Ask Lemmy

I like pottery and making things with clay, it cost $17 for 10 kilos of clay and if you buy the right one you can literally just put it in a backyard fire pit and you don't even need a kiln

Im a big fan of calligraphy. It can be free using just a pencil and paper that you have. But it is more fun if you spend the $35 on marker paper and a calligraphy marker.

Geocaching

Many forms of exercise can be done for free: calisthenics, running, (depending where you live) swimming, hiking, (if you have a bike) cycling.

Creative processes like writing, drawing, there are free programs where you can make music (LMMS has a competition section where you can listen to songs people have made with it).

There are free introductory courses and tutorials for learning things like coding or language learning.

Technically not free, but already need to cook, so there are new recipes you can try on a budget.

Reading is of course free too.

Pottery. Clay is free. Water comes from the sky. If you have like a bucket or something, you're set. You can fire it in an oven you make yourself. Out of clay. For free. Clay is great. Highly recommended. Ask your physician if clay is right for you.

Also, be careful where you source your clay from. You don't want to get Lynks disease.

Leisure walking, either urban or through nature. Though it destroys shoes

Recreational Public Masturbation and it’s almost essential sister-hobby of Eluding Law Enforcement While Maintaining an Erection.

...

Geocaching is free. You mentioned you are in a city so chances are that there are lots of them nearby.

On android look for c:geo, on iOS you might be restricted to free ones only unless you have a friend with Android you can explore with

Libraries have lots of other fun stuff, such as books and games

!geocaching@lemmy.world

!libraries@literature.cafe

You can also contribute to openstreetmaps while walking between geocaches. I recommend StreetComplete to start

TTRPGs like GURPS or OpenD6 for free group activities. All you need are pencil/paper/notes app and 3 6-sided dice, and you can roll them with an app or on plenty of webapps (dddice.com is a good one for shared gaming). A lot more to learn than playing cards or board games, but much more fun than a typical game night, something the group can talk about all week between sessions.

Roleplaying games. Download a free ruleset and a dice app for your phone and you're good to go.

I looove to do Geocaching. You combine hiking with Geocaching and it's a game changer

Juggling.

As long as you have a computer you can code, write, or digitally create nearly anything you want.

Earlier today I saw a post about a lady who received the "Minas Tirith" LotR LEGO set for her birthday. It looked huge, and costs ~US$650.

Now, I like LEGO just fine, as you can observe in my posting history, but I was thinking... instead of her spending countless hours laboriously following what must be a telephone-sized instruction book, only to get something in the end that's noticeably different-looking from the scale models... why not build it (or something else) out of paper & cardboard, instead? It's cheap as heck, a creative craft, can look really good as a finished, painted piece, and can even be sale-worthy.

Not all of these are masterpieces, but:
https://www.google.com/search?q=impressive+homemade+paper+and+cardboard+models&udm=2

Running? Maybe not free, but shoes are a pretty reasonable price for admission. Great way to get out and see more of your city, trails, or even while you're traveling. Healthy and feel good endorphins are a bonus.

Photography? Yes a proper camera helps, but your phone has one. Third party camera apps can help make it more manual and learn the exposure basics before committing to an actual camera. Used ones can be had pretty cheap if you decide to pursue further. This can be a rabbit hole hobby costing thousands but doesn't have to be.

This question has shown up a few times already, here's my answer with a lot of free or near-free hobbies to try =)

disc golf. There is a small cost to entry, but you can buy some used discs for a basic starter pack to get going. From there just find a local course and start playing! However if you enjoy it (like I did) I cannot guarantee that it will stay a cheap hobby.

You could learn to sew. Make your own stuff and repair the stuff you already have.

Keep an eye on local marketplaces for vintage Singer sewing machines. They’re heavy and a lot of people are looking to get rid of them. Forget the people who think they have a gold mine because it’s an antique. Bide your time and research the strengths of different machines (two solid performers are the Model 15 and Model 66).

The vintage Singers and Whites are built like tanks. If they still move (no rusty barn finds), they can be calibrated. It usually just takes a little sewing machine oil. Familiarising yourself with how they work and what to look for will do wonders. Sewing is a great skill to have.

Nothing you'd probably like?

Conlanging - the art of creating tongues. https://library.conlang.org/about/conlanger.html