10 Low Cost Hobbies for Parents to Enjoy

Who are you, now that you’ve become a parent? Parenting can feel all-consuming at times, especially when you have a newborn. It’s easy to become bound in the routine of caring for others and forget to look after yourself. That’s why having a hobby is so important as a parent.

So many wonderful activities can become hobbies, but it’s essential to test out a variety. In an economy that has many stretched-thin spending money can feel like the opposite of fun. With that in mind, I’ve compiled ten low-cost or free hobbies for parents to enjoy.

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1. Gardening or Foraging

Whether you live in a small apartment or on land with acreage, gardening can still become a worthwhile hobby to embrace. If you’re already an avid gardener, foraging may complement your existing hobby.

You can keep startup costs low by looking to places like Facebook Marketplace to find supplies. You might be surprised to learn that seeds are often traded for free or at the cost of postage in some groups. Start by researching what’s free and invest more as your passion for the hobby grows.

2. Couponing

Have you ever heard of extreme couponing? Perhaps you’ve seen news coverage about women and men who use coupons to obtain items at a low or no cost. Couponing might not seem exciting, but a low-stress hunt for good deals sounds mighty appealing to me as a stay-at-home mom.

If you’re interested in saving money by couponing or receiving cash back on purchases through apps, I can provide some easy suggestions to get started. Fetch, Rakuten, and Ibotta are all free to use and allow you to earn points or cash back merely by scanning receipts or using dedicated links.

3. Blogging

Well hello, I’m a stay-at-home mom who decided to start a blog, so of course, I have to mention it as a hobby option!

There are many ways to get started with blogging, so you can invest as much or as little as you want in this hobby. Sites like Medium, Wix, and WordPress.com all allow you to get started for free.

Alternatively, you can pay money upfront to buy your own unique domain name and hosting subscription. While the initial investment may be higher, owning a dedicated domain often provides writers with greater freedoms, especially if you decide to monetize.

The act of writing online without any rules or constraints is very freeing. You don’t need to be an expert to start a blog, and you can choose any topic that interests you.

4. Reading

I’ve enjoyed reading ever since elementary school. At first, being a busy mom made me feel like I had no time to read, but now I’ve realized it’s easy to squeeze in during naps or after bedtime.

If you’re like me and have endless chores piling up, I recommend turning to audiobooks so that you can enjoy a good story while also accomplishing some home tasks.

I enjoy using apps like Hoopla and Libby, which are free with a library card. These apps contain both audiobooks and e-books so you can enjoy a variety of sources.

5. Sewing, Knitting, or Crocheting

If you like to keep your hands busy, learning to sew, knit, or crochet may be a good fit for you. While startup costs can be slightly higher, you have the added benefit of being able to mend your clothes or make gifts.

Since these hobbies are quite popular, you will likely be able to find supplies at yard sales and estate sales at a discounted price. Can you imagine making a stuffed animal for your child? Talk about creating a priceless heirloom with your own two hands!

6. Baking or Cooking

Everyone has to eat, right? By embracing the art of cooking or baking, you can turn the mundane into something special.

While cooking and baking aren’t free, you can enjoy both these hobbies while sticking to a budget. Homemade meals are almost always cheaper than buying pre-made food or eating out. If you take the portion of your budget you’d usually spend on food and be more intentional with your purchases, you’ll easily be able to pursue this passion.

7. Photography

When you think of photography as a hobby, you might be envisioning someone with a big camera and a bunch of fancy lenses. Luckily, this isn’t a necessity!

Starting photography as a hobby can be as easy as turning on your phone and clicking the camera app. You choose what you photograph, and the skills you gain can be used for a variety of situations. Cool family photoshoots, perhaps?

As you learn more about photography, you can decide whether you want to invest money in a professional setup. Looking at Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or Ebay may help you find high-quality items at reduced prices.

You can also try selling stock photos to make money to fund your new passion.

8. Gaming

Who says you’re too old to enjoy games? As a parent, enjoying games should easily be within your reach. Depending on your child’s age, you may be able to involve them in your passion. If they’re still young, or you’d prefer alone time, choose games you can play independently.

Sudoku and other similar strategy games can have a positive effect on brain health. Not only are these games low-cost hobbies, but they can also improve your long-term health.

9. Designing Digital Products

Do you enjoy digital art or making pretty announcements? Making digital printables can be a fun way to combine your creative side with technology. Canva offers free software where you can take your original designs and sell them online for a profit.

With handy templates, you’ll be able to design everything from social media posts to baby shower announcements, and beyond.

As someone who has been dabbling in creating digital products, I can attest that it’s a lot of fun to make something unique and practical. I feel like there are so many design opportunities now available to create and have fun while doing it.

10. Exercise

Exercise, some people love it, and some people avoid it like the plague. Regardless of where you fall on this scale, the fact remains that it is excellent for your physical and mental health. If you are recently postpartum, you may need to ease back into exercising. You must give your body a chance to heal, or else you risk injury. However, if you’re not recently postpartum, implementing exercise into your lifestyle can have many positive effects.

To get started, you can try a free YouTube workout or go for a jog with your stroller.

What is the five-hobbies rule?

Recently gaining popularity, this rule implies you should choose five hobbies that offer specific benefits.

These include:

• One to improve your finances.
• One to keep you healthy.
• One to build a social connection.
• One to spark creativity.
• One to evolve your mindset and open yourself to enlightenment.

Having five different hobbies sounds like a lot, whether you have kids or not. Luckily, some hobbies, like hiking, can check multiple boxes. With a family-friendly hike, you can improve your health while building social connections if you meet other people. You also save money since hiking is relatively low-cost in most cases.

Finding the Hobby That’s Best for You

Choosing hobbies that check multiple rules can help you find balance as a busy parent. Ultimately, you’ll want to find something that brings you joy and doesn’t add strain to your finances or relationship. Choosing an activity to pursue with your partner may offer a chance for quality bonding time. However, hobbies don’t need to be shared and there are plenty of benefits to quality alone time. I hope this list offered a few new hobby ideas you can pursue as a parent, but there are many more choices than what’s mentioned in this list.

Following your passions and interests will likely lead you to the hobby that’s the best fit for you.