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Never too old to learn a musical instrument. You can pick up an acoustic guitar for cheap at a pawn shop.
Learning how to code is a good one that can be done either free or very cheaply and doesn't require a lot of computing power when starting out. All you need is a text editor and Google.
I picked up bass a few months ago (26/27 here)!
Play an instrument.
I had zero musical talent, I'm not coordinated, and I don't even listen to music much to be honest. Yet one day I decided to try playing guitar and totally fell in love, it's like a new part of my brain came online.
I'll never be playing Wembley stadium or whatever but just practicing is so rewarding. It's not about getting good, it's about getting better.
Mid 30s here and just started guitar a couple months ago. So many great resources online and you can practice pretty much anytime anywhere. Have had a blast and even got my 2 year old son into it. Been a lot of fun learning parts of some of my favorite songs.
Dude learning music is so fulfilling. I picked up the viola at 30. Am I good, no, not at all. However, it’s been super gratifying being able to hear gradual progress. I have improved enough that playing with other people is no longer a pipe dream. Learning music has given me so much happiness. I felt so anxious and stalled in my paid work because of the vagueness and lack of direction, so small achievable goals like learning a new piece has been really grounding. It’s also really peaceful to have something so completely selfish. My viola skills are not for anyone but me, so I always smile a little whenever I pick it up. I sincerely hope that the guitar brings you the same joy.
Man I really want to learn the piano but the community sometimes feels so gatekeepy. So many people will tell you if you don't start off with a dedicated piano teacher, you won't have the right foundational principles and you'll be forever shit. I just dont have the time to commit to a schedule and regular piano lessons.
Love your comment bout getting better, not good. Maybe I shold just dive in and see where it takes me.
Just do it!
I did a ton of research and got a cheap bit quality monoprice starter electric guitar.
There's definitely a ton of snobbery, same with any hobby. YouTube is a fantastic way to dip your toe in the water and you can always start lessons if you're enjoying it!
Same with the piano but when looking around for starter keyboards all they can tell you is everything is shit unless to throw out $500.
I don't even know if this is going to click with me. I can't spend that much on something that may end up gathering dust.
I feel you man. It has to be 88 weighted keys otherwise it's shit. 500 for the piano and $100 per lesson is what you're supposed to spend. Put me off it, I bought a Ukulele instead haha.
I actually did this but with the ukulele! I picked it up partially because it's small and really easy to pick up and put down when I'm bored at work, but also because it's relatively easy.
I learned a bit of woodworking recently. You can go totally stupid on it like I did and drop a thousand dollars on tools you'll only sometimes use, or you can grab a hammer and a saw and start making stuff the long way around. It's kind of a trade-off of convenience versus expense in that way, but I enjoy making stuff.
Came in handy this spring when my front stairs collapsed. I probably saved ten grand at least for being able to DIY that.
I second woodworking. You can absolutely spend a shitton of money on tools, but you really don't have to. Start with a cordless drill and a circular saw. Then a plunge router. Then a table saw. If you're looking to build furniture, get a planer, then a jointer eventually. Bandsaws are nice, but a jigsaw is a better beginner purchase for curves.
Get stuff used off FB marketplace, craigslist, OfferUp, or auctions. Estate sales are fantastic for used tools, I got a shaper with about $2k worth of tooling for $40. Most of my tools are from marketplace or auctions. New, they'd easily be over 10 grand, but I've spent maybe $2.5k total over five years of slowly accumulating stuff.
Resist the pressure to build stuff to sell. Everyone around you will push you to monetize your hobby, but you don't have to. It's ok to spend money to help you do something you enjoy. (If you want to sell things, great, but don't do it just because people say you should. It really sucks the fun out of it)
Disc golf. Most cities of moderate size have a course somewhere around and most are free to use. Can get started with 1 disc, about 10 to 12 dollars for a putter, all you'd need to start, or get a starter set of 3 discs for about 30 to 40 bucks at most sporting goods stores.
I've been addicted to disc golf for a decade, and while I'm still not very good, I still enjoy every single round so much.
There's so much benefit to squeeze out of the sport:
- hiking
- humility
- healthy competitive spirit
- self control
- decision making
- sight seeing
Disc golf changed my life, and I hope others find their way to it too
I'm also a mid-30s dude and I can honestly say cooking and baking has probably been the best skill I have. I bake stuff for my coworkers every now and then and it's always a good time. And cooking a nice meal from scratch for a girl always impresses.
Weight lifting. As your body ages retaining muscle mass gets harder, and more important. Develop the habit now so you’re not trying to pick up weight lifting in your 60s when the doctors tell you to start.
This one so much. I started lifting 3-4 years ago. It made the single largest improvement to my overall life quality of anything else I've ever done. The benefits are massive, impossible to overstate them.
It's a good time to pick up a martial art or yoga. The strength and flexibility training will help stave off age very effectively, and they're good at helping deal with stress too.
I agree with many here about finding some sort of exercise, it's especially beneficial as we age. Cooking is another great one that was mentioned, and it goes hand in hand with staying healthy along with exercising.
One I didn't see mentioned was Lego. Fair warning, it can get very expensive, but I found it very relaxing to build something with my hands. Plus, you can just turn off your brain for a bit and it feels great to admire a build after you've completed it.
I started building sets for things I was interested in, like Star Wars, and would watch the movies while building or put on an audiobook.
Gardening is always a safe "goto"
Go rock climbing! It’s a great workout and the people around are the most chill people ever!
I second this, it even got a little addictive for me at one point.
Probably some of these mentioned already:
- Cooking more instead of buying pre-made
- Learning some basic home maintenance like plumbing, keeping appliances cleaned, simple electrical stuff, etc
- Growing some small veggies
- Prepping for disaster - different time frames and scenarios like: fire, no power, poor air quality, floods, data loss, having to leave in a hurry
- Simple exercise and stretching routine
Rock climbing. Hit up a gym or hire a guide if outdoor climbing sounds interesting
I've tried my hands at home brewing and lock picking. Not great at either, but I've learned a lot and had fun. You can get started in either for under $100. And if you enjoy them you can sink much much more into them!
If you’re looking for a physical activity, consider indoor rowing. I picked it up at 35. It was getting harder to find regular exercise that didn’t kill my joints. This one fits the bill. Gives me a great workout without leaving aches and pains.
Pick up an instrument. Start writing. Gardening. I'm just naming what I like to do. My s.o. does leather work and gardening.
Music is my most fulfilling thing. Bit I love writing so much. Gardening just keeps me busy and I work out while I do it usually. The gardening I just started in my 30s.
I'm sort of still figuring out how to be a real person, yknow.
Running. You can do it everywhere, and almost every time.
"Maker" stuff is fun. I picked up woodworking/furniture making, 3d printing, and electronics.
Depends on whether you'd prefer outdoorsy or indoorsy, and also what things you already are into to balance things out a little, maybe? But have not seen gardening mentioned yet, whether you attack an allotment, or plant some discarded salads/spring onions on a window sill. Always rewarding to munch on something home-grown!
Motorcycling. You’re old enough to not do the stupid shit that gets young riders killed.
Take the MSF’s beginner course (or your country’s equivalent), spend more on your helmet, jacket and gloves than you do your first bike, and have fun. Spend as much on your helmet as you think your brain is worth.
Remember, you’ll drop your bike, so start with a cheap used one. After a year (or less) with it you’ll have a better idea of what kind of riding you like, and that will inform your choice of second bike.
You’ll drop that one too, by the way. Don’t sweat it. Maybe buy spare brake and clutch levers.
Find a local moto community. Maybe get an intro to the Denizens of Doom. Heck, even a Facebook group can do the trick. You’ll meet new people and make new friends, while learning from people who’ve been riding for decades.
If you survive your first year (you will), you’ll also have become a far better car driver. Riding without a safety cage around you does wonders for situational awareness and risk awareness.
Last note: the car drivers are trying to kill you. They may not realize this, but you should. You’re invisible to them. Ride with a healthy dose of paranoia. But smile. You’re having fun.
I'm absolutely interested in getting a motorcycle and have been for a while. I want one pretty much only to cruise around town or other small trips. My wife has absolutely shut that down lol.
If you have time and enjoy being active / outside - running.
If you prefer learning and/or experiencing something other than your daily life - reading.
Both can be tailored to your own availability/interest (fast or long running, solo or group, non-fiction or fiction, specific interests or genre.
I recommend trying some new sports. Check out community centre drop ins or beginner leagues. It is a great way to get some exercise and meet people.
I just started playing volleyball in my late 30s. I never played a lot of sports as a kid, and being short, this was a weird choice. I was really intimidated at first because it has a fairly high skill point of entry, so I just started passing to myself and serving a wall in a park during covid to get some exercise. Eventually I found a drop in at a local community centre and despite being the worst one there by far, the community was really welcoming and I kept at it. I've made a bunch of new friends in the community and l absolutely love sports now.
I love volleyball. And hackey sack. I'm in my 30s. I started shooting hoops a little bit too. I've always been athletic, but got out of the groove, and while my knees don't like it, it's super worthwhile, especially if it's team oriented.
Cooking, Painting, Woodworking, learn an instrument, read more, write more.
Play a lifetime sport like golf or disc golf or softball.
Hike and learn more about nature.Fish, Forage, Hunt or just take up shooting in general.
Craft stuff. Knit, Crochet, Sew.
Build a computer or a virtual pinball machine and play all the amazing games made over the last 30 something years.
Run, Bike, Skate, Row, Swim, move!
I really like this idea both for it's practically (I live next to a large climbing gym) and for it's physical benefits. However, I'm pretty afraid of heights. So it'll depend on how willing I am to confront that fear.
Do you have any creative outlets in your life? Doesn't have to be for anyone but yourself.
Photography is a good one. There's so many directions to take with it. It's easy to share with other people digitally these days, and has never been more accessible since practically everyone has a pretty good camera on their phone. You can do landscapes, animals, macro nature, miniature scenes, food, old signs, buildings, all sorts of specialties within those and more.
Meanwhile I'm trying to tell my ADHD brain to pick fewer hobbies so I can actually stop and enjoy one and stop buying things to start new ones.....
That said, hobby electronics and soldering is a fun one. Also if your city allows it (or if you live rural) you can get into a little bit of farming and get some chickens. Ill also suggest coffee roasting.
Gunpla or Plamo! It's a somewhat easy hobby to get into and there's plenty of cool kits out there if you're into Mecha or anything really.
https://gundamit.com/products/?&Narrow=4+1 has general Chinese knock off just to give you an idea what is out there besides Gundam.
Pinball, unless you want a cheap one.
Do you like beer? Is is legal to home brew in your country? If both are yes, brew beer.
It's easy, it's delicious, it gets cheap quickly especially compared to most microbreweries, you'll always have a brew to share with friends without having to run to the store.
Always brew with friends. You can drink beer and have fun on brew days. It's much easier when there are 2-3 people around to lift stuff. You can delegate responsibilities. Share the cost of ingredients and the resulting beer. You can even "associate" and buy the hardware together. Trust me, you will never run out of volunteers.
Go all grain from the start instead of going extract. Start with something simple with as few ingredients as possible like a stout or a pale ale to get the feel for it. Then brew more complicated but tried and true recipes. Then you can start and go crazy with your own recipes.
And if anything goes off plan, RDWHAHB. Relax, don't worry, have a home brew. It's hard to make a truly exceptional beer, but if you follow most basic principles it's even harder to fuck up so badly that you brew something truly undrinkable.
Adding to others: Mountain biking, camping, hiking, rc planes, model rocketry, travel, fishing
Or get into a niche intellectual or academic endeavor: finance, investing, philosophy, what is truth, of course light-heartedly (/s)
I subconsciously separate hobbies into two categories, inside the comfort zone and outside the comfort zone. Do you want to fill your hours doing something you enjoy with people you like (or alone is good, too)? Or do you want to expand your horizons, meet new people (or learn to be content alone), and try something new?
That's a critical first question to answer, because any hobby can expand to fill the available time and budget.
And those are the next two questions, both important. Do you have long stretches of continuous time and an unlimited budget? Traveling is a great hobby that will also help you find new hobbies.
Do you have zero budget and unpredictable pockets of time? Crafting can be fun and an inexpensive creative outlet.
Think about what you like, who you like to be around, and when it makes sense to be doing it. Do you want to play Warhammer in a comic book shop with people who are way into it? Would you enjoy playing golf every weekend at the local club? Hobbies are a great way to challenge yourself and meet new people, or it's a great way to get all introspective and grow as a person in your spare time.
I've gotten into restoring motorcycles, cycling, sim racing, exercise, and tons of cooking.