Ways of spending free time

[JLM]

I got to thinking (having grandchildren around all the time) that one of the problems we face as a society today is that most activities that people pursue cost quite a lot of money for the average person. Can not people find things to keep them occupied that don't cost an arm and a leg? Here we are in 2009 whining about being in a recession while at the same time it's not uncommon for a family to put out $500 to watch a live hockey game. Does that strike anyone as being totally ridiculous? I think there are still a handful of activities we can enjoy for very little money (getting a book out of the library, playing cards, hiking in the countryside, gardening, fishing in a local steam) but the inclination to do these things seems to have waned. I know "big business" has taken over every pastime it can get it's greedy hands on, but isn't it we the victims who should be putting a stop to it?

 

[Francis2004]

I got to thinking (having grandchildren around all the time) that one of the problems we face as a society today is that most activities that people pursue cost quite a lot of money for the average person. Can not people find things to keep them occupied that don't cost an arm and a leg? Here we are in 2009 whining about being in a recession while at the same time it's not uncommon for a family to put out $500 to watch a live hockey game. Does that strike anyone as being totally ridiculous? I think there are still a handful of activities we can enjoy for very little money (getting a book out of the library, playing cards, hiking in the countryside, gardening, fishing in a local steam) but the inclination to do these things seems to have waned. I know "big business" has taken over every pastime it can get it's greedy hands on, but isn't it we the victims who should be putting a stop to it?

An easy thing to say and do.. Much like Christmas gifts that one can make at home instead of buying at Walmart.. However when Christmas is upon us and we are close to that date and the kids whine about the "transformer" they saw on TV we often give in to the fast way out, which is often to buy a quick gift that we know will make them happy for 5 minutes but its what they wanted..

Damn half the time they have more fun with the freaking box..

 

[AnnaG]

We did a lot of hiking, fishing, camping, swimming, playing family baseball and soccer, tag team wrestling matches together, picnics, board games, reading to the kids, picking the fruit, feeding the chickens and getting eggs, summer waterfights and winter snowball fights, yardwork and gardening, etc. Loads of stuff to do that's relatively cheap. Even just going for a drive and a lunch out.

 

[Niflmir]

When I was young I always liked mind benders. Mend binders?

Anyways, nowadays I try to find green's functions for exotic elliptic equations.

 

[Nuggler]

An easy thing to say and do.. Much like Christmas gifts that one can make at home instead of buying at Walmart.. However when Christmas is upon us and we are close to that date and the kids whine about the "transformer" they saw on TV we often give in to the fast way out, which is often to buy a quick gift that we know will make them happy for 5 minutes but its what they wanted..

Damn half the time they have more fun with the freaking box..

I once took a small wooden ball, drilled it, and glued in a piece of dowling. Gave one to each of the kids for Christmas. A small, simple gift, crafted lovingly with dads' own two hands.

I guess if we had got them something else as well, they might have appeciated the ball on a stick, more. Or even, at all.

Damn little ingrates.

 

[Nuggler]

Now that all the kids are grown, we go down to the local bar when it closes, and roll drunks.

Cheap, entertaining, profitable, helping people beat their alcohol problem. And it can be done all year, not just at "Holiday Time:x"

Ah yes, and they talk about the good old days. Pshaw!!

 

[JLM]

An easy thing to say and do.. Much like Christmas gifts that one can make at home instead of buying at Walmart.. However when Christmas is upon us and we are close to that date and the kids whine about the "transformer" they saw on TV we often give in to the fast way out, which is often to buy a quick gift that we know will make them happy for 5 minutes but its what they wanted..

Damn half the time they have more fun with the freaking box..

YOur last sentence succinctly says it all!

 

[SirJosephPorter]

I got to thinking (having grandchildren around all the time) that one of the problems we face as a society today is that most activities that people pursue cost quite a lot of money for the average person. Can not people find things to keep them occupied that don't cost an arm and a leg?

JLM, my hobbies have always been cheap, they cost very little, I am the original cheapskate.

One of my hobbies is reading, of course, I am an avid reader. I read many types of literature, but mainly science fiction and popular astronomy. And I don’t buy books either, I borrow from the local library. I have held library card for several decades now, wherever I lived (in USA, Britain etc.).

Another of my hobbies is chess. I have an expert rating from United States Chess Federation and Canadian Chess Federation, that puts me in top 5% of players. I also have expert rating from English and Scottish Chess federations, but that was a long time ago. Chess is an inexpensive hobby. Chess set (and chess clock) costs a few dollars and lasts a lifetime.

I used to play in tournaments extensively up until ten years ago, these days I don’t. However, I have an excellent computer program and I play chess with the computer every day for about one hour.

Another of my hobbies is hiking, probably the cheapest of outdoor hobbies. I belong to an outdoor club. A day long hike would perhaps come to 20 dollars, including gas and entrance fee if any. You can’t get any other outdoor entertainment as cheap as that.

Another of my hobbies is bridge, again, very inexpensive. I also have a computer program for bridge. I play bridge with computer from time to time, though I tend to play more with humans.

You don’t need money to have fun, there are plenty of cheap, inexpensive hobbies around, one has to look for them.

 

[Nuggler]

JLM, my hobbies have always been cheap, they cost very little, I am the original cheapskate.

One of my hobbies is reading, of course, I am an avid reader. I read many types of literature, but mainly science fiction and popular astronomy. And I don’t buy books either, I borrow from the local library. I have held library card for several decades now, wherever I lived (in USA, Britain etc.).

Another of my hobbies is chess. I have an expert rating from United States Chess Federation and Canadian Chess Federation, that puts me in top 5% of players. I also have expert rating from English and Scottish Chess federations, but that was a long time ago. Chess is an inexpensive hobby. Chess set (and chess clock) costs a few dollars and lasts a lifetime.

I used to play in tournaments extensively up until ten years ago, these days I don’t. However, I have an excellent computer program and I play chess with the computer every day for about one hour.

Another of my hobbies is hiking, probably the cheapest of outdoor hobbies. I belong to an outdoor club. A day long hike would perhaps come to 20 dollars, including gas and entrance fee if any. You can’t get any other outdoor entertainment as cheap as that.

Another of my hobbies is bridge, again, very inexpensive. I also have a computer program for bridge. I play bridge with computer from time to time, though I tend to play more with humans.

You don’t need money to have fun, there are plenty of cheap, inexpensive hobbies around, one has to look for them.

Wanna get together and roll some drunks??

 

[JLM]

S.J.- I'm a lot like you in that regard, I'm also an avid reader who patronizes the local library, I don't play chess but do play a lot of scrabble, and most days (about 340 a year) I walk for 11/2 hours a day just to keep in some semblance of shape. On whole I entertain myself very cheaply, just so sad to see that others can't. One of my more expensive things to do is travel with my R.V........but on the other hand it's against the law to put money in a coffin.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

When I was young I always liked mind benders. Mend binders?

Anyways, nowadays I try to find green's functions for exotic elliptic equations.

Niflmir, mind benders are quite easy to find. Let me give you an example. When our son was little, I did a lot of baby sitting. My wife used to work all kinds of odd hours, evenings, weekends etc. (she still does).

My son was playing with alphabet blocks one day and looking at him, I got the idea for a mind bender. I spent many hours absorbed into it, in essence playing with blocks, while my son was little (sometimes we both would play with blocks, in our own way).

This mind bender can be made as easy or as difficult as one wishes. It is simple, pick up any number of blocks you wish, 4, 5, 6, doesn’t matter. The task is to make a word using all the blocks that you have picked. Each block has six letters on it.

It you take 3 or 4 blocks, of course the problem is easy. As you pick up more blocks, it gets more difficult. By the time you are up to 8 or 9 blocks, it becomes very difficult, with no guarantee of a solution. I spent many entertaining hours while baby sitting our son.

 

[AnnaG]

Speeches? If someone told me speeches were allowed I'd have added a story to each of my suggested activities. Sheeeeeeeesh

 

[Cannuck]

Volunteer in your community. It costs nothing. It is very rewarding. It is desperately needed. It could be something as involve as becoming the treasurer of an organization or a volunteer firefighter (these things may require hundreds of hours per year) or something as simpl as joining a service group like the Lions. I volunteer for about 10 organizations and during a "quiet" week I may spend 10 hours volunteering....a busy week may require 30

 

[AnnaG]

Volunteer in your community. It costs nothing. It is very rewarding. It is desperately needed. It could be something as involve as becoming the treasurer of an organization or a volunteer firefighter (these things may require hundreds of hours per year) or something as simpl as joining a service group like the Lions. I volunteer for about 10 organizations and during a "quiet" week I may spend 10 hours volunteering....a busy week may require 30

Good idea .... grab the fam and go do stuff for people.

 

[JLM]

Volunteer in your community. It costs nothing. It is very rewarding. It is desperately needed. It could be something as involve as becoming the treasurer of an organization or a volunteer firefighter (these things may require hundreds of hours per year) or something as simpl as joining a service group like the Lions. I volunteer for about 10 organizations and during a "quiet" week I may spend 10 hours volunteering....a busy week may require 30

Yep, definitely a noble pasttime.

 

[Mowich]

Now that all the kids are grown, we go down to the local bar when it closes, and roll drunks.

Cheap, entertaining, profitable, helping people beat their alcohol problem. And it can be done all year, not just at "Holiday Time:x"

Ah yes, and they talk about the good old days. Pshaw!!

Oh, Nuggler! I know that posting might offend people of a more 'delicate' nature, but damned if you didn't just give me the best laugh of my day. LOL :lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[L Gilbert]

I like the donating time to needy people idea.

Besides that there is always watching a movie with popcorn. Oh, and the rest of the family, of course.

 

[karrie]

I spent tonight chopping up some old jeans (outside), a shirt (really cute banding for the purse straps), and a pair of yoga pants (lining), to make a purse for my daughter for Christmas. Even though she saw some of the work take place, she didn't see the finished product, and it will all be gone come morning with an excuse of 'it didn't turn out'. It's a pretty cheap past time once you have a machine, assuming you don't snap two needles a night, and scavenging material makes it even cheaper.

My son will be getting a monster made by me out of scraps (once I get new needles!).

It's a hobby I can get on board with (once I figure out how to stop snapping needles... hehe).

 

[Nuggler]

Oh, Nuggler! I know that posting might offend people of a more 'delicate' nature, but damned if you didn't just give me the best laugh of my day. LOL :lol::lol::lol::lol:

Thanks Mowich. None too delicate on this forum, rest assured. Like those little blue flowers which grow in manure piles, all the "delicate" have withered in the wind.

Deep, very deep.

8O