Retirement Hobbies – 292 Cheap Things to Do in Retirement
There are so many things to do in retirement, but if money is tight or you just want to keep it simple, there are plenty of inexpensive activities. Here's a list of 292 hobbies that don't cost much.
1. Research your family history. Do an ancestry test and discover past secrets from your family heritage. Was your family royalty? Sheep farmers? There’s only one way to find out.
2. Record audiobooks for unknown authors. You get to read a new book few have read yet, and you’ll get some extra cash. This will also be a good mental and vocal exercise to work on your vernacular.
3. Become a mentor for a younger worker in your field. You’ve had a lifetime’s worth of experience, so guide them away from making the same mistakes you did.
4. Learn how to make pottery. It takes a while to do it well, so this is a great time to practice. Make them for family members and fellow retirees to enjoy. Everyone needs more flower pots!
5. Take up painting. It’s soothing, enjoyable, and creative. You can focus on landscapes, abstract, portraits, or whatever else your heart desires. Paint live landscapes outside and get some fresh air as well.
6. Volunteer at an animal shelter. Give back to the community you’ve worked in for so long. Being around animals is therapeutic and will help soothe any retirement jitters.
7. Start a band with your friends. You have time to practice and play music together all you want. Get back into an instrument you used to play or learn a new one.
8. Start bird watching. Learn about different species and do you best to find them in the wild. If you’d prefer watching from the comfort of your own home, set up a bird feeder outside your window.
9. Play golf. There’s a reason old men love it so much. It’s entertaining, not too physically draining, and you get to drink beer throughout the game. Then, you get to enjoy a nice dinner at the country club.
10. Become a tour guide in your own city. You already know so much about where you live, it’ll be old hat to explain attractions to visitors. Grab your sunblock and visor and get to it.
11. Take up biking. It’s easier on the body than running because you get to have breaks in between hills. Go as fast or slow as you want. Take a picnic lunch and make an event of it.
12. Start your own flea market booth. Create a product you’ve always wanted to. Sell it and get to know other vendors with similar passions. There’s no time like the present.
13. Take up sewing. Make clothes for yourself, your spouse, children, and grandchildren. As you get better at designs, you can even sell your clothes online or in markets.
14. Learn a new language. Or, improve an old language you used to know. This may be easier if old dogs can’t learn new tricks. But you’re a sprite young dog, so who knows.
15. Build a playground for your grandchildren. You have nothing but time, figure it out. But an IKEA set if you can’t do it on your own and spend two weeks trying to find one screw.
16. Redo your home. Make it the way you’ve always wanted with no kids around to mess it up. You can get that white couch you’ve always longed for and your kids won’t use it as a coloring book.
17. Start dating. If you’ve been working yourself to the bone and don’t have someone to share your life with, now is the time to start. You have to much time so find someone whose company you enjoy.
18. Learn computer skills. Keep up with your grandchildren and stay current in their lives. If you know how to work the newest tech, you’ll be the coolest grandparent in their lives.
19. Write a memoir for your family to read. Many children don’t realize their parents had a life before them. It’ll be touching for them to learn about you in a whole new way.
20. Join a euchre club. Play with others who share your passion for the game. Make new friends with similar interests in your area. You have all the time in the world to socialize, use it.
21. Join a hockey league. If you used to play as a child, you can pick it back up with other retirees. Play gently so no one breaks bones and have fun with it. Beers after are always recommended.
22. Teach at your local community college. If you’re retiring from a difficult job and settling down, but getting bored, do something that stimulates you. Teach the young minds of your community.
23. Practice yoga. This is great for stretching out your body, improving muscle strength, and relaxing your mind. This will help physical wellness, and reduces the risk of dementia.
24. Join or start a reading club. The books will give you more friends to improve your social circle. The engagement and questions will improve your critical thinking. Great for an all-around healthy life.
25. Go on a bike trip with your friends or family. California to Florida is a great choice. Keeps you warm, active, and excited. Even if it’s just desert.
26. Work at the polls on voting day. Engage in your civic duties and give back to your community. It may inspire you to see how much young people are coming out to vote and give you hope for the future.
27. Go to your favorite concert. If they’re doing a reunion tour, you should join them on it. If you have the means, go to their hometown to see them play where they feel the best. You’ll also get an exciting trip out of it.
28. Start a business you’ve always been wanting to. If you had a side hobby or passion, now is the time to embrace it.
29. Hang out with your children. They love you. They miss you. If you have time, go visit them. They appreciate it, even if they don’t admit it.
30. Watch all the movies at the theatre. Make your own theatre club to rate all the movies you see. No physical activity required, just brain power and buttery popcorn.
31. Start a new career. There’s no time like the present to start something you’ve always dreamed about. You’re old enough to have no fear in the unknown. Do something new. What’s the worst that could happen?
32. Go somewhere hot. If you live in a colder climate, you understand how harsh the temperature drops can be. Move somewhere with sunshine all the time, like the Sunshine State.
33. Host your own wine tasting parties. Buy some super expensive and super cheap wines and see who can tell the difference. It’ll be a fun, hilarious, and humbling experience for wine connoisseurs.
34. Learn how to swim. Of course, most people can survive in the water, but now is the time to practice your technique. Get as efficient as possible and enjoy the light-impact activity.
35. Teach English as a second language. You’ve known it your whole life, you must know the ins and outs by now. Help younger ESL children learn this challenging skill.
36. Write poetry. You can think as deeply or lightly as you’d like. Confess your love for a long-time friend or take note on how the coffee tastes different today. Whatever direction it pulls you.
37. Attend poetry readings. Listen and appreciate others’ life experiences. Find commonalities with people you never thought possible. People have more in common than you’d expect when you listen to their stories.
38. Take a cooking class. Learn how to finally make that curry you loved in Thailand. This will bring you both the joy of eating something delicious as well as the feeling of success for accomplishing a task.
39. Invent your own board game. Combine your love for different board games into one. Force your friends to play with you even though they don’t want to even a little bit.
40. Redo old furniture lying around the house. Once it’s refurbished, you can either keep it for yourself or sell it online. Both the process and the result will be gratifying.
41. Listen to your favorite old songs. Nothing brings back memories like music from your youth. Recall that school dance, first kiss, and first love. Let the music take you back.
42. Go fishing on a lake. Find someone with a licence and boat or get one for yourself. Sitting on the water all day can be relaxing, but the nibbles and bites add spurts of excitement.
43. Make your own beer. Get a beer-making kit and make your own, home-brewed beer. It may taste awful, but your friends will still take (at least) a sip. Add your favorite hops and do your best to not ruin your friendships
44. Learn how to do magic tricks. You can impress your grandchildren and your spouse. Teach yourself the tricks of the trade and attempt to understand the art of distraction.
45. Do crossword puzzles. These will help your mind stay entertained, as well as avoiding future illnesses. It will also bring your family closer, as you can ask them for help on the hints to make it collaborative.
46. Start a charity or foundation for a cause you’re passionate about. If you’ve seen an injustice go on for your entire life, this is a way to help the next generation fight back.
47. Start your own podcast. Interview guests you’re passionate about (you can start with your friends). If you get enough traction, you can run ads and get some extra income on the side.
48. Create your own comic strip. Practice your drawing skills as well as humour. Make them about your real life and past experiences. Send them to your friends or the local newspaper to see if others think they’re funny too.
49. Become a wedding officiant. Watch young couples get married to the love of their life (hopefully) and join in the celebration. You get to witness love, get paid, and maybe get free food.
50. Take up ballroom dancing lessons. You can get closer to your partner romantically and put on a show. Physical affection can get more difficult after kids and a long marriage, so this can reignite the flame.
51. Make new couple friends on a dating app. Couple friends are extremely important, as you can hang out with your significant other and best friend at the same time without leaving someone out.
52. Learn how to invest your money. Watch online videos, do research, and find a company you’d like to buy stock in. Don’t invest in meme stocks!
53. Go camping on the beach. It’s much comfier than being in the woods for those with sore backs. Wake up, go for a relaxing swim, then tan on the beach all day.
54. Learn how to woodwork. Build furniture for your home, family, or sell it for some extra income. You have all the time in the world, why not learn a new craft?
55. Volunteer at a food bank. Help the underprivileged in your community and do what you can to help. Giving back to those in stressful times is equally rewarding for both parties.
56. Play bingo at your local club. For some reason, this game is extremely fun. It’s like gambling, but you’re with your friends and someone always wins.
57. Learn how to do calligraphy well. Make your own cute signs for your front entrance, backyard, and cooking ingredients. Make your own font to sell online if you like.
58. Visit people in nursing homes. When you can’t leave, it’s hard to make outside friends. You must go to them to let them, and you, make new friendships. Who knows, you might be in there some day!
59. Update Wikipedia articles abut things you’re passionate about. If you studied Russian geography your entire life, fix any errors on Russian landscape information.
60. Get super fit. Like, extreme fitness. Have you seen those super fit retirees who can hold a plank for five minutes? Become like them, but don’t throw your back out. Take it slow.
61. Write a play about the most dramatic moment of your life. Sometimes, real life is even more exciting than fantasy. See if you can relive your life through art.
62. Serve on your home district’s counsel. Run for a seat, get the job (fingers crossed) and dictate where you’d like your community to go in the future.
63. Watch horse shows. If you were a horse girl/boy as a child, this will be quite enjoyable to watch. Go to large arena shows such as the Royal Winter Fair.
64. Get into photography. Take photos of nature, your friends, and your grandchildren. Go to photography sales and see if your shots can win.
65. Go back to work. Sometimes retiring doesn’t give you the money or fulfillment your need. A new job can provide mental growth and prosperity you didn’t achieve in your first career.
66. Volunteer at a library. If you like to read, you get the first pick of the books that come in. If you like to be social, you get to talk to people with similar interests all day.
67. Get romantic with some new suitors. Go online dating and see what’s out there. You’ve lived a whole life; you know how to date. Even if you don’t like them romantically, you could make some new friends.
68. Get into volleyball. Light impact volleyball is extremely fun. You don’t have to smash the ball against the net. Just lightly pass the ball back and forth for some enjoyable, light activity.
69. Teach swimming classes. If you knew how to swim in your youth, but you don’t have the same endurance, you can show youngins how to do it without having to swim yourself for very long.
70. Adopt a small farm of pets. You have lots of time to take care of them now. Adopt the weirdest, complex set of animals you can find. Just keep the snakes and birds separate.
71. Rent a camper and travel across your country. This is a super inexpensive way to travel, as you can live, bathe, and eat in your camper while making pitstops for exploration.
72. Take a gap year between deciding what to do for your retirement. Just relax, and literally do nothing for a year. Sometimes the prospect of figuring out what to do next it stressful, so take a step back.
73. Go to an adult camp. Lots of camps have adult weeks where you can go with other couples and experience camp life all over again. Sleep in bunks, eat camp food, and go on canoe trips.
74. Go downhill skiing. Get a season’s pass and focus on perfecting your technique for racing down the hills. Go with your grandkids and teach them. Make sure you wear a helmet.
75. Go hiking. Get proper gear and go through mountainous trails with your friends. The process will be active, fulfilling, and social. Take charge and plan one with your friends.
76. Go cross-country skiing. For a low-impact activity that isn’t as scary as downhill skiing, try going cross-country through the woods. The scenery can be gorgeous, and you can bring other couples to make it social.
77. Make friends younger than you. If you still like doing exciting activities like theme parks and skydiving, make friends with people interested in similar activities. People your age may have lower energy levels.
78. Hike the Appalachian trail. If you have time, energy, money, equipment, and a friend for company, try out this extremely long hike. Bring bear spray.
79. Run a marathon. There’s no better time than now to commit hours everyday to fitness. Achieve your goals, but don’t go to hard or you may have a heart attack on the last leg.
80. Learn martial arts. About to get mugged in the parking lot? Use your combat skills and destroy the attacker. Unless they have a gun in which case please give them your things.
81. Coach little league soccer. If you used to play, you can help guide the younger generation into stardom. It’s also extremely cute to watch small humans run around kicking a ball. Either reason works.
82. Get into long distance swimming. Some retirees enjoy swimming across lakes and in large bodies of water for the adventure and to improve endurance. Just be careful out there.
83. Try out stand-up paddle-boarding. This is a great way to get adequate exercise as well as tanning your entire body. You can also paddle on your knees if it’s wavy on the water.
84. Go geo-caching in your local area, or travel to find them worldwide. Find what people have left behind and replace it with something you believe is worthwhile. No dollar store stuff!
85. Start a restaurant. Ever dreamed of running your own little breakfast place? Or a Bed ‘n’ Breakfast? Now’s your chance. Hire some young people to do the grunt work. You’re the boss now. The profit is all yours!
86. Gigantic puzzles. Set up a puzzle room somewhere in your house. Get a huge table. Now try and finish a humongous puzzle. You can buy some with more than 10,000 pieces. That should take a while. Get your kids or grandkids to help you.
87. Become a video game wizard. Some MMO games like World of Warcraft require a commitment of more than five hours a day to become the best. You don’t need much hand/eye coordination for these games. You just need time. Which you have, and the youngsters don’t.
88. Start a craft fair business. People love to give homemade gifts because they’re fun and unique. If you’re even slightly skilled at making anything you can clean up at Christmas time. All you need is a table to rent, stuff to sell, and a payment processor, like Square.
89. Work part-time at somewhere like Home Depot. Home improvement stores prefer to hire older people because they know what they’re talking about and they show up on time. You get to impress people with your knowledge of kitchens and bathrooms and you get extra money to spoil the grandchildren.
90. Design some new LEGO sets. You can build almost anything with LEGO. Plus it’s great for keeping kids busy. Play with the kids and build something neat. Then send photos to The LEGO Group and maybe your design will be chosen as the next big thing. Imagine the prestige!
91. Grow something cool. Everybody has plants, but nobody on the block has an elaborate greenhouse filled with chili peppers and rare orchids. This can be fun and profitable. Plus you get lots of new plant babies to talk to.
92. Write a short story. Use dramatic events from your own life. Leverage unique and personal experiences to create interesting characters and plots. That’s the stuff people like to read.
93. Sunset/sunrise bucket list. Find a list of all the great places to watch the sun rise or set in your area. Then make plans to experience as many of them as possible. Take lots of photos to make the young people jealous.
94. Get a dog. Now that you’re retired, you’ll have lots of time to walk it. You’ll get companionship, exercise, and security. Pretty much the ultimate trifecta for retired people.
95. Take a college course. There must be something you always wanted to learn but never got around to it. Now you can learn it, and not be stressed out about passing with high marks.
96. Fishing/lobster traps. If you’re on the coast you can make seafood your part-time gig. It’s fun, relaxing, and you can make some good coin selling fish and crustaceans to local restaurants.
97. Learn to scuba dive. Sure, it’s dangerous, but exciting. It’ll make for a great story when you’re relaxing in the retirement home. “Oh you played bridge last week? Because I went scuba diving with sharks. Big ones.”
98. Start an investing club. Get your friends together and talk about where to allocate your resources. ETFs? Options? Have fun with it. Track your group’s progress and compare it the indexes. Hand out prizes.
99. Learn a new card game. Kids these days are into games like Hearts and Euchre. Why? Because they’re easy to learn and cheap to play. Learn some new games and you can play too.
100. Pretend you’re on vacation. Rent a room in a fancy hotel. Check out the touristy things you never bothered with because it’s in your own city. Boat tours? Weird museums? Let’s do it!
101. Make some homemade furniture. Everything you buy these days comes from Wal-Mart or Ikea, and yeah it’s okay but it’s not great. You can learn to make custom coffee tables, chairs, and other small things in a few weeks of training. Give them away as gifts or sell them at trade shows.
102. Go on a craft beer tour. Track down a list of all the great breweries in your area. Find some friends, and conscript some kids/grandchildren to drive you around all so you can day drink and make off-colored jokes.
103. Visit all the museums in a nearby small town. They’re always weird!
104. Start a collection. Now that you have time to run around, it’s time to start collecting something cool. Find a piece you desperately need but it’s four hours away? No problem. You’ve got all the time in the world!
105. Indoor garden. Okay so you live somewhere that has a vicious winter. Np. Hydroponics and greenhouse technology let you grow all year. Amaze your friends with fresh strawberries in the middle of February.
106. Finish a top 100 reading list. Every genre has a list of top 100 “must read before you die” books. Here’s your chance to teach this list a lesson.
107. Build an arcade cabinet. Relive the glory days of Pong, Street Fighter, or maybe even Smash. You can load these cabinets with hundreds of games. The grandkids will love hanging out with you. You could also sell them at trade shows. A nice arcade cabinet can go for thousands of dollars.
108. Prepare for the apocalypse. Sure, it’s unlikely that a super virus is going to wipe out humanity, but it’s plausible you might end up quarantined for a month. Stock up on toilet paper, rice, canned food, and entertainment. If your kids question your sanity, just say: “It’s not crazy, it’s called being prepared, dear.”
109. Learn to fly a plane. It’s always good to have a backup mode of transportation in case they take away your driver’s license. Sure, you could taxi, but that doesn’t get you across the ocean or on the 6 o’clock news.
110. Okay fine, flying a plane is too dangerous. But how about skydiving? Surely that’s been on your radar. Let some other chump fly the plane, you just be in charge of jumping out of it.
111. Did you know you can rent a villa in the Dominican Republic? They cost about the same a week at an all-inclusive. They’re next to the beach, and you get to choose the menu.
112. Draw your own comic book. Learn some simple art styles or do it watercolor. Make your kids or grandkids the superheroes and villains.
113. Learn to cook something fancy. Check out some videos by Gordon Ramsay and you’ll be making beef wellington in no time. Your guests will be jealous of your cooking skills. Top it off with a killer dessert. Something on fire maybe.
114. Restore an old car. Back to the Future was a great movie. Let’s build a DeLorean. Then you can ride around town handing out “Save the clocktower” flyers.
115. Start a blog. You can ramble on about whatever you want. Do you love rocks? Talk about rocks. Fossils, lichen, moss, whatever. It’s your blog now. You can do anything you want. Maybe even monetize it if it’s popular enough. All you need to do is sign up for Google Adsense. You’ll be making money off your ramblings in no time.
116. Work for free at a non-profit organization. It’s like volunteering except at a serious institution. No bake sales. We’re talking about raising funds for cancer and other worthy causes.
117. Travel across the country in a train. You get to see everything without having the worry about the stresses of driving. Rain? Snow? No problem. Trains are always on time!
118. Build a play structure in your backyard. Not only will your kids love you, your grandkids will love you even more. Make sure it’s fun, but also safe. Download some instructions from the internet, but make yours unique.
119. Train a seeing eye dog. Or a companion dog. These good dogs need to live with someone when they’re puppies before they can travel to their forever home.
120. Build a poker table. Everyone loves poker, but nobody has nice table to play on. That’s where you step in. You can build an amazing table in your garage. Only takes a few days.
121. Start your own library. In Turkey, a group of garbagemen started a library with all the books people threw into the trash. You could do something similar. Or different. Like a library for power tools.
122. Sail across the country. Invite your best friend who also happens to be an ex-sailor who can handle the high tides. Visit coastal countries along the way but beware of pirates.
123. Throw a massive party. You’ve finally retired, so it’s time to celebrate. Host a wedding caliber party and invite your closest friends and family. Kick off your retirement with a bang.
124. Write letters to all your family members. Tell them all the things you love about them, as well as any honest truths you’ve been holding back. There’s no time like the present.
125. Write a monthly satire newsletter for your friends and family. Detail the comedic aspects of your life. If you’re in a nursing home, discuss how the food is worse today than it was yesterday (if possible.)
126. Start a plant business. You know what’s all the rage these days? Succulents. You can buy them wholesale for $2 and sell them for $10.
127. Become an Airbnb host. Have travelers stay with you for cash. You don’t even have to leave your home, just provide a bedroom and facilities. Make some friends and extra spending money for retirement.
128. Learn how to meditate. Find your inner peace in the hustle and bustle of the contemporary world. You need to focus on relaxation after working so hard your entire life. Get that jerky co-worker out of your head forever.
129. Get into local politics. Run for office in your hometown and make change for the better. If you’re not done with your work life, this is a good way to make small changes where you live. Ask your family permission first, as they’ll be in the spotlight as well. Once you’re in office you can finally fulfil your goals of world domination and/or fixing potholes.
130. Become a mentor for start-ups. Help them build their business the right way. If you owned a business your entire life, you have a huge amount of knowledge you could share with newcomers.
131. Become a cat socializer. Go to shelters and give the cats the attention they crave. It’ll be relaxing for all parties, and a great way to make friends with similar-minded people.
132. Tutor local high school students in your area of expertise. Use your breadth of knowledge and help the future generation learn how to draw molecules and make a thesis.
133. Start making birdhouses. You can attract birds in your own backyard or sell them to nice couples who just bought a home. They’re easy to make, fun to paint, and enjoyable to use.
134. Sell crafts you make on Etsy. It’s an easy online platform to buy and sell homemade goods. Make something fun and see if people are willing to buy it. Try something like jewelry, woodworking, or pottery to start.
135. Become an expert video-gamer. Videogames are extremely addictive and pass the time like no other. So, if you feel bored in retirement pick up an old or new videogame and get to work.
136. Play some mentally-stimulating games. The best way to stay mentally sound is to exercise your brain. Play scrabble, crosswords, Bananagrams, and other online word apps to make your brain do some jumping jacks.
137. Get on a better sleep schedule. You’ve been working for the past forty years, it’s time to catch up on sleep. Get the z’s you’ve been missing for so long. Sleep is great for health.
138. Get back in the bedroom with your partner. Your body will soon betray you, so get back into your love life with a spouse, or someone new.
139. Make your own claymation television series. Set up clay figurines and take photos to capture them going on adventures. Put all the photos together and watch it like a show.
140. Move to a sunny country and start a corner store. Sell small items for modest profit and live out your days surfing and tanning. Your kids will get a great vacation home.
141. Get a motorcycle. Now that all your responsibilities as an adult are gone, you can risk your life on a motorcycle. Dress for the slide, not the ride. Wear appropriate protection.
142. Tell all your previous coworkers and clients the truth about everything. Tell them how the business works, the lies you told, and everything you couldn’t as an employee.
143. Become as healthy as possible. Eat fruits and vegetables every day and get your system running as smoothly. Feel better than you did at age 20.
144. Focus on gardening and develop a massive variety of vegetation. Plant everything that may be able to grow in your climate. See what you can use in the kitchen and you’ll be using fresh ingredients in no time.
145. Build a boat and try to get it to float on a lake. It may be more like raft to fish off, but at least you’ll be able to sit on water. Until it sinks because you used super glue and duct tape.
146. Learn a new language for a vacation. Speak the native language of the country you’re in, instead of making them speak English. Even if you learn a little, they’ll appreciate it.
147. Try new restaurants in your hometown. Find a new hole in the wall every weekend. This will help you get to know the ins and outs of your town you never had time to explore before.
148. Babysit your grandkids or your neighbor’s young children. They have too much energy and you have too little, so you’ll balance each other out. Turn your old folks’ home into an occasional day care.
149. Host a bake sale. Practice baking until you get competent enough to sell your goods at a local mall or event. Nothing beats Granny’s and Grandpa’s cooking, so share it with the world.
150. Get paid for your opinion and take online surveys. Researchers are always looking for opinions, and yours has a wealth of experience. Give back to academia and fill out their surveys.
151. Make a complete family photo album. Collect all your long-forgotten photos and make the ultimate nostalgia machine for you and your family. Put your favorite child on the cover.
152. Look into a reverse mortgage if you’re running low on cash. This financial instrument allows you to use your biggest investment house to get money back for your last years.
153. Learn how to play a new instrument. Playing Wonderwall on guitar is an automatic crowd favorite and isn’t very difficult to learn. Go through an online tutorial and whip it out at every occasion.
154. Reconnect with your old colleagues and friends. You may not have liked working with them every day, but now that they’re gone you miss them. Get coffee together!
155. Get on social media. Keep up with the younger generation and see what everyone is up to. It’s extremely entertaining to keep up with what everyone’s doing.
156. Get on Reddit. Once you discover funny Internet pages, you’ll never go back. It’s like comic books, but for young people. Any age group will laugh at memes posted on reddit.
157. House swap with someone in a different country. There are websites you can set up for this. You’ll get to travel or live somewhere else while another couple housesits your home. Pretty much a win-win for retirees.
158. Get a part time job at a jewelry store. Sell gorgeous, shiny rings to nervous potential proposers. Keep them calm and tell them she’ll say yes, even if you can tell from their body language it’s a desperation ring.
159. Volunteer at the food bank. Give back to your community and get to know the low-income demographic in your city. Use your privilege to help others.
160. Watch every movie nominated for best picture at the academy awards. You never had time before, but now you do. Make an educated bracket for once and put who you want to win an Oscar.
161. Write your own book. You’ve always wanted to. You’ve always talked about it. Try it for yourself and see where it takes you. Write your own autobiography, or try fiction.
162. Join a local theatre for improv. Say whatever you want, and everyone must go along with it. Get over your stage fright and fear of failure by putting yourself in the thick of it.
163. Go on a health and wellness retreat. Reconnect with or discover your spiritual side and find your inner peace. You can also make some great friends and have a great vacation throughout the process.
164. Open a nail salon. You’ll get your nails done for free all the time, have a place to come hang out, and will have a bunch of ladies to talk to. Never underestimate a good pampering.
165. Start a power walking class. Get a bunch of friends together and carry weights around your neighborhood. You can even get matching T-Shirts if it feels right.
166. Learn how to juggle. You can whip out this trick at your next party and shock everyone. Start with two oranges, then move to three, the start using torches. Who said old dogs can’t learn new tricks?
167. Make your own candles. Get different flavors of wax. Dip strings into the wax until the candles are complete. Keep them for yourself or sell them to your friends and family.
168. Start your own dance class. Choreograph new dance routines every month and perform them together for your family and friends. Turn it into a fun dance party.
169. Visit a farm. Ask your local farmer if you can come see what the farm life is like with your children and grandchildren. Get a real-life look into local farming tactics and see the work behind the product.
170. Become a 4-H volunteer. Go back to your roots of cattle farming, horseback riding, knitting, cooking, or any other club, and offer your expertise to the youngins.
171. Volunteer at a zoo. Offer to feed the wild animals and get up close and personal to some dangerous species. If you live to tell the tale, it’ll be a cool experience.
172. Volunteer at an aquarium. Help everything from the colorful clownfish to hammerhead sharks go about their day. For less responsibility, just go visit once a week.
173. Go bungee jumping. If you’ve been working out and your body can handle it, try jumping off a cliff with a stretchy rope attached to your ankles. It’ll be fun, I promise.
174. Watch your local football games at the high school. Even if you don’t have any connection to the players, make bets on who you think is going to do what play.
175. Go to amusement parks. Get on the biggest rollercoasters and pray your body can withstand the turbulence. If not, head to the teacups and have a jolly time with your grandchildren.
176. Watch buildings get demolished. It can be quite satisfying to watch a huge structure come down. Look for different demolitions online and drive over to watch them happen.
177. Go ice skating on an outdoor rink. Find somewhere cold enough to go skating outside bring some friends or family. Make it a weekly thing if people are enjoying it.
178. Go on a helicopter tour of your city and see it from a different perspective. It may change your worldview for the better to see how small you are in comparison.
179. Go to local horse races and bet small amounts on the winners. Keep things limited and don’t get a gambling problem, but enjoy the food, horses, and excitement.
180. Learn how to drum. Get a large drum and play songs you can play a beat to. Get some friends who play other instruments to come over for a jam session and make some beautiful(ish) music.
181. Join a pickleball league. It’s great for older people as it’s gentler than tennis but with a faster ball than badminton. It can get intense for what it is, so prepare.
182. Volunteer at a local horse stable. Help the horse girls prep their horses to ride. This is great option for ex-horse girls who don’t ride anymore but still want to interact with horses.
183. Go to a playground to hang out. No matter what age, swings are a fun time. See if you can get across the monkey bars, it’s much harder than it was as a child. Surprisingly, you’re heavier now than you used to be.
184. Start a dog-walking business. Get in contact with neighbors and ask if they need their dogs walked. You get paid, but more importantly, you get to hang out with a fluffy doggy.
185. Learn how to make your own artisan bread. This process can take hours but will be worth it in the end (maybe). You get the satisfying crunch of your own hard work, but the work takes a million years.
186. Have a budget food contest. See who can make the best meal for under ten dollars. Then, have a potluck and eat the winning and losing dishes.
187. Stream the most popular online shows on Netflix. One account will give you years of watching material. Don’t stay stationary, do workouts while watching. It’s important to stay moving. Invite some friends!
188. Watch how-to videos on YouTube and try them out on your own. Make your own clothes, furniture, and jewelry all from online tutorials.
189. Play a free online game. If Robot Unicorn Attack can entertain a room of antsy fifth graders, you can find one to entertain you. They can also help with mental fatigue as they’ll give your brain an exercise.
190. Find items you love on Kijiji and Craig’s list. Searching for discount items from the comfort of your own home is highly addictive. You can haggle the price without a single stutter.
191. Become a fortune teller. Get cards and a globe that will tell individuals the direction of their life. Trick your grandchildren into believing in it just to freak them out.
192. Make your own kite. Use your favorite colors and add your initials for all to see. Wait for a windy day and take it out for a spin. If you get good at it, you can sell them as well.
193. Draw sketches of your family. Use a pencil and paper and see how well you can replicate their faces. If you’re feeling mean, make them caricatures, but be prepared for no family Christmas card this year.
194. Write short stories about topics that amuse you. These can be from childhood, to adulthood, to the present, to full-on fiction. Send these stories to magazines and online publishers and maybe get some cash.
195. Play hopscotch on pavement. Get some chalk and draw out complex footpaths for you to jump through. It’ll bring you back to your childhood and get you some fun exercise.
196. Clean out your closet and get rid of all your old clothes. Get a brand-new selection of clothes for your retired years. Be the most fashionable person on the block.
197. Go on a road trip with your family. Rent a large RV and go across your country/state/province. This is an inexpensive way to travel and see new sights every day.
198. Go to your local senior’s centre. Even if you’re not a senior citizen, you may find like-minded people here. There will be food, gatherings, and activities for locals.
199. Go axe throwing. If you’re in a small town without such a venue, throw your own axes at your own target. Be careful, sometimes they come flying back like they’re mad you threw them in the first place.
200. Have a water balloon fight. Get all your old friends together and fill up mini balloons with warm water. Try not to break each other’s hips, but don’t go too easy.
201. Go to a local gym and play weekly badminton. The pace can be as slow or fast as you’d like. Enjoy some beer afterwards and get to know your friends in a competitive environment.
202. Learn how to code. While this is out of the box for a retiree, it would be fun to keep up with the youngster and help them code. You can make apps for your grandchildren to remind them to text you.
203. Go to an aerial park. Do the zipline. It can be exhilarating to glide over the treetops and mountainous area. Keep your carabiners intact and you’ll survive the ordeal.
204. Start a photo-a-day for a year. See where your first year of retirement takes you. You can look back on it whenever you feel and bring back your favorite moments of each day. (Compile it with a photo app.)
205. Get a pool. You have lots of time to lounge the day away. Get some floaties, and a volleyball for the kids. They’ll love you even more.
206. Learn how to play violin. Even if you didn’t keep up as a child, you can put yourself right back in it with a violin coach and recitals. It’ll be fun to accomplish something new every week, such as mastering a new song.
207. Practice your swing at a driving range. This involves much less effort than a full round of golf, and focuses on your immediate act of swinging.
208. Start a bowling league. Get some shoes, balls, and a team who loves to party (I mean win). Get acquainted with the other teams and it’ll be one big party every time you play.
209. Write your own TV scripts for popular shows. Give the main characters your sense of humor. You could even make the characters your family members. Send them to your family weekly and see if they find them amusing as well.
210. Play Risk with your friends. It may tear you apart from your war enemies, but it’ll bring your closer to your truce buddies. (Always go for Australia.)
211. Host a giant campfire. Invite your friends and neighbors. Cook some marshmallows, hotdogs, and that neighbor you hate. Make sure there isn’t a fire ban.
212. Re-learn math on Khan Academy. Understand the concepts you never thought you could as a child and master them. Then, you can do math problems for fun. (So much fun.)
213. Get into skateboarding. It’ll help you work on your balance and strength. Make sure you wear safety gear so that you don’t have to tell the ER doctor you fell skateboarding at 65.
214. Organize a scavenger hunt for you and your friends. Look around your house or neighborhood for regular objects. The winner gets a prize basket of goodies anyone would enjoy, like chocolate, or Johnny Walker Black.
215. Join a basketball league. There’s so much cardio involved in basketball it’s crazy. You will be muscular and healthy in no time.
216. Join a Zumba club. Practice moving your hips and get loosey-goosey with other retirees. This is a great way to stay active, make friends, and keep your hips from dying.
217. Take up target shooting. Get better and better at shooting tin cans. Eventually you’ll be able to hit flying frisbees, and you’ll enter the world of The Favourite.
218. Rescue abused animals. Raising and taking care of another animal can become a full-time, but enjoyable job. You have time to dedicate your life to help another being, so why not? Go to a local shelter and find one you think you can help.
219. Become the next Sophia Amoruso. Find vintage clothes in thrift stores and re-sell them online for a higher profit. Fix them up a bit and you can charge double what you paid. The rush of selling your own handiwork is unlike any other. Maybe one day you’ll end up on a reality TV show!
220. Go antiquing for your home. Get rid of your modern neutrals and get into old, beautiful furniture. You could even start a business with it and resell the items you find online.
221. Get into archery. Live your fantasy of becoming Katniss Everdeen and practice shooting targets with a bow and arrow. (Practice at an appropriate facility first.)
222. Memorize the night sky. Read about astrology and learn about different constellations. This way, when you see the night sky, you can tell strangers who didn’t ask what the constellations mean.
223. Become a BBQ master. Get to know your meats, your sauces, and different cooking techniques. Your family will get great meats, and you’ll be known as the Pit Master.
224. Play billiards at the bar. Hone your craft and learn how to do cool pool tricks like professionals. Or, at least impress your friends when you all coincidentally meet at a pool bar.
225. Camp in your backyard once a week. Have a slumber party just like old times. Invite your spouse or friends if they are willing. They might think you’ve lost your marbles, but you’ll have fun.
226. Go on kayak trips with your friends. Learn how to live in the wilderness and explore different islands. Bring lots of card games and wine to create an exciting nighttime atmosphere. If you don’t like to kayak, try the canoe, or maybe a row boat.
227. Start collecting cars. If you have lots of retirement money saved up, this is a great way to spend or invest it. If you keep old cars in good condition, you can sell them for more than you paid. However, this is a hobby for the rich-rich, so don’t get involved if you’re on a set pension.
228. Go to the racetrack. Bet on car races and see if you come out on top. Go with some friends, drink a beer, and feel the excitement of almost always losing money.
229. Coach little league baseball. If you used to play as a child, you can teach other children. Take your own kids out to practice as well. Turn them into baby A-Rods.
230. Try smoking cigars. Only on special occasions, or course, but you can become a connoisseur if you try enough of them. Just use lots of mouthwash afterwards or you’ll smell terrible.
231. Get into roasting your own coffee. Get your own coffee beans, grinder and French press to make great, specialty coffee. You can make one every morning and never want to enter a Starbucks again.
232. Become a local activist in your community. Take matters into your own hands, attend seminars public conferences, and town halls to fight for a cause you believe in.
233. Start baking like a pro. If there’s one thing grandparents are known for, it’s their great pies. Practice making your own crust as well as the filling. They’ll be a delicious treat for any visitors.
234. Try eating competitively. Enter hotdog or pie eating competitions and see how well you do. Make sure you train and workout a lot before hand to avoid a heart attack. If you can’t stomach the food, then try just watching one instead :)
235. Start hip-hop dancing. Get ready to pop, lock, and drop it in the country club next Saturday. Dancing is for people of all ages, even hip-hop.
236. Get into fashion. Buy new, fashion forward clothes and freak out all your friends at what you’ve become. Feather hats, faux fur coats, anything extravagant that will turn an eye.
237. Make your own prison wine out of fruit juice and yeast. If you’re ever in a bind and get sent to prison, it’ll be handy knowledge to have. Send me a thank you letter from your cell.
238. Learn how to fly a drone. Get cool footage of your house and surrounding area. If you get good enough, you can sell your skills to filmmakers who need drone shots.
239. Join a country club. There are always great activities and events for socializing. This can be pricey, so you’ll need a good retirement package to enjoy this retirement benefit.
240. Start fencing your friends. Don’t take classes, just go at your friends with a sword and see what happens. However, if you want to learn go to a local community centre and see if they have classes.
241. Learn about the history of film. See how your favorites were made and the work that goes into them. Now, when you see current movies, you’ll appreciate them more.
242. Get an aquarium and take care of different aquatic lifeforms. You get to clean the tank, feed your babies, and watch them grow into bigger fish. Very therapeutic.
243. Try glass blowing. It is a difficult skill as well as an art. You can make marbles, vases, and figurines. Once you get better, it’ll be a relaxing and fulfilling hobby to share with your friends and family.
244. Go on a different hike every week. Get to know different trails in your community and rate them. Post your ratings to a website so others can see which trails are best to go on.
245. Go on trail rides with a coach from a local stable. Have a relaxing lesson and get to know your horse. You don’t need to have a no-stirrups lesson, just enjoy it.
246. Make your own hot sauce. Make sure you get goggles to avoid burning your eyes from the peppers and spices. Share your tasty recipe with friends and conduct your very own Hot Ones.
247. Invest in your home. Study interior design and redo your home to the newest standards. Make your dream home a reality now that you have so much free time.
248. Start a journal of your everyday life. Keep it and let your children turn it into a biography when you’re gone. Make sure to add little Easter eggs for them to find.
249. Listen to music. Go through albums and appreciate your favorite songs in ways you never though possible. If you have a record player, you can listen in the best way possible.
250. Learn how to box. Do it to a Rocky-esque montage of learning how to box and beat some retiree-frenemy you despise. Make sure to wear gloves or you may break your tennis wrist.
251. Learn how to make metal jewelry. Become a blacksmith of sorts and mold metal the way you want it. Make chains and engraved pendants for your friends and family.
252. Get a road bike and cruise the streets. You won’t need any crazy gears for the streets, just a regular bike to glide on. Learn your hand signals, use a helmet, and you’ll be good to go.
253. Get into rock climbing. Start indoor against a wall, then graduate to a mountainside. There are cliffs over water if you’re scared you’ll fall. Go with a guide the first couple of times to get fully acquainted.
254. Find an old pinball machine to set up in your basement. You can spend hours on these addictive games. It’s also mentally stimulating so it’ll keep you on your toes into your old age.
255. Make your own smoking pipes. You can get a pipe-making kit if you’re a beginner, but once you get more experienced you can make your own pipes from scratch. Keep a collection or give them to your friends.
256. Host casino nights with your friends. Rent tables and chips for fake gambling and hire a real dealer. See how well you’d fare at a real casino but without your real money.
257. Play squash at your local gym. There’s a reason people are so obsessed with it; it’s tons of fun. Find a partner that’s game and smash the ball to the wall.
258. Make your own robots. If you used to work in engineering, or you’re just interested in the field, this could be for you. Make yourself a little robot helper for your day-to-day.
259. Start sculpting with clay. Choose your favorite animal and start moving the clay. It’ll get easier the more you do it. Soon your sculptures will be sought after, because your kids will tell the garbage man to pick them up.
260. Start carving soap. You can make little soap figurines to keep in the shower and use as soap, or just keep as a little sculpture. It can take hours to make a good one, and you must be extra careful not to break the soap.
261. Learn how to surf. Catch some waves outside if you live on the beach. Wear a full body wet suit to avoid scratches on your body, because it can get rough out there.
262. Learn how to play tennis. Get a professional coach to safely teach you the ropes without injuring yourself. Tennis is great exercise and will improve your hand-eye coordination.
263. Start a YouTube channel. Get your camera and post videos you take in your day-to-day life. It’s called vlogging, and all the kids are doing it.
264. Start a watch collection. If you’ve always been into learning what the time is, but in 15 different ways, this is for you. Find old, vintage watches and create a beautiful collection.
265. Start weightlifting. If you’ve been working out your entire life, your body may need an extra challenge. See how much you can lift but try not to throw your back out. Your body may not bounce back like it used to.
266. Become a whisky connoisseur. Go on different whisky tasting tours and bring home your favorite ones. Start a collection and share it with your retiree friends.
267. Start attending Pilates classes. It’ll both stretch and workout you body as well as your mind. It’ll be challenging, but also relaxing. It’s the best of both worlds.
268. Go backpacking through a different country. This is a cheap way to see the world and explore your surroundings. Pack everything you need in one bag and walk around different cities.
269. Learn how to properly canoe. There are different strokes for both steering and paddling, so spend a couple of months getting fully acquainted with the techniques.
270. Start running. Just a light jog around your neighborhood. You can ask others to join you and start your own little running club. This way, you can socialize as well.
271. Grow flowers in your yard. Create a beautiful aesthetic around your home. Flowers are a great way to improve landscaping. If you get good at it you can sell them to a local florist, or win a fancy garden competition.
272. Get into composting. Turn old compost into soil and improve your gardens. Take other people’s compost, make soil, and sell it to gardeners. You’ll also reduce waste in landfills.
273. Start a beekeeping farm. Take care of your bees and make honey for your local community. You can sell honey, beeswax candles, and give children tours of the farm.
274. Go to Comic Cons. Dress up as your favorite character and commit to it. The people who understand your character will appreciate it. The older you are the more they’ll love you.
275. Become a professional sandcastle maker. Go to beaches, create glorious statues and concepts, then leave as if it came there naturally. Let children believe they’ve found Narnia.
276. Start hobby-horsing. Get a fake horse and take it through a dressage, show-jumping, or cross-country course. It’ll be great cardio, just make sure no one in the world ever sees you.
277. Start a coin collection. Find old, specially made coins to add extra value. Once it gets big enough, you can keep them to gawk at forever, or sell the entire collection to the highest bidder.
278. Make your own radio show. Invite guests (your friends) to come on and get interviewed. Ask them twenty questions and learn something about them you never would’ve found out.
279. Collect art. Go to garage sales and auctions and try to find hidden gems. You don’t have to pay a lot for art. You can get some great pieces at auctions for less than $20.
280. Start leaf pressing. Go through the woods and find different types of leaves to press in a book. You can write a little journal entry beside each leaf to reminisce later about how you found each one.
281. Collect old records. Look for your favorite rarities in each record shop you come by. Play them with an old record player and enjoy the classic sound.
282. Collect rocks from each moment in your life. Put them in vases for flowers to grow or make jewelry out of them to carry them around with you. Having a physical memory of a time can improve your recollection.
283. Make complex gingerbread houses. Cover them in gummies, icing, and candy. Make them year-round for your grandkids and they’ll always want to come to Granny and Grandpa’s.
284. Get into mixology. Make a different cocktail every night (or weekend if you don’t drink every day) and try out different combinations and layering to create your perfect drink.
285. Make your own cheese. This takes a bit of effort but will be much cheaper than the cheese you buy in the store. If you own goats or cows, you can make it from scratch. (Or you can buy a kit and use milk from the store.)
286. Practice origami. Look up online designs and focus on creating the best swam imaginable. Then, move up to lions, people, and trees. Make a little village of your origami creations.
287. Make your own quilt. Use different fabrics that mean a lot to you (your wedding dress, children’s pajamas, and baby blankets). Then, put them all together and sleep with them every night.
288. Make your own scarf. You can make it any color, texture, or pattern. Stitch your initials into the side and it’ll always be yours. Make some for your family members.
289. Learn how to cobble. Make your own shoes. This is a skill you can take straight to the bank. Fix your own shoes for free and charge other people to fix their shoes.
290. Go to trivia nights at bars. Or, host your own at home. Test your life-long knowledge. Bring a couple young people for the younger clues.
291. Get into table tennis (ping pong). Go to your local community centre/country club and play with a friend. If you enjoy it, you can buy one for yourself and play at home with your family.
292. Do fun, at home science experiments. Test already proven theories so you don’t accidentally blow up your house. Use different chemicals to change the color of fire and make a substance that can switch from liquid to solid. Your grandchildren will faint.
With so many cheap hobbies to choose from, there's no excuse not to find something you enjoy. I hope you enjoyed this collection of cheap retirement hobbies. If there’s something you think should be added to this list, make sure to comment below.
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