It is an ideal time to choose a new hobby. The coronavirus pandemic has US citizens holed up indoors in an attempt to flatten the curve, and many are searching for new ways to pass the time.
Since movie theaters are closed and concerts are postponed, folks are currently taking an interest in good hobbies, new research found. To know how the pandemic has changed Americans’ buying and search interests, Picodi, a coupon company, examined Google search data from March 2020 and compared it to March 2019 data.
As one might expect, the study found that interest in activities asking people to leave their homes has dropped drastically. Search queries for movie theaters are down 90% compared to March 2019, and queries for theaters are down 84%. Concerts took a 78 percent hit, according to the study.
Perhaps less predictably, interest in foreign languages has seen a marked reduction with search queries down almost 30 percent from last March. Now, people are shifting their concentration toward more common hobbies.
Home gyms are being searched 376% more this March compared to the year before. However, it’s unclear if people are currently looking for where to find them, how to construct them, or what exercises to do with them.
Tinkering has nearly tripled and interest with board games not far behind, the study found.
Sewing, crocheting, knitting, and online games are seeing more than twice as many search queries, and interest in online classes is up 92%.
Here is a list of 30 hobbies that you can take up today, that have little to no cost.
1. Exercise: Although gyms are closed, most people are permitted to go outside, so why not work out? Just lace up your footwear and hit some pavement, you get fresh air and exercise, so what’s not to love? Practice social distancing or compile a home workout routine. There is no lack of online routines, so find one that entertains you and get started.
2. Reading: Watch those books sitting on the Shelf, which you’ve always wanted to read but never had the time? Well, now is your chance. If you do not have books at home, visit a bookstore, and buy or head to your local library to hire.
3. Baking: Who does not love fresh-baked cakes or bread? For flour, milk, sugar, and yeast’s price, you can teach yourself the art of baking.
4. Cooking: Who does not love to eat? You’re going to spend plenty of time at home during this pandemic, so why not improve your cooking abilities to eat excellent meals at home.
5. Writing: You do not need $50 Moleskine notebooks to write. Write your daily thoughts in your mobile app, or scribble passing ideas on scraps of junk mail. If you want to get into writing, think about starting a blog to talk about your plans with the world.
6. Sewing: Do you have a sewing machine? Now is the opportunity to see those YouTube tutorials and find out a life-long skill. If you desire to get a sewing machine on a budget, thrift stores are your best bet.
7. Gardening: There is nothing more satisfying than gardening, and something from nothing allows you to do that. Whether you are into lush rose gardens or vegetable patches, gardening is fun and an affordable way to get some fresh air.
8. Coding: Any sort of hobby that makes you develop something is a new hobby worth having to learn how to play an instrument. Coding opens so many doors. Why not take an online course?
9. Play a Tool: Have that unused guitar lying in the closet? Take the chance. You can learn how to play with an instrument. You can learn to play an instrument these days. Find the Buy, Swap, and Sell pages on Facebook to get a second-hand instrument then check out YouTube tutorials to learn how to play.
10. Write A Song: if you’re creative, try your hand at writing a song. You could really enjoy yourself, or find that you have written something you love. You know how to play a musical instrument, you can be your own band.
11. Pickling And Conserving: Do you love jams and pickles? Make your own! Whatever produce is available and learns how to conserve it.
12. Crocheting: All you have to buy to crochet is a thread/yarn and crochet hook. They come in different sizes to work with different thread or yarn thickness. Similar to knitting yarn and knitting needles. You can get these things inexpensively at craft shops.
13. Fishing: You require a license, rod, lure, and perhaps some bait to start fishing, all while enjoying the remote outdoors and maybe even get something for dinner.
14. Learn a New language: Although we can’t currently travel to another country, why don’t you bring a bit more culture to your life and learn a new language? There is an infinite number of apps and websites that help you nail down a language very quickly.
15. Meditation: Life is difficult this time. Set a time for practicing mindful meditation. Daily meditation is a way to cultivate peace.
16. Restoring Furniture: If you love to work with your hands, recovery might be up your alley. Garage sales, flea markets, and thrift shops to locate.
17. Learning Magic: Learn sleight of hand or card tricks for free with YouTube tutorials.
18. Doing Humor: Time to enhance those dad jokes! Think about doing a comedy routine if you love performing and making people chuckle.
19. Podcasting: Podcasting is all the rage right now. By hosting a podcast on any topic you wish, build your own fan base.
20. Yoga: Yoga is an excellent way to strengthen your muscles, stretch, and forget about all the crap from your day. You may score free Yoga videos on YouTube, so there is no requirement to join a studio.
21. Scrapbooking: Scrapbooking becomes pricey in a heartbeat. If you actually make your scrapbooks from, well, scraps, it’s an inexpensive new hobby and a fun way to save memories.
22. Watercolor Painting: Painting can get costly, but hobbyists do not require a $50 canvas. Get a palette of fine watercolors at the craft shop and let your imagination roam.
23. Teach Your Pet Tricks: For those who own a pet, this may be a delightful way to spend your spare time. They probably already know the basic controls, so try to teach something harder to them, like ‘play dead.’
24. Photography: Normally, photography can’t be classified as “cheap,” but the cameras today’s smartphones make this a breeze. You do not want a DSLR to have an interest in photography. You can always update later!
25. Calligraphy: You can buy the newspaper and special pens for this affordable new hobby in the local craft shops, and there are tons of helpful videos on the internet.
26. Decluttering: That is another one that might sound strange, but believe it or not, decluttering can become quite addicting once you get into it. Some people have even made businesses around assisting people in decluttering!
27. Try some puzzles: Working on a puzzle is a terrific new hobby when the world feels like it is falling apart. Usually, putting something back together can be a powerful and peaceful act during difficult times. And it enables you to create something without having to be super-crafty.
28. Reviewing: Some people love to write reviews on online storer. It’s an excellent service to provide, and the people who do it really like it as a hobby.
29. Watch Every episode of a retro TV series: Become the go-to pro on a series such as The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy, Twin Peaks, or another classic. And make it a good hobby by learning exciting facts you can impress friends and family with about the writers, the actors, and the cast that made the show what it was.
30. A remote club: online book club, recipe club, wine club, stay connected with similar people remotely while all are enjoying something you like. There are now many free group video conference websites like Zoom, Cisco Webex, etc.