[Chad Daring]

Im curious what everyone does on their downtime. I'm finding my free time to be more and more tedious and I want to fill it up with something, preferably something that doesn't suck up a lot of resources.

In the past I would've turned to something like video games but I guess I've just grown away from that, plus it doesn't make for good conversation later down the line.

Bonus points for ideas that can be done on the cheap.

[Pete]

I like to work with music (record, produce, mix, songwriting, singing, etc.). Sometimes go out and have fun skateboarding. Running, weight lifting, etc. I sometimes also go fishing with my buddies.

[CupCake]

Dude, I was literally just about to write a post about this.

I'm bored as fuck right now and really need to get something to do. I have a lot of ideas for stuff I want to do, but I can't afford the monthly fees of hobby clubs. Just plain broke. I think learning an instrument would be cool if you can afford to buy one. Running & working out is free but not much to talk about later, obviously.

I think I'm over the video games too. Realized I just wasted too much of my life on that shit. I'm still an internet junkie though.

[Chad Daring]

(06-12-2011 08:22 PM)CupCake Wrote:  

Dude, I was literally just about to write a post about this.

I'm bored as fuck right now and really need to get something to do. I have a lot of ideas for stuff I want to do, but I can't afford the monthly fees of hobby clubs. Just plain broke. I think learning an instrument would be cool if you can afford to buy one. Running & working out is free but not much to talk about later, obviously.

I think I'm over the video games too. Realized I just wasted too much of my life on that shit. I'm still an internet junkie though.

Sounds like were in the exact same boat.

Life experience seems to be a big part of what makes a successful player and alpha, but I want to do something other then mindless pursuing.

I thought about looking into hiking, I'd still love to get into parkour but I dont know where to start really.

Most hobbies cost money, and thats what I dont have. I'm half tempted to pick up a second job just to fill the time, something social like bartending would be nice.

[YoungGunner]

(06-12-2011 08:27 PM)Chad Daring Wrote:  

(06-12-2011 08:22 PM)CupCake Wrote:  

Dude, I was literally just about to write a post about this.

I'm bored as fuck right now and really need to get something to do. I have a lot of ideas for stuff I want to do, but I can't afford the monthly fees of hobby clubs. Just plain broke. I think learning an instrument would be cool if you can afford to buy one. Running & working out is free but not much to talk about later, obviously.

I think I'm over the video games too. Realized I just wasted too much of my life on that shit. I'm still an internet junkie though.

Sounds like were in the exact same boat.

Life experience seems to be a big part of what makes a successful player and alpha, but I want to do something other then mindless pursuing.

I thought about looking into hiking, I'd still love to get into parkour but I dont know where to start really.

Most hobbies cost money, and thats what I dont have. I'm half tempted to pick up a second job just to fill the time, something social like bartending would be nice.

at this time of year exams and papers only leave time to work out and do martial arts, which I think are more so life skills since they deal with health and safety as opposed to personal pleasure pursuits. If I had more time I'd definitely take up wilderness camping or something outdoors-oriented as a hobby, practice my saxophone which I haven't done in months, read alot more books on areas of interest , or even try painting. If I lived closer to a beach or air base and had money to spare I'd do something like kitesurfing or skydiving but those lessons cost alot, at least the ones for instructors who seem to know what they're doing.

cooking is always a good hobby, but the cost of ingredients can dent your wallet and might get boring depending on how often and how much you like to cook for yourself or others.

[Chad Daring]

I thought about inventing urban camping lol, take the metro to DC and attempt to stay the entire weekend without returning home and without renting a room

[CJ]

Read any good books lately?

[Chad Daring]

(06-12-2011 08:59 PM)CJ Wrote:  

Read any good books lately?

Thanks for the list, I've thought about getting a few good books and posting up in a coffee shop. You risk being "that guy" but its something.

[CupCake]

Martial arts is something I really want to get into but travel costs and monthly fees aren't going to work out.

I picked up cooking for a while and it's fun but it is costly, especially if you're cooking stuff with exotic ingredients. You also end up making a lot more food than you're going to eat if you're single. It's a great life skill though and gives you experiences to share with others. I'd start there if you have nothing else.

[Chad Daring]

I cook for a living, have for over 7 years and graduated culinary school, think I got that down heh.

Martial arts is something I've thought about looking into too, though I dont know about the cost either, considering I already have a gym membership.

[YoungGunner]

This would also fall under the book category, but learning another language would also be a productive use of your time. Plus, it would give you a reason to and motivation to plan a trip abroad.

[Chad Daring]

Learning Spanish has been on my todo list for a long time, I think I do need to light the fire under my ass and get on that, it'll help me professionally a lot

[hoops330]

Learn how to work with lumber, invest in a small workshop, build things with your hands.

[amistod]

http://artofmanliness.com/2010/01/06/45-manly-hobbies/

for me:
DJ
Gym
Learning to cook to supplement Gym

[Gmac]

In addition to what's already been said (plus the manly stuff from the post above broken down):

Skydiving
Cooking
Hiking
Kayaking
Scuba Diving
Fishing
Chess
Guitar/Instruments
Woodworking
Landscaping/Gardening
Car restoration
Metalworking
Marksmanship
Camping/Backpacking
Hunting
Sports
Bowling
Archery
Photography
Pool
Mountaineering
Flying
Magic (lol Mystery)
Foreign Languages
Cards
Blogging
Paintball
Fencing
Beer Brewing
Drawing/Painting
Adventure Races (i.e. warrior dash)

[amistod]

also, if you are looking for cheap hobbies because you are low on funds.. shouldn't your hobby be getting your funds up?

[Chad Daring]

(06-13-2011 12:04 PM)amistod Wrote:  

also, if you are looking for cheap hobbies because you are low on funds.. shouldn't your hobby be getting your funds up?

I'm in the process of finding a part time job tht wont interfere with my main job


What about volunteer work. Hippie chicks?

[Bad Hussar]

[/quote]


I thought about looking into hiking, I'd still love to get into parkour but I dont know where to start really.

[/quote]

I've always been amazed that Parkour hasn't taken off with late teens/early 20's guys. It's urban cool personified. Remember seeing one guy doing this a few years back on a boardwalk. Out of nowhere he dropped something like 15 feet over a walkway flying over this guy's head who was sitting on a park bench on a parralel walkway below. The look on park bench guy's face was priceless. Good game as well. Lot's of girls around going "ooohh aaaahh, Who is that guy" as he dissapeared into the distance. And you can still do it even if you can't afford a skateboard.

Serious hiking/survival camping etc. is also a great manly hobby. Maybe Sierra Club level for people in the States. If you really know what you're doing you can be a volunteer mountain rescuer.

[Kickb]

after i finish my summer math class i am going to begin learning spanish.

it has been alot of fun learning songs on the keyboard/piano, ive been at it for 6 months and i recommend it.

other hobbies are learning more about wine and other alcohol.
I treat game as a hobby

[YoungGunner]

(06-13-2011 12:16 PM)Chad Daring Wrote:  

(06-13-2011 12:04 PM)amistod Wrote:  

also, if you are looking for cheap hobbies because you are low on funds.. shouldn't your hobby be getting your funds up?

I'm in the process of finding a part time job tht wont interfere with my main job


What about volunteer work. Hippie chicks?

Gardening and organic farming attract of hippie-esque chicks or chicks who just like nature in general. depending on where you live the organization you go to could be stacked with attractive girls or have very few, but either way its worth checking out for your own interest and to know you can supply your own food. Metalworking can earn you some money since you can sell your custom-made furniture and knives and all sorts of crap:



as for martial arts they can be expensive but for Krav Maga specifically if you can't yet afford classes you can buy the book http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Krav-Maga...478&sr=8-1 to get the jist of it, though obv training with partners and instruction is almost a necessity.

[Chad Daring]

Quote:

I've always been amazed that Parkour hasn't taken off with late teens/early 20's guys. It's urban cool personified.

I know right, its like kinetic yoga, very intense, but in a individually liberating way. I did some research on getting started into parkour and I'm working in the gym to get myself strong enough to start at the basic level. I dont want to go off half cocked and hurt myself, hopefully within a month by mid summer I'll be ready. (this is nice to because its a goal, makes working out more fun)

Quote:

Metalworking can earn you some money since you can sell your custom-made furniture and knives and all sorts of crap:

This is brilliant, Im sure an amateur could throw something like that together with just a tube of JB Weld, might have to go junk diving in the 'burbs and find some cool scrap. By far my favorite idea yet. (would make for good conversation if you got a girl over to your place too)

[CupCake]

Ever heard of Contact Juggling? Just saw a guy doing it and I thought it'd be cool to learn. Definitely impress the ladies with it and it's cheap!:

Contactjuggling.org

[Chad Daring]

(06-13-2011 07:25 PM)CupCake Wrote:  

Ever heard of Contact Juggling? Just saw a guy doing it and I thought it'd be cool to learn. Definitely impress the ladies with it and it's cheap!:

Contactjuggling.org

   


I've looked into it in the past, probably would do well. This is gonna sound odd but for years at work I've done the exact same thing with eggs or lemons out of boredom, not to that degree of skill though.


I wanna thank everyone that posted ideas, I'm gonna go balls into parkour. Thats my goal for this summer. I'm gonna start working on basics and condition in the next month and hopefully be able to not kill myself by July/August

[Bad Hussar]

"I wanna thank everyone that posted ideas, I'm gonna go balls into parkour. Thats my goal for this summer. I'm gonna start working on basics and condition in the next month and hopefully be able to not kill myself by July/August "

If you get really good there's always the chance you could get into some music or other video. It's the perfect background for a producer wanting to convey urban energy. Check out Madonna's music video "Jump" for an example.

[Vitriol]

I'm a big fan of manly hobbies because I gave up on stuff like video games, movies, and television years ago.

-anything athletic like weight lifting, hiking, running, boxing, martial arts

-cooking, and I don't mean baking cookies. I mean knowing how to make a whole chicken, steak, or fish and prepare it well so you can get tons of protein and boost your testosterone

-music. You can learn an instrument, be a DJ, go to concerts, learn to appreciate classical music, search for new music on the internet. Music as a hobby can get really involved if you're serious about it.

-alcohol. I mean in terms of making taking a formal course on wines at a university, learning to make real drinks like the better bartenders do, making your own beer or hunting down local microbrews. You can integrate a lot of this into going out and hitting on girls because it helps to be knowledgable.

-as far as reading goes, if you've been through college and read some of the important authors like Plato, Shakespeare, Camus, Hemingway, etc. you probably aren't going to learn anything new by constantly reading and re-covering ground that the classical works already address in a different form.That being said, a solid foundation is important. Most bestsellers and popular fiction is crap for bored housewives, the kind of stuff you won't even remember what it was about a month after you read it.

-go outside! sunlight boosts your testosterone. However, this is most easily done if you live near a beach or a place with good weather.


For me, when I factor in my responsibilities, I pretty much only have time left for the cooking, athletic stuff, music, and booze. There just isn't enough time in a day.