The Thrifty Therapist: Hobbies

Do you ever think about your hobbies?

Are your hobbies expensive? Some of mine are, to be sure, but others are very cheap and help me stretch my meager budget as far as it can go. Hobbies are something that every person should cultivate for the sake of self-care, reflection, and pure enjoyment.

Having lost a part-time job recently, my budget has changed significantly, and I am having to find ways to economize as I get used to the change in my income. So, I am scrutinizing my hobbies to see what I can do to cut back on my spending but still get the benefits that my hobbies give me.

My hobbies are reading, making books, papercrafting, crocheting, and watching television and movies. The nice thing about my hobbies is that I have been doing them for so long that I already have everything that I NEED to make things and engage in my hobbies, but I do not have everything that I WANT! So, the first part of my thriftiness is to stop purchasing the things that I WANT and to focus on the things that I NEED.

Books - reading. I already have an account with my local library, but I also have a room full of my own books. I have been amassing a collection of children's books lately for my music therapy themes, but I have not bought them new. I use a company called Thriftbooks.com for buying books. That will slow down as I use my library a bit more.

Books - making journals. This is something that I have all the things that I NEED to do in my house already. I have pretty paper, lots of scissors and glue, and all that. I will have to go on a no-buy restriction for a bit of time in this category. I do not NEED anymore paper or other stuff for this hobby. I've got it all! So, for the next, say, three months, I will use what I have rather than buying something new. Same with papercrafting.

Crocheting. This is another hobby where I have everything that I need already. I do not have to buy yarn for the foreseeable future because I was gifted lots of yarn. Of course, the yarn that I was gifted is not always my colors, but that's okay. I am currently making myself a pair of slippers out of some ugly yarn - just to use it all up! I don't mind wearing ugly slippers. They will be warm and toasty even if they are hard to look at.

Watching television and movies. I already have a movie subscription account to my local movie theater. I am making myself use it more often. I also have my television streaming services. I am looking to see if there are places where I can cut that down. We will see about that.

When you are being thrifty, there are always options. A friend of mine gets free tickets to concerts because she volunteers as an usher. Another friend of mine makes things out of driftwood that he finds on the beach near his house. There are ways to economize with whatever interests you have.

Hobbies are not things to give up in times of financial crisis, they are things to keep going with some adjustments. As an important part of self-care, hobbies are things to nurture rather than to ignore.

Be thrifty, but be aware of what you need.