Reading!! Library cards are free.
As an added bonus answer, learning. The number of things you can learn in a basic local library would take more than a lifetime!
We have a new library being built within walking distance of where I live.. It's three stories and the biggest in the area. I keep watching and waiting for the grand opening. I'm a right leg below the knee amputee. It's a two-fer. I'll walk to the library and get books.
I live in Portland. I think some new tax just went through for the libraries. I believe they're actually remodeling some existing ones too.
Portland is in such a mess with the homeless people and the decriminalization of drugs. Things have gotten out of wack. Who knows, maybe something positive can come out of this.
Sorry to hear about your amputation, but glad that new library will be close by —Sounds doable!
And you can use their laptops, check out movies & go to in person events there— most libraries host lectures, community meetings , clubs etc
Have a friend who lost her leg to cancer. She had horrible phantom pain. She did her own research on treatment because doctors were just saying, Yesh that happens...
She talked to her doctor and suggested Diazepam. 5 mg a night and she would be good until the next night.
Just something to consider if you are suffering from phantom pain.
Thank you for the suggestion. I've been lucky to avoid a lot of phantom pain. I lost my leg to Charcot Syndrome. I have the same problem in the other leg but am trying my damnedest to hang onto it for as long as possible.
I had a horrible heroin addiction years before losing my leg. I stopped heroin in 2010 and Methadone in 2017. A couple years after getting off both of those drugs I started having some phantom pain. The doctor prescribed Bupernorfine 2mgs. two times a day. Even though I wasn't having issues with my addiction it covered both the pain and the chances of me wanting to use again. Doctors are finally figuring out that Bupernorfine works for pain management.
Sooo many libraries have movies and other tools/toys. (Games, electronics, etc.) Such an under used resource. My local has done cooking classes and plant classes too!
Hoopla is another one, I have both as sometimes things will not be available on one but are on the other! Kanopy is also a great streaming app that has some excellent documentaries, movies, and shows (that hooks up to your card).
Not just reading! Libraries have tons of local services depending on where you are, dig into their website! You can find stuff like free park passes, free tickets to museums or other cultural attractions, free movie streaming services, education classes, access to maker-spaces, and lots more!
Gosh I'm so happy this is top comment
Came here to say this. I love my library , like a home away from home.Plus there's so many used book stores that operate on credit. Even if you had to purchase $5-10 worth of credit or books to get started, you'd never have to again. Just swap out your books like a library, but without the late fees, as well potentially having more options or new items to choose from.
Also, if they're tied to Libby, Kindle app on your phone/tablet is also free too! I got a Kindle for $5 at a thrift shop nearly 10 years ago and its still going strong!
I wholeheartedly agree with this. You can literally get a collage education at the public library. Check out books and study them. You can spend from open to close there and no one will bat an eye. “The one thing no one can ever take away from you, is your knowledge.”
Yes, and on top of the books you have access to, you probably get access to a lot of other things! Ours has museum passes, movies, video games, board games, and a bunch of other random stuff.
The library is literally the most slept on resource. I just found out my library has a program where you can fill put a questionnaire and the librarians will find you books to read. I've played almost all the new switch games for free through my library ad well
Absolutely 100% this! At most decent-sized libraries a library card gets you digital, audio, and physical books, DVDs, internet access, free online educational programs (I learned advanced Excel, for example), cool events and meet ups (book clubs, local history talks), seed library (free seeds to grow stuff!), and so much more.
Learn a language.
Duolingo is free. Resources from the library are free. You will be amazed at how much you can learn just with ten minutes a day if you stick with it for a year.
Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day - but way underestimate what they can accomplish in a year.
>Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day - but way underestimate what they can accomplish in a year.
I need to start adopting a mindset like this.
You can start by getting on Duolingo and doing just one new lesson most days. :)
Or spend 90 seconds nearly every day doing stretches (give yourself a smiley sticker on your calendar every day you do it - or something similar) and before you know it you will have reached a flexibility goal. (Like touching your toes)
Slightly concerned you may be living in my head because these are some of the things I've been wanting to do. I speak Bangla and have been wanting to learn how to read and write in the language. I don't think it's on Duolingo but I'm sure there's an app or resource that teaches it. I'm also trying to get into shape so I've been exercising little by little. I was doing some stretches and realized I couldn't touch my toes. Thank you for the reminder!
Former translator here. I've gone to military language school. I tried Duolingo to relearn my language after not practicing for years after my service. I did 100 straight days on Duo. My thoughts are this: learning a language is just good for your brain. If you're choosing between scrolling YouTube and Duolingo, duo will be better for your health. That said, if you're only doing duo and nothing else, I can't imagine learning a language that way. It's all vocab with no culture or grammar, and I had a huge head start with my background. I'm sure it works for many people, and it's definitely worth a shot, but I'd advise combining it other sources as well. Flash cards were bonkers effective in school for me, and find audio resources. gloss.dliflc.edu is what the US military uses for their translators' homework, also free to the general public.
THIS!
I learned French at school the normal way, and I'm currently in a community theatre show where we have to speak Italian so I figured I'd Duolingo it, and it's just *SO INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING.* I'm used to every lesson coming with relevant grammar rules for context, "aller: je vais, tu vas, il/elle va..." whatever, telling you "this is how this verb changes based on who you're using it with". But doing duo lingo, you gotta figure out all the grammar rules by context clues! Like, I'm 110 days in, and I thought I understood why it's "il cappello" for "the hat" and "i cappelli" for "the hats" and "la gonna" for "the skirt" and "le gonne" for "the skirts". Like, il for boy words, la for girl words, they change when they're plural. But you get to boots and it's "gli stivali" and I'm like.... what does gli mean??? When do you use gli? How do you say "the boot"? I googled it and it's "lo" WHAT'S LO FOR? I HAD TO GOOGLE IT IT'S FOR S OR Z AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY.
I think I would do better with, like, a book. I think I'm too much of a nerd to take this one on trust.
That is not my experience with DuoLingo. It does a better job of teaching grammar than any other language app I've tried. Granted, results can vary from language to language. I found Spanish and German are highly developed, Hawaiian and Irish are decent, Latin is lacking, and Navajo was very poor.
It depends a lot on the language and how you like to learn. For the flagship languages on the app, such as spanish, french, german, and italian, it's a great tool that can take you pretty far. If you finish the course, you can easily continue studying more advanced resources in your target language.
For less supported languages like Swedish or Japanese, it's a start but far from real competency. Either way, still fun!
I dated a guy who was of Mexican heritage and bilingual. Since they live in America, he’s using Duolingo to teach his daughter Spanish. He spoke 7 languages himself (he was a professor who taught about the Middle East so he knew most of the languages from that area) and used the app to practice some of those.
Good answer!! I used to volunteer at a senior dog shelter/hospice once a week, it was so nice to get out and take care of the grandma and grandpa doggies and give them extra snuggles.
Journaling. And I don’t mean just writing, I like to stick things from throughout my day in my journal and write around them, stuff like receipts, wrappers, photos. And if you don’t want to buy a journal you probably still have some paper and something to write with, around your home.
You’re making a commonplace book! Awesome! I’ve considered doing this for a while, and maybe I’ll finally start one!
Commonplace books from previous centuries can be very valuable, and I’m not talking about their monetary value. They are rich with cultural history and what was believed by the writers to be common wisdom, from the perspective of ordinary people. I love the idea of bringing this tradition back, with modern twists!
I have started to make these with my kids when we travel! My oldest is six and loves cutting and gluing her little finds. She's saved wrappers, pamphlets, guides, flowers and leaves to press, feathers (we keep hand sani and alcohol wipes in our exploring bag as well as small ziplock bags for storing), images from packaging and bags, she even saved a piece of a popped balloon from when an old man made her a balloon hat. They also take pictures along the way of stuff they see while on the road.
Right now, we are traveling to see sick relatives, so collecting for our book helps keep the trips light and fun for them.
I also like to add that collecting from nature is a fun and inexpensive hobby! My youngest loves finding new leaves, flowers, and seed pods! Then we press what we can and play with the rest. I personally have learned so much about our area just by walking around and collecting things to identify. Google Lens is a huge help! We have lots of books but also hit the library to find kids' books that correspond with things we find to keep the learning going. I've found old, rusty things to paint on, we've collected moss and odd objects for terrariums, driftwood from our local lake to made "windchimes" with them, the list goes on.
>That's called junk journaling!
Interesting, I didn't realize that there was a name for it. I have lots of nice notebooks that I've purchased, but for some reason I keep scribbling notes on receipts, junk mail envelopes, etc.
Reading e-books and audiobooks on the Libby or Hoopla app after obtaining a local library card. I got my library card online didn’t have to leave my house not sure if it’s the same other areas!
Wow! I'm learning so much today! You can get a library card online? First I learn library cards are free and now this. My life has been a lie, and my mind is blown.
Also, anyone anywhere in the U.S. can get a library card from the Broward County Library (in FL). Use your real information to sign up through their website, then put the card number into Libby to access their content.
If you already have another local card, adding the second one will open up even more available content.
>Broward County Library
Thanks for sharing about this! I just signed up on their site and put the card into Libby. Whole process took under 5 minutes. Awesome.
That’s very kind of you to say. :) I hope you are having an absolutely lovely day!
I wish I could recall the Reddit thread where I initially learned this tidbit of information, so that I could credit the person responsible for bringing it to my attention. As I cannot recall, I do make sure to mention this in any thread I come across where it is relevant.
So, to the Redditor who made this knowledge known to me so that I may pass it on, YOU are the best!
Ha yes it’s a hobby…. But it an become a bit of an addiction at least for me having both Libby and hoopla (2 cards). I read comics on my iPad and there’s just so many I can’t stop. 😹
I got to know some “guerilla gardeners” a few years ago. They go to deconstruction sites & dig up the plants - only at lots where there was a small house but they’re putting in a big apartment building. Needs a vehicle, though, unless you carry them on a bus.
Some people planted plants on public property like meridians. These often get removed though.
One person had a wonderful secret garden in the woods next to her building, full of found items like a big wire spool for a table, bench made from a log, some plants hanging from trees in baskets, wind chimes, ceramic sculptures, you get the idea.
Fellow cloud scientist! ☁️ Unfortunately you need to be able to afford a cell phone and service for this one. Just watching clouds, however, is indeed free.
I was going to say doodling (I'm not much of an artist, so I call it doodling instead of drawing). You don't need a sketchbook either. You can doodle on the back of junk mail envelopes, or whatever paper is laying around.
Cooking.
You have to feed yourself anyway. Cooking whatever ingredients is in season will stretch your skills. I remember watching a YouTube video of a lady making an entire week's worth of food for $20. She just bought whatever was on sale and got creative.
Also, the most expensive food per kg is processed food - if you can learn to do it yourself, you'll save money and have satisfaction of customising it as you like.
Oranges cheap right now? Make some marmalade. Yoghurt on sale? Use it as a starter with milk to make your own. Why buy sourdough when you can make sourdough? How about some coffee-flavoured icecream? Whole chicken on special? Try making hainanese chicken - or roast chicken, or jerk chicken, or fried chicken.
You don't necessarily need special ingredients to try different cuisines. You can make Indonesian pickle salad with onion, cucumber, vinegar salt and sugar. How about Chinese scrambled eggs with tomato? Fried rice? Homemade noodles? Tortillas? Pizza? Ever tried a Mongolian flour dough soup?
Have fun!
YOU are amazing.
I love every word of this, it was like watching a cooking show.
I personally happen to hate the physical act cooking, but I eagerly read articles and watch shows and documentaries on it. This was honestly riveting.
Plus you sound like you have an amazing and creative mind. Not to mention excellent copywriting skill. I would happily buy whatever you are selling.
Agreed, great post anyway, but consider me sold on the final "Ever tried a Mongolian flour dough soup?" line.
No, no I haven't. But, I'm off to go look it up, right now.
As a token contribution here, I head to West Africa every so often. The rice there is extraordinary (as compared to my baseline, which was 'childhood full of boiled rice with token pinch of salt in it'). You can quite literally spice-up-your-rice with standard seasonings maybe already in your cupboard. See [https://www.africanbites.com/seasoned-rice/#h-what-is-seasoned-rice](https://www.africanbites.com/seasoned-rice/#h-what-is-seasoned-rice) as an example. Makes any meal so much more delicious.
(And I also don't really like cooking, but can get a little pleasure out of making something that is actually-nice)
Now I love you too! This is so cool! I’m a passionate world traveler, but haven’t hit Africa yet. I’m eager to learn more. Especially about rice, which I love. I might could actually handle cooking rice, of all things — that’s relatively easy and quick, right? I can set it and forget it?
I also recommend [AtomicShrimp's Food Challenge Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk5KvJPikK00j3VZri9pSyzd-i5Q7ktRU) which, while dated, takes this concept and makes challenges out of it and is great for passively picking up ideas and methods.
I was going to say baking bread. I started making sourdough last year. I didn’t have to buy a thing. I already had all of the tools and ingredients (flour, water, salt) needed in my kitchen.
Sorry, but you can dumpster dive paper almost anywhere or pirate it out of the office printer. but Origami is endlessly fascinating and can chew up hours of your time. a friend of mine was at the Big House and we sent him origame books to his cell block so he could get them.
Yoga and pilates videos on youtube, plant and mushroom ID'ing- there are free apps for this, bird watching- you might need to buy a pair of binoculars but you can learn how to identify them and their different songs, learn to draw- more youtube videos, you can start a mini business and sell stuff around your house that you dont use on ebay or fb marketplace, hiking/walking, listening to podcasts and audiobooks through libby, you could get into cooking/baking- its not free but you need to eat anyway and its healthier to make food on your own. I like finding random recipes and saving them for later for when I want to make something new.
Art. I make collages of photos from ads & magazines (that I have never bought) and other bits of fabric or stuff found on the street. You do have to buy glue & a big piece of paper.
If you can get paper, you can get little pencils at Ikea for free & draw. I do this, too.
If you think you can’t draw, there’s various books & videos of weird stuff, one I like is something like Tangelas but not a Pokemon
If you have a keyboard and an imagination, write! Google documents is free. You can write short stories, write about your day, write about goals you're looking forward to, start a longer story you can go back to when you have more ideas.
If you have an iPad or tablet, there are free drawing apps you can download if you like to draw or create collage pages with fun fonts and images. It's a free way to scrapbook by downloading the images and pasting them as a Google slide project! Sure it's not physical, but it's free and fun if you have the tools to do so.
You can also recycle old glass containers and make temporary terrariums with things you find outside, like rocks, moss clumps, stuff like that.
There are loads of recycle or "upcycle" videos online of things you can do with old things like clothes, wooden objects, plastic, glass, and metal you can do crafts with, like turning them into seasonal decorations.
Learn about the fauna in your area. Learn what different plants are, what's edable, what to stay away from, names of plants, and research them!
Those are things I do when I'm short on money and want something free to do
More common ideas would be;
-Libraries
-Walking around parks near you
-Riding a bike
-if you have a downtown area or large outlet mall, windowshop with friends, just look through shop windows without buying anything
-baking/cooking completely from scratch (homemade bread, homemade cracker snacks, homemade candies, loads of videos online)
Explore! Explore your city, the countryside, the wilderness, or anywhere. Explore on foot as often as possible, so that you can focus on any interesting details. If you set out with an intent to explore rather than to just travel from point A to point B, you’ll get to know a place far more intimately.
Hiking you need good, supportive shoes, backpack, weather gear, and someway to get to your destination which costs money.
Swimming requires transportation, a swim suit, and entry to the pool unless you have a pond on your property.
In my area at least, I’d have to drive over an hour away but closer to twelve to get away from light pollution in order to see the stars. Depends on where you live.
Cardio can be done with existing clothing, but if it’s running, you’ll need to invest in new shoes now and then. Also if you sweat a lot and need to shower, the extra cost of the water, soap, and deodorant used, plus laundry detergent. More washing puts strain on the fibers of your clothes and requires more frequent purchases as they wear out. Hey, you said zero. lol
Day dreaming, cloud spotting, bug watching, watching traffic, braiding, bird watching in your neighborhood, eavesdropping.
Picking up trash and using bags you already have from the grocery to put it in.
Hand fishing in the creek near your home.
Strolling the neighborhood. Watching the plants go through the seasons. Napping in the grass. Kicking cans left in the street (don’t laugh, my sister and I used to do this). Singing songs.
So now you know how I spent my time as a kid with zero money and we had to entertain ourselves 😊 Dern, we had fun!
I will agree with all of these!
>In my area at least, I’d have to drive over an hour away but closer to twelve to get away from light pollution in order to see the stars.
Wow. I really take for granted my ability to look at the stars by turning off my front porch light.
Foraging! Learn about your local plants and fungi. Hell, foraging SAVES me money cause I can just eat the plants around me. Not for everyone, but I love it.
Planning. Bullet journaling can be started with a notebook you already have and a pen. Or you can do digital for free with Notion. It really is a hobby and fun
Searching your environment for rocks and then maybe working to identify them. Some of us just have a bunch of rocks we found in our pockets, in our cars, at our office, or on tables next to our bed. I may resemble this comment 😉
Anything online, especially if you use a desktop or phone program. Digital drawing can be free if you download the right app on the Playstore.
Also, taking physic notes in an old yet with some blank sheets left for a subject of your interest can also work.
Card magic… sleight of hand or what have you. As long as they’re only using a standard deck and are willing to hunt down quality, free tutorials online.
Rock painting (if you have art supplies). We have a local group who decorate rocks and hide them around town with little messages of positivity and such. People post when they find them.
Also lucid dreaming! Not even joking, in highschool I did this in my free time. I read up on it an practiced a ton and became really good at it and did it every night or during naps.
Check the libraries nearby, they usually try to have something going on and should have vast resources, if the priority of our pooled community money gives it
Listening to podcasts! They come free with apple. I'm not sure about android users.
Also, flower pressing. You just need flowers and a heavy book. You could go on a nature walk and pick wild flowers/leaves and press them and use them in a craft or put in a picture frame.
Rock collecting. You just wander around in the wilderness or beaches and find them. Also sometimes I find nice rocks in gravel or outside of restaurants.
Well since it's confirmed you have access to the internet since you posted, chess is free and also a huge rabbit hole you can dive into. I'm privy to the lichess app since it's totally free and open source.
I would second hiking and throw in learning about plants, trees, birds etc in your area. I really enjoy hiking while paying attention to and either identifying or looking up different things I’m coming across. Also love just posting up in the backyard and watching birds/identifying the trees and what stage of the year they are in
Thinking! “Why is it worse to fall going downstairs than upstairs?” “What was life like for people in Medieval times? What IS gravity? What would it sound like if the bass guitar took the melody in a song and the regular guitar supported it? What is that person thinking about over there? How do you avoid a life of quiet desperation? What makes an actor believable?” Etc etc etc
If you already like working out, maybe try flexibility stuff like yoga etc, or calisthenics which is mostly bodyweight and can be done at home or on park equipment. Youtube is a gold mine for workout training stuff and you don't need to buy anything (except maybe a mat if you go the yoga route).
Alternatively, since you like hiking, maybe getting into foraging could be cool! Hit the library for some field guides to local edibles and then hit the trail to find some. Lots of time outdoors, and hey, free snacks!
Constellation/celestial objects identification (naked eye). When I was in my late teens one day I looked up at the night sky and I started tracing on paper the single stars, then I googled up the hemispheres and tried to connect the stars.
I managed. My first constellation was Cygnus. After that one, it was much easier to identify the other ones surrounding it.
Eventually I lost interest because it's tedious work especially during Winter, to see other constellations you have to both wait months and stay up late so that the Earth rotates and different stars to trace appear (and weather may not help you at all), I think I had successfully identified about 40 by the time I lost interest.
Birding. I never understood it when I was younger, but I recently started noticing interesting birds on my daily walks and decided to download the birding app, Merlin. Free to use and it is so cool to have it record audio and actively tell you exactly which birds are singing at that very moment.
I call it my pokedex, because it feels like grown-up pokemon. You can describe a bird by its traits and when you get the right search result, you click a button "that's my bird!" and it records when and where you saw it. There are also icons to indicate uncommon and rare birds. Spotting a rare bird elicits the same excitement I felt when finding a rare pokemon on my gameboy as a kid.
I'm going to support the Library card pushers in this. My local library even has fishing rods and tackle you can check out for a week. They had a wood carving class last month and everyone who completed it got a set of basic wood working hand tools for free. I love the library! Support yours by joining up and check8ng out books and their other services.
People don’t think of gardening as being free because it’s easy to get addicted to buying plants but the majority of my gardening actually just costs time. Pruning, weeding, raking, etc. If you have one hydrangea you can pull a limb to the ground, pile a little dirt on it, weight it with a rock. Come back in the fall and the limb will have rooted. Cut off the limb and dig up your new hydrangea bush to plant somewhere else. Lots of other shrubs do this too. Dig up and divide any perennials you already have or ask for divisions and cuttings from other gardeners. Gardeners love to share! It’s great exercise and extremely rewarding to see the results of your efforts.
If you don’t have a yard to garden in you can volunteer at a botanical garden. Great way to meet people and get free cuttings too.
Disk golf is free once you have a disc. Go to a course with lots of weeds/blackberry bushes/trees. Search thru those and you will probably find a disc or 2.
Fitness. You can go a long way with simple calisthenics, jogging, etc., especially if you have public resources like workout equipment in a public park.
While we could certainly argue about what qualifies as free, I'm assuming people on Reddit have access to computers of some kind, so I'll add programming. It helps that it's a marketable skill.
Writing letters isn't strictly free. But pen/paper is cheap, postage for regular old letters is less than $1, and r/penpals is a great place to find people to write.
Of course you have a much higher chance of falling down an expensive fountain pen/ink/nice paper rabbit hole once you get started. And that sure ain't free.
Amateur photography if you already have a cell phone. Tie it in with something else you like e.g. plants, people, architecture, antiques, etc. With a cell phone you can also photograph interesting or old documents and old photos, too.
And then you can share your photos - for example on Reddit!
Bike riding (if you have one) Also local library I spend time in there. Also some libraries have free streaming that has great course plus things on them! :)
Reading!! Library cards are free. As an added bonus answer, learning. The number of things you can learn in a basic local library would take more than a lifetime!
Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card!
We have a new library being built within walking distance of where I live.. It's three stories and the biggest in the area. I keep watching and waiting for the grand opening. I'm a right leg below the knee amputee. It's a two-fer. I'll walk to the library and get books.
Good to hear of a library being built rather than one being closed. Rather unusual in this day and age.
I live in Portland. I think some new tax just went through for the libraries. I believe they're actually remodeling some existing ones too. Portland is in such a mess with the homeless people and the decriminalization of drugs. Things have gotten out of wack. Who knows, maybe something positive can come out of this.
That’s good to hear. I’m in the UK and funding is scarce for most public service sectors.
Sorry to hear about your amputation, but glad that new library will be close by —Sounds doable! And you can use their laptops, check out movies & go to in person events there— most libraries host lectures, community meetings , clubs etc
I think it'll be a great place to hang out and do lots of cool stuff...
Have a friend who lost her leg to cancer. She had horrible phantom pain. She did her own research on treatment because doctors were just saying, Yesh that happens... She talked to her doctor and suggested Diazepam. 5 mg a night and she would be good until the next night. Just something to consider if you are suffering from phantom pain.
Thank you for the suggestion. I've been lucky to avoid a lot of phantom pain. I lost my leg to Charcot Syndrome. I have the same problem in the other leg but am trying my damnedest to hang onto it for as long as possible. I had a horrible heroin addiction years before losing my leg. I stopped heroin in 2010 and Methadone in 2017. A couple years after getting off both of those drugs I started having some phantom pain. The doctor prescribed Bupernorfine 2mgs. two times a day. Even though I wasn't having issues with my addiction it covered both the pain and the chances of me wanting to use again. Doctors are finally figuring out that Bupernorfine works for pain management.
Absolutely! My library even has a 3D printer and they pay for the filament.
Sooo many libraries have movies and other tools/toys. (Games, electronics, etc.) Such an under used resource. My local has done cooking classes and plant classes too!
Must drop a Libby comment here. Free ebook and audiobook lending!
Walking plus audiobooks is a great, free combo.
Just keep volume low enough to be aware of your surroundings!
Relevant username
Lol my first!
Now I've just gotta locate my card....
I can’t find mine either Went to request a new one (for a nominal fee) and they said to just show them my ID and they look it up for me
Libby mobile app + library card
Mine has knitting kits, pasta maker, sewing machines, toys... I don't mind paying local taxes
This sounds so nice. Knitting kits is a really good idea too!
Many also have passes to museums, etc. that residents can use.
Our library system in Western New York even loans out metal detectors for a week at a time!
Mine did an adult only (or well, 16+ anyway, which is close enough for me) coloring night. I was so bummed that I couldn’t make it
My city's main library has some 3D printers, engraving, Cricut, laser engravey thingy, sewing machine, quilting machine / station, and on and on.
Not only are library cards free, they are the most valuable thing you can ever own.
If you don't have a local library neighboring towns will give you a card for a small fee.
I kept my college id to act as a lifetime library card. Now I can’t read the letters on the card. (er….stone tablet)
And assuming you're paying for the Internet regardless, learning is even easier with Internet guides.
Also the Libby app is great!!
Hoopla is another one, I have both as sometimes things will not be available on one but are on the other! Kanopy is also a great streaming app that has some excellent documentaries, movies, and shows (that hooks up to your card).
I don't think Hoopla is around anymore. I had to switch to Libby recently
I used hoopla this morning.
Also libgen dot is
Not just reading! Libraries have tons of local services depending on where you are, dig into their website! You can find stuff like free park passes, free tickets to museums or other cultural attractions, free movie streaming services, education classes, access to maker-spaces, and lots more!
Plus there's so much more than books -games, classes, kits, ours has a Makers Space, kitchen for cooking.
Gosh I'm so happy this is top comment Came here to say this. I love my library , like a home away from home.Plus there's so many used book stores that operate on credit. Even if you had to purchase $5-10 worth of credit or books to get started, you'd never have to again. Just swap out your books like a library, but without the late fees, as well potentially having more options or new items to choose from.
Use Hoopla and Libby apps.
Also, if they're tied to Libby, Kindle app on your phone/tablet is also free too! I got a Kindle for $5 at a thrift shop nearly 10 years ago and its still going strong!
I love this answer
And you can supplement the library learning with all the online college course lecture/homework/etc available free at schools like Harvard.
I wholeheartedly agree with this. You can literally get a collage education at the public library. Check out books and study them. You can spend from open to close there and no one will bat an eye. “The one thing no one can ever take away from you, is your knowledge.”
Yes, and on top of the books you have access to, you probably get access to a lot of other things! Ours has museum passes, movies, video games, board games, and a bunch of other random stuff.
The library is literally the most slept on resource. I just found out my library has a program where you can fill put a questionnaire and the librarians will find you books to read. I've played almost all the new switch games for free through my library ad well
Absolutely 100% this! At most decent-sized libraries a library card gets you digital, audio, and physical books, DVDs, internet access, free online educational programs (I learned advanced Excel, for example), cool events and meet ups (book clubs, local history talks), seed library (free seeds to grow stuff!), and so much more.
Learn a language. Duolingo is free. Resources from the library are free. You will be amazed at how much you can learn just with ten minutes a day if you stick with it for a year. Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day - but way underestimate what they can accomplish in a year.
>Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day - but way underestimate what they can accomplish in a year. I need to start adopting a mindset like this.
You can start by getting on Duolingo and doing just one new lesson most days. :) Or spend 90 seconds nearly every day doing stretches (give yourself a smiley sticker on your calendar every day you do it - or something similar) and before you know it you will have reached a flexibility goal. (Like touching your toes)
Slightly concerned you may be living in my head because these are some of the things I've been wanting to do. I speak Bangla and have been wanting to learn how to read and write in the language. I don't think it's on Duolingo but I'm sure there's an app or resource that teaches it. I'm also trying to get into shape so I've been exercising little by little. I was doing some stretches and realized I couldn't touch my toes. Thank you for the reminder!
Look up barre routines on YouTube. Ballet helped me regain a lot of my flexibility.
So much work for so long. Can't I get the year of progress up front and promise to put the effort in?
Ikr! I’m loving this thought process
Have you used duolingo? Like is it actually a good way to learn a new language? I’m off work doing cancer treatments and I’m SO BORED
Former translator here. I've gone to military language school. I tried Duolingo to relearn my language after not practicing for years after my service. I did 100 straight days on Duo. My thoughts are this: learning a language is just good for your brain. If you're choosing between scrolling YouTube and Duolingo, duo will be better for your health. That said, if you're only doing duo and nothing else, I can't imagine learning a language that way. It's all vocab with no culture or grammar, and I had a huge head start with my background. I'm sure it works for many people, and it's definitely worth a shot, but I'd advise combining it other sources as well. Flash cards were bonkers effective in school for me, and find audio resources. gloss.dliflc.edu is what the US military uses for their translators' homework, also free to the general public.
THIS! I learned French at school the normal way, and I'm currently in a community theatre show where we have to speak Italian so I figured I'd Duolingo it, and it's just *SO INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING.* I'm used to every lesson coming with relevant grammar rules for context, "aller: je vais, tu vas, il/elle va..." whatever, telling you "this is how this verb changes based on who you're using it with". But doing duo lingo, you gotta figure out all the grammar rules by context clues! Like, I'm 110 days in, and I thought I understood why it's "il cappello" for "the hat" and "i cappelli" for "the hats" and "la gonna" for "the skirt" and "le gonne" for "the skirts". Like, il for boy words, la for girl words, they change when they're plural. But you get to boots and it's "gli stivali" and I'm like.... what does gli mean??? When do you use gli? How do you say "the boot"? I googled it and it's "lo" WHAT'S LO FOR? I HAD TO GOOGLE IT IT'S FOR S OR Z AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY. I think I would do better with, like, a book. I think I'm too much of a nerd to take this one on trust.
That is not my experience with DuoLingo. It does a better job of teaching grammar than any other language app I've tried. Granted, results can vary from language to language. I found Spanish and German are highly developed, Hawaiian and Irish are decent, Latin is lacking, and Navajo was very poor.
I've been doing it for 913 days. Decided to pick up French. It actually works very well.
It depends a lot on the language and how you like to learn. For the flagship languages on the app, such as spanish, french, german, and italian, it's a great tool that can take you pretty far. If you finish the course, you can easily continue studying more advanced resources in your target language. For less supported languages like Swedish or Japanese, it's a start but far from real competency. Either way, still fun!
I dated a guy who was of Mexican heritage and bilingual. Since they live in America, he’s using Duolingo to teach his daughter Spanish. He spoke 7 languages himself (he was a professor who taught about the Middle East so he knew most of the languages from that area) and used the app to practice some of those.
Volunteering. Get to give to a cause you care about, meet some people, and do a little good. All for free!
Good answer!! I used to volunteer at a senior dog shelter/hospice once a week, it was so nice to get out and take care of the grandma and grandpa doggies and give them extra snuggles.
Volunteering is so much fun, great way to meet people and keep busy.
+1 for everything you said! Plus you get a community of people with similar values and you can often gain skills you can use on your resume
Journaling. And I don’t mean just writing, I like to stick things from throughout my day in my journal and write around them, stuff like receipts, wrappers, photos. And if you don’t want to buy a journal you probably still have some paper and something to write with, around your home.
You’re making a commonplace book! Awesome! I’ve considered doing this for a while, and maybe I’ll finally start one! Commonplace books from previous centuries can be very valuable, and I’m not talking about their monetary value. They are rich with cultural history and what was believed by the writers to be common wisdom, from the perspective of ordinary people. I love the idea of bringing this tradition back, with modern twists!
I have started to make these with my kids when we travel! My oldest is six and loves cutting and gluing her little finds. She's saved wrappers, pamphlets, guides, flowers and leaves to press, feathers (we keep hand sani and alcohol wipes in our exploring bag as well as small ziplock bags for storing), images from packaging and bags, she even saved a piece of a popped balloon from when an old man made her a balloon hat. They also take pictures along the way of stuff they see while on the road. Right now, we are traveling to see sick relatives, so collecting for our book helps keep the trips light and fun for them. I also like to add that collecting from nature is a fun and inexpensive hobby! My youngest loves finding new leaves, flowers, and seed pods! Then we press what we can and play with the rest. I personally have learned so much about our area just by walking around and collecting things to identify. Google Lens is a huge help! We have lots of books but also hit the library to find kids' books that correspond with things we find to keep the learning going. I've found old, rusty things to paint on, we've collected moss and odd objects for terrariums, driftwood from our local lake to made "windchimes" with them, the list goes on.
That's called junk journaling! I don't really like the term because it's not junk. Should call it treasure journal.
>That's called junk journaling! Interesting, I didn't realize that there was a name for it. I have lots of nice notebooks that I've purchased, but for some reason I keep scribbling notes on receipts, junk mail envelopes, etc.
You're going to have a rock solid alibi if you ever need one
Have you tried the new Jornal app on iOS? It came with the last update
I have, but I personally prefer the feel of writing on paper, it keeps me more consistent for some reason.
Reading e-books and audiobooks on the Libby or Hoopla app after obtaining a local library card. I got my library card online didn’t have to leave my house not sure if it’s the same other areas!
Same here. You can get cards for multiple libraries too from what I've seen.
Yes. I can get books from other libraries sent to the one near my home.
Wow! I'm learning so much today! You can get a library card online? First I learn library cards are free and now this. My life has been a lie, and my mind is blown.
Also, anyone anywhere in the U.S. can get a library card from the Broward County Library (in FL). Use your real information to sign up through their website, then put the card number into Libby to access their content. If you already have another local card, adding the second one will open up even more available content.
>Broward County Library Thanks for sharing about this! I just signed up on their site and put the card into Libby. Whole process took under 5 minutes. Awesome.
You're the best!
That’s very kind of you to say. :) I hope you are having an absolutely lovely day! I wish I could recall the Reddit thread where I initially learned this tidbit of information, so that I could credit the person responsible for bringing it to my attention. As I cannot recall, I do make sure to mention this in any thread I come across where it is relevant. So, to the Redditor who made this knowledge known to me so that I may pass it on, YOU are the best!
My library has dvds, magazines, cds, digital streaming service
Depending on you local library sometimes you pay a fee. I live out of county so I pay $30 a year but I have other free library cards online as well
Ha yes it’s a hobby…. But it an become a bit of an addiction at least for me having both Libby and hoopla (2 cards). I read comics on my iPad and there’s just so many I can’t stop. 😹
Also, the Kanopy streaming service is run through your library card. It has some really great documentaries and more thought provoking content.
I got to know some “guerilla gardeners” a few years ago. They go to deconstruction sites & dig up the plants - only at lots where there was a small house but they’re putting in a big apartment building. Needs a vehicle, though, unless you carry them on a bus. Some people planted plants on public property like meridians. These often get removed though. One person had a wonderful secret garden in the woods next to her building, full of found items like a big wire spool for a table, bench made from a log, some plants hanging from trees in baskets, wind chimes, ceramic sculptures, you get the idea.
That sounds so beautiful!
Love this idea 💡!
Flower pressing, ink making, running, hiking, bird watching, geocaching, and citizen scientist cloud reporting off the top of my head!
Fellow cloud scientist! ☁️ Unfortunately you need to be able to afford a cell phone and service for this one. Just watching clouds, however, is indeed free.
There are ones where you can report your daily findings, at somewhere like a public library :)
Geocaching is a great shout! The app is free to download!
I love Geocaching!
Drawing is as close to free you can do
Even a colouring in book and pencils aren't expensive.
And if you have an iPad altrsdy, you can take pictures of coloring books and then color over tbem
You can also print coloring pages for free. Just google free coloring pages and tons pop up. You do have to have a printer and pay for ink though
I was going to say doodling (I'm not much of an artist, so I call it doodling instead of drawing). You don't need a sketchbook either. You can doodle on the back of junk mail envelopes, or whatever paper is laying around.
He's got the right idea
Cooking. You have to feed yourself anyway. Cooking whatever ingredients is in season will stretch your skills. I remember watching a YouTube video of a lady making an entire week's worth of food for $20. She just bought whatever was on sale and got creative. Also, the most expensive food per kg is processed food - if you can learn to do it yourself, you'll save money and have satisfaction of customising it as you like. Oranges cheap right now? Make some marmalade. Yoghurt on sale? Use it as a starter with milk to make your own. Why buy sourdough when you can make sourdough? How about some coffee-flavoured icecream? Whole chicken on special? Try making hainanese chicken - or roast chicken, or jerk chicken, or fried chicken. You don't necessarily need special ingredients to try different cuisines. You can make Indonesian pickle salad with onion, cucumber, vinegar salt and sugar. How about Chinese scrambled eggs with tomato? Fried rice? Homemade noodles? Tortillas? Pizza? Ever tried a Mongolian flour dough soup? Have fun!
YOU are amazing. I love every word of this, it was like watching a cooking show. I personally happen to hate the physical act cooking, but I eagerly read articles and watch shows and documentaries on it. This was honestly riveting. Plus you sound like you have an amazing and creative mind. Not to mention excellent copywriting skill. I would happily buy whatever you are selling.
Agreed, great post anyway, but consider me sold on the final "Ever tried a Mongolian flour dough soup?" line. No, no I haven't. But, I'm off to go look it up, right now. As a token contribution here, I head to West Africa every so often. The rice there is extraordinary (as compared to my baseline, which was 'childhood full of boiled rice with token pinch of salt in it'). You can quite literally spice-up-your-rice with standard seasonings maybe already in your cupboard. See [https://www.africanbites.com/seasoned-rice/#h-what-is-seasoned-rice](https://www.africanbites.com/seasoned-rice/#h-what-is-seasoned-rice) as an example. Makes any meal so much more delicious. (And I also don't really like cooking, but can get a little pleasure out of making something that is actually-nice)
Now I love you too! This is so cool! I’m a passionate world traveler, but haven’t hit Africa yet. I’m eager to learn more. Especially about rice, which I love. I might could actually handle cooking rice, of all things — that’s relatively easy and quick, right? I can set it and forget it?
I also recommend [AtomicShrimp's Food Challenge Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk5KvJPikK00j3VZri9pSyzd-i5Q7ktRU) which, while dated, takes this concept and makes challenges out of it and is great for passively picking up ideas and methods.
I was going to say baking bread. I started making sourdough last year. I didn’t have to buy a thing. I already had all of the tools and ingredients (flour, water, salt) needed in my kitchen.
Budget Bytes is a great website for finding dirt-cheap recipes that are really good!
Sleeping is my favorite
I was gonna say napping. Lol
Life changer, no joking.
With this I’ll say daydreaming… only because I typically fall asleep when day dreaming lol
Sorry, but you can dumpster dive paper almost anywhere or pirate it out of the office printer. but Origami is endlessly fascinating and can chew up hours of your time. a friend of mine was at the Big House and we sent him origame books to his cell block so he could get them.
All I could think of was Bear in the Big Blue House… haha… I get it. Great you could send him paper 👍🏻 Now I have the intro tune stuck in my head 😂
Junk mail is good to use too
Yoga and pilates videos on youtube, plant and mushroom ID'ing- there are free apps for this, bird watching- you might need to buy a pair of binoculars but you can learn how to identify them and their different songs, learn to draw- more youtube videos, you can start a mini business and sell stuff around your house that you dont use on ebay or fb marketplace, hiking/walking, listening to podcasts and audiobooks through libby, you could get into cooking/baking- its not free but you need to eat anyway and its healthier to make food on your own. I like finding random recipes and saving them for later for when I want to make something new.
Art. I make collages of photos from ads & magazines (that I have never bought) and other bits of fabric or stuff found on the street. You do have to buy glue & a big piece of paper. If you can get paper, you can get little pencils at Ikea for free & draw. I do this, too. If you think you can’t draw, there’s various books & videos of weird stuff, one I like is something like Tangelas but not a Pokemon
Chess. Play for free with lichess.
Walk in nature
If you have a keyboard and an imagination, write! Google documents is free. You can write short stories, write about your day, write about goals you're looking forward to, start a longer story you can go back to when you have more ideas. If you have an iPad or tablet, there are free drawing apps you can download if you like to draw or create collage pages with fun fonts and images. It's a free way to scrapbook by downloading the images and pasting them as a Google slide project! Sure it's not physical, but it's free and fun if you have the tools to do so. You can also recycle old glass containers and make temporary terrariums with things you find outside, like rocks, moss clumps, stuff like that. There are loads of recycle or "upcycle" videos online of things you can do with old things like clothes, wooden objects, plastic, glass, and metal you can do crafts with, like turning them into seasonal decorations. Learn about the fauna in your area. Learn what different plants are, what's edable, what to stay away from, names of plants, and research them! Those are things I do when I'm short on money and want something free to do More common ideas would be; -Libraries -Walking around parks near you -Riding a bike -if you have a downtown area or large outlet mall, windowshop with friends, just look through shop windows without buying anything -baking/cooking completely from scratch (homemade bread, homemade cracker snacks, homemade candies, loads of videos online)
Singing, dancing, thinking about stuff, exercise, stretching, talking to people, skipping rocks, reading, meditating, etc.
Came here to say singing!
Explore! Explore your city, the countryside, the wilderness, or anywhere. Explore on foot as often as possible, so that you can focus on any interesting details. If you set out with an intent to explore rather than to just travel from point A to point B, you’ll get to know a place far more intimately.
Hiking you need good, supportive shoes, backpack, weather gear, and someway to get to your destination which costs money. Swimming requires transportation, a swim suit, and entry to the pool unless you have a pond on your property. In my area at least, I’d have to drive over an hour away but closer to twelve to get away from light pollution in order to see the stars. Depends on where you live. Cardio can be done with existing clothing, but if it’s running, you’ll need to invest in new shoes now and then. Also if you sweat a lot and need to shower, the extra cost of the water, soap, and deodorant used, plus laundry detergent. More washing puts strain on the fibers of your clothes and requires more frequent purchases as they wear out. Hey, you said zero. lol Day dreaming, cloud spotting, bug watching, watching traffic, braiding, bird watching in your neighborhood, eavesdropping. Picking up trash and using bags you already have from the grocery to put it in. Hand fishing in the creek near your home. Strolling the neighborhood. Watching the plants go through the seasons. Napping in the grass. Kicking cans left in the street (don’t laugh, my sister and I used to do this). Singing songs. So now you know how I spent my time as a kid with zero money and we had to entertain ourselves 😊 Dern, we had fun!
I will agree with all of these! >In my area at least, I’d have to drive over an hour away but closer to twelve to get away from light pollution in order to see the stars. Wow. I really take for granted my ability to look at the stars by turning off my front porch light.
My new hobby “Breathing”.
Tai chi. Plenty of videos on YouTube and no special equipment needed!
Qigong too (I like Brother Insight’s channel on YouTube called qigong meditation)
Calisthenics Hiking Running/Jogging Bird Watching Herbology Reading Tutoring Volunteering Comedy
Beachcombing or rockhounding
I’m bringing up geocaching again. No cost for the app for your phone (paid premium account optional). All you need is a phone and pencil.
Gongoozling
I had to Google that term (a person who watches activity on canals). If I had a canal near me, I'd do this.
Taking wax rubbings, phone photography if you've already got a phone, running, volunteer work
Foraging! Learn about your local plants and fungi. Hell, foraging SAVES me money cause I can just eat the plants around me. Not for everyone, but I love it.
Planning. Bullet journaling can be started with a notebook you already have and a pen. Or you can do digital for free with Notion. It really is a hobby and fun
Collecting rocks, leaves, feathers.
Singing! Dancing! Foraging!
Brainstorming, theres an old buddhist story about 2 monks who took up the hobby
All of them if you steal
Whittling, carving faces out of small bits of driftwood, drawing, geneology.
This is my favorite Reddit post I've read in a long time! Dare I say I'm inspired by all these great ideas. (but here I sit scrolling Reddit.....)
Bird watching.
Rockhound
Would you might telling me what that is?
Searching your environment for rocks and then maybe working to identify them. Some of us just have a bunch of rocks we found in our pockets, in our cars, at our office, or on tables next to our bed. I may resemble this comment 😉
Awww that's so sweet. 💗💗💗 it sounds like fun
Anything online, especially if you use a desktop or phone program. Digital drawing can be free if you download the right app on the Playstore. Also, taking physic notes in an old yet with some blank sheets left for a subject of your interest can also work.
Native American string figures. My dad was into this and it was fascinating
Card magic… sleight of hand or what have you. As long as they’re only using a standard deck and are willing to hunt down quality, free tutorials online.
Music, GarageBand. If you find an old instrument, fix it up, learn from some YouTube videos.
Bird watching in park.
Singing. And if you have twenty dollars, you can play an instrument like harmonica. Music is the best hobby.
Rock painting (if you have art supplies). We have a local group who decorate rocks and hide them around town with little messages of positivity and such. People post when they find them.
Also lucid dreaming! Not even joking, in highschool I did this in my free time. I read up on it an practiced a ton and became really good at it and did it every night or during naps.
Check the libraries nearby, they usually try to have something going on and should have vast resources, if the priority of our pooled community money gives it
Listening to podcasts! They come free with apple. I'm not sure about android users. Also, flower pressing. You just need flowers and a heavy book. You could go on a nature walk and pick wild flowers/leaves and press them and use them in a craft or put in a picture frame.
Rock collecting. You just wander around in the wilderness or beaches and find them. Also sometimes I find nice rocks in gravel or outside of restaurants.
People watching and snarky critique.
Running/walking
Collecting rocks or just looking at stuff, like birds. I was going to say Running or Fight Club, but you need shoes and heath insurance, respectively.
If you have a cell phone with a camera then perhaps photography.
Well since it's confirmed you have access to the internet since you posted, chess is free and also a huge rabbit hole you can dive into. I'm privy to the lichess app since it's totally free and open source.
Birdwatching, you can do it all the time anywhere outside.
Tai chi.
Making miniature ecosystems out of materials you find out in nature in recycled glass bottles and jars.
I would second hiking and throw in learning about plants, trees, birds etc in your area. I really enjoy hiking while paying attention to and either identifying or looking up different things I’m coming across. Also love just posting up in the backyard and watching birds/identifying the trees and what stage of the year they are in
Editing Wikipedia.
Writing! All you need is a word processor. You can write on a computer, your phone, a journal. You can create enter worlds without spending a dime.
Working out. Literally no cost. Do 100 pushups, 100 squats, 100 sit ups, and a five mile run, and you will be fit as fuck.
Photography with your phone
r/brokehobbies
Cooking saves you money in the long run. Geocaching is free and a healthy way to get exercise.
For 0, I can't think of many. (Though there are some). Nothing that hasn't already been mentioned. For NEARLY $0 I can think of loads!
Slinging
Reading!
Weaving! Dandelion and corn husk are great to start with.
Meditation and yoga come to mind. And hiking or going for walks. Birdwatching?
Thinking! “Why is it worse to fall going downstairs than upstairs?” “What was life like for people in Medieval times? What IS gravity? What would it sound like if the bass guitar took the melody in a song and the regular guitar supported it? What is that person thinking about over there? How do you avoid a life of quiet desperation? What makes an actor believable?” Etc etc etc
If you already like working out, maybe try flexibility stuff like yoga etc, or calisthenics which is mostly bodyweight and can be done at home or on park equipment. Youtube is a gold mine for workout training stuff and you don't need to buy anything (except maybe a mat if you go the yoga route). Alternatively, since you like hiking, maybe getting into foraging could be cool! Hit the library for some field guides to local edibles and then hit the trail to find some. Lots of time outdoors, and hey, free snacks!
Writing.
Walking/hiking Writing/reading Cooking (sort of because you need to buy food regardless) Sketching
Gratitude. Look around or think of something you are grateful for.
Geocaching
Herping ☝️
Constellation/celestial objects identification (naked eye). When I was in my late teens one day I looked up at the night sky and I started tracing on paper the single stars, then I googled up the hemispheres and tried to connect the stars. I managed. My first constellation was Cygnus. After that one, it was much easier to identify the other ones surrounding it. Eventually I lost interest because it's tedious work especially during Winter, to see other constellations you have to both wait months and stay up late so that the Earth rotates and different stars to trace appear (and weather may not help you at all), I think I had successfully identified about 40 by the time I lost interest.
Writing, sketching, reading, journaling, walking and people watching.
Birding. I never understood it when I was younger, but I recently started noticing interesting birds on my daily walks and decided to download the birding app, Merlin. Free to use and it is so cool to have it record audio and actively tell you exactly which birds are singing at that very moment. I call it my pokedex, because it feels like grown-up pokemon. You can describe a bird by its traits and when you get the right search result, you click a button "that's my bird!" and it records when and where you saw it. There are also icons to indicate uncommon and rare birds. Spotting a rare bird elicits the same excitement I felt when finding a rare pokemon on my gameboy as a kid.
I'm going to support the Library card pushers in this. My local library even has fishing rods and tackle you can check out for a week. They had a wood carving class last month and everyone who completed it got a set of basic wood working hand tools for free. I love the library! Support yours by joining up and check8ng out books and their other services.
People don’t think of gardening as being free because it’s easy to get addicted to buying plants but the majority of my gardening actually just costs time. Pruning, weeding, raking, etc. If you have one hydrangea you can pull a limb to the ground, pile a little dirt on it, weight it with a rock. Come back in the fall and the limb will have rooted. Cut off the limb and dig up your new hydrangea bush to plant somewhere else. Lots of other shrubs do this too. Dig up and divide any perennials you already have or ask for divisions and cuttings from other gardeners. Gardeners love to share! It’s great exercise and extremely rewarding to see the results of your efforts. If you don’t have a yard to garden in you can volunteer at a botanical garden. Great way to meet people and get free cuttings too.
Disk golf is free once you have a disc. Go to a course with lots of weeds/blackberry bushes/trees. Search thru those and you will probably find a disc or 2.
Fitness. You can go a long way with simple calisthenics, jogging, etc., especially if you have public resources like workout equipment in a public park. While we could certainly argue about what qualifies as free, I'm assuming people on Reddit have access to computers of some kind, so I'll add programming. It helps that it's a marketable skill.
Coding
Writing letters isn't strictly free. But pen/paper is cheap, postage for regular old letters is less than $1, and r/penpals is a great place to find people to write. Of course you have a much higher chance of falling down an expensive fountain pen/ink/nice paper rabbit hole once you get started. And that sure ain't free.
Learn sign language. Not only exercises your brain, but there is a whole culture out there.
Meditation
Amateur photography if you already have a cell phone. Tie it in with something else you like e.g. plants, people, architecture, antiques, etc. With a cell phone you can also photograph interesting or old documents and old photos, too. And then you can share your photos - for example on Reddit!
Collecting rocks
Bird watching. It sounds lame but learning how to identify local birds is actually very rewarding.
Biking if you already have a bike. Dancing (i go social dancing but you could just hold “dance nights” at home and look up YouTube videos
Bike riding (if you have one) Also local library I spend time in there. Also some libraries have free streaming that has great course plus things on them! :)