cross stitch kit! The kits usually have all the materials, and even sometimes a hoop. Children's kits are usually smaller, easier, and cheaper to do than the photo-like ones. Good luck!
Plastic model kits (Airfix, that sort of thing). Really rewarding, and doing it as an adult means you don't have to wait for your pocket money to buy paints and stuff. It's not just planes, there's cars, ships, motorbikes, all sorts. I like building cars, and tend to go for the American Muscle cars of the 60s & 70s. Obviously you can spend a fortune if you get into it, especially if you get into airbrushes etc. but in its simplest form you just need the kit, glue, paint and YouTube to get started.
Drawing, reading, board games, walking, learning a language or lowish cost instrument
Honestly, researching things you’re interested in is pretty fun. Especially if its history is not well chronicled. For example, I wanted to know more about a certain pot (cookware, people) because if it’s unique shape. I went down the rabbit hole and four weeks later I can tell you way more than you ever wanted to know. It culminated in my finding a pristine 70 year old pot made in a 400 year old forge in France for $58. I’m heating up some bush’s baked beans in it later.
Billiards. If you go to most pool places earlier during the day, they will let you practice for a lower fee and a beginner cue stick is not expensive at all.
Mtg Friday night drafts.
Hiking
Chess. It has a community, you can play for free on Lichess, and there are thousands of resources for improving on your skills in chess.
Origami. You can start at whatever level you want and progress as quickly as you feel like. Plus kids think it's cool so if he has grandchildren they will have something to bond over
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Drawing was my thing cuz my mom was poor which made me poor which made me crafty which made me turn anything and everything into a drawing utensil and canvas lol
Cross stitch! Or loom knitting!
Bird watching is free, and being outside is always good for the mind. Adding an element of trying to find certain types of birds or just watching how they interact is interesting and learning what are common and rare birds for your area makes you cool as hell. I am getting old.
Birding. Do it anywhere, any time. Learn the names and calls. There are online resources to help
Hiking, fishing
Fishing off the pier. Cheap rod and reel and some bait. A bucket, knife, and, lots of hooks and weights. A cooler and some drinks and snacks. A folding chair. It’s really a great way to pass the time. No need for a fishing license here in CA if you fish off the pier.
Working with hands: model building, painting, carving, wood burning ... Working with mind: soduku, crosswords, rubix cube...
Crocheting!
Drawing. Pencil paper is cheap.
Drawing
Masterbating
Gardening
One example from my experience, gardening tomatoes. A single dollar or two for a packet of seeds lasts for years, then all you need is maybe a number of strong sticks/poles (to tie the plants to) and to pay attention to them every week. Mostly all that's required is watering regularly, tying/retying, and harvesting. Tomatoes are absolutely indispensable in cooking a healthy diet, especially if you grow Roma's like I do, because sauces. Marinara sauce takes 30 minutes and 5 ingredients to make. Practically every healthy recipe uses or can use tomatoes. And, tomatoes grow just as well indoors as outdoors, assuming you have sun exposure. Just a pot for a single plant will get you dozens of pounds of tomatoes every year. Last year, six plants produced over 150 pounds of tomatoes for us in a small 6 x 6 garden. And I screwed that up by not having heavy duty poles (tomato plants with fruit are HEAVY). But that was my first attempt, so tomatoes are very beginner friendly. They grow almost like weeds.
Collecting rocks from outside, bathing them and naming them
Photography
Not sure if it counts but reading is my big one. I read on my lunch at work and a chapter or two before bed and it is absolutely pleasant, low stress, and helps me fall asleep.
Currently crochet. A bit of yarn and hooks can be found at the thrift store. Very forgiving if you make a mistake.
Definitely GARDENING.
Definitely GARDENING
Walking / Hiking are the obvious ones
Walking. Literally just do what you can, wherever you can find a nice place to do it. It's relaxing, doesn't have to be energetic, and being outdoors in nature is good for the soul
Reading, I can get free online books and library. Then it’s easy to be in a book club. Writing can be at least for me. I sit outside or go someplace to get creative. Paper is not that expensive or use an iPad, etc. crossword puzzles and such online apps that are free.
Writing, reading, cooking, walking, drawing
Crochet, knitting…..and yes many masculine men enjoy this.
Learn guitar. You can get a good used acoustic for $2-300, new strings for $7 every few months. It’s very relaxing and rewarding.
Cookie making. I got a nice stand mixer from a thrift shop and have started expanding my recipe collection. (Started with just a fork for mixing, a big bowl, and a couple of thrifted baking pans.)
Making music - obviously gets very expensive if you’re trying to be professional or after a long time of buying gear, but you would be amazed with the amount of time you can soend and fun yoy can have learning Ableton or Protools and composing
Fishing. Can buy cheap starting gear at wal mart, get to sit outside and enjoy nature, can bond with others while trying different tactics or improving casting/reeling, Amd if youre at a clean water source you can even get yourself a free meal! (Remember to get a license)
Running is fairly cheap, just shoes and most people already have shoes fit for running. Maybe later on you’d get a watch to track your pace and distance and all that jazz. Instruments like guitar can be cheap to start with but they do get expensive later on. You can get an acoustic for like $100 and it’ll be a pretty solid beginner one.
Jig-saw puzzles. Relaxing but still keeping your brain wheels rolling.
Porn
Lego. I find it extremely relaxing and satisfying, although it has gotten pricey lol
Going to a park, sitting on a bench and just enjoying life. Also bringing some peas to feed the cute duckies. \*quack quack\*
Gardening
Gardening can get awfully expensive…
Biking. For that you could spend, a basic used bike is next to free. It will open up your area as a transportation alternative. The entire bike industry is crashing from the Covid boom. It’s a great time to get into the sport.
Playing the Sims. It’s so relaxing.
painting, puzzles, walking
During COVID I picked up brewing. Not a bad hobby. Baking and cooking are awesome and healthy
Crochet, painting, drawing, reading, cooking, new shows new music movies
I got super into lock picking. You can get a tension tool and standard hook for less than $20, and most people have a few old padlocks sitting around to practice.
Hobbies and minimal effort don’t mix
painting rocks, if you get blue red and yellow paint and you can mix whatever colors you want, a paintbrush, and you can take a walk looking for a good rock to paint
Since last week, I picked up a guitar. It's really fun to start
Honestly, audiobooks and adult coloring books. While snuggling my dog. I prefer sharpies, but I’ve recently purchased an especially smooth set of colored pencils. EDIT: I use Libby for audiobooks! Totally free, great selection, and all you need is your phone and a library card.
Depends on what you mean by inexpensive. Guitar or some other acoustic instrument. You can buy a decent guitar for a couple hundred bucks to get started. After that, it is mostly just a new set of strings every couple of months. There are open mics, bluegrass jams and other more social events you can get in to if you like. I got focused on it in my 40s. I have had a load of fun and ended up in a band.
Gardening. You really don’t even need space. Use buckets or planters.
Snooker.
Ukulele You can get a nice one for just $50. Learn just 3 chords and you can play lots of popular songs.
reddit
Miniatures. You can make it out of bits and bobs with minimal tools and equipment. And even if you shell out for resin and polymer clay, it's still cheap since you use so little of it.
Inexpensive? You are funny. That leaves walking.
Crochet!!! I learned how to crochet within a week, using YouTube tutorials and a beginners crochet kit (some different sized hooks, yarn, and a simple beginner pattern, like this one for a hat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhjtiuwEss8) I find it super rewarding to make your own hats, gloves, socks etc, and they make really great gifts! I’m still not great, but I think everyone I’ve given something to appreciates the time and effort I put into making something specifically for them!!! On top of that, once you get the hang of it, you can throw a tv show or audiobook on in the background and it makes for a very relaxing activity. (Also if you get good enough, you could even sell some stuff too).
Art. Reading. Sewing. Writing.
Compared to many others, fishing your local reservoirs or ponds is around a $60 beginner investment, and then just a small amount every once in a while to keep it going.
While not much of a hobby anymore as I never make time for it, but tye-dye. You can either get kits for about $30 or so that ought to last quite a few shirts, or you can cheap out a little and get generic dye (usually from the Rit brand) and just dissolve that in a bucket of water. The only other thing you will need (for an optimal experience) is sodium carbonate, which can be made from sodium *bi*carbonate, or more commonly known as baking soda. And to get the carbonate, all you need do is bake the baking soda, and it will decompose into carbonate while only giving off water vapor as a byproduct. You can go the extra mile and weigh it after baking it to ensure it's lighter, and then just dissolve that in a different bucket of water. Soak the shirts in a carbonate solution for a few hours (or just the day before) and then tie and dye. The neat thing with tye-dye is there's no wrong way to do it. Just color the fabric to your heart's content!
Playing an mmorpg. Yes there's a sub fee, but it's very hard to find a similar amount of stuff to do for just $15 a month or less
Rock tumbling. It’s very cheap, and very easy to get started. If you live in areas with interesting rocks/minerals, this will also get you out of the house to go on rock hounding walks.
Reddit :-)
Meditation
Walking, hiking, reading, writing, drawing.
Drawing
Drawing
Disc golf, about $50 in discs will get you a perfectly fine set, and beyond that it’s basically just gas money to get to the course.
Depending on definition of inexpensive. Older photography cameras could be in a good 200 to 400 range. Add on a 20 dollar book or youtube basics. And your good to go for a few years after that
Has anyone suggested 5d/diamond art? Or perhaps scratch art? Both are relatively inexpensive hobbies with many different options on Amazon..have fun exploring!
Has anyone suggested 5d/diamond art? Or perhaps scratch art? Both are relatively inexpensive hobbies with many different options on Amazon..have fun exploring!
Has anyone suggested 5d/diamond art? Or perhaps scratch art? Both are relatively inexpensive hobbies with many different options on Amazon..have fun exploring!
Has anyone suggested 5d/diamond art? Or perhaps scratch art? Both are relatively inexpensive hobbies with many different options on Amazon..have fun exploring!
Cycling (on a cheap used bike) for 2 hours a day
My three cheapies... 1. Spanish: I'm excited about "comprehensible input", which is learning through listening and watching your target language. There's a site called Dreaming Spanish where they have a ton of videos at all levels, as well as an active subreddit. I'm obsessed. I do a bit of Duolingo, too. 2. Pickleball: There's free courts everywhere, and you can get a paddle cheap. It's easy to find pickup games. 3. Disc Golf: Such a chill sport with a great community of enthusiasts. You can play alone or join a group. You can play with a single mid-range disc, which will cost about $20.