Stix ‘n Brix

Three hundred dollar video game consoles. Forty dollars and up for a three-hour round of golf. And have you priced fuel at the marina lately? Who can afford to have fun anymore?

Fortunately, there are still great ways to spend your leisure time that are cheap, fun, and even rewarding. Here’s my list of the top five ways to have fun on a tiny budget.

5. Radio Control Models Technology and a major shift in marketing have transformed radio controlled (or R/C) models from costly, hard-to-build, finicky machines into inexpensive, ready to run playthings that anyone can fly, drive or sail. New high-efficiency electric motors and tiny digital radios have made possible self-stabilizing helicopters and airplanes tiny enough to fly in your living room. There are also R/C cars and trucks, boats, tanks and even hovercraft, all with prices starting well under $100.00.

4. Cross Stitch The most popular form of needlecraft, counted cross stitch, has been joined by new variants like the simpler no-count cross stitch and punch needle, which is easy enough for a young child to do. Stamped cross stitch kits print the pattern right on the fabric. When complete, simply launder your project and the pattern washes away. There are literally thousands of kits and patterns available, ranging from tiny ornaments to sull-sized quilts

3. Coin Collecting Perhaps the oldest, most widely enjoyed hobby on the planet. The U.S. Mint has jumped on the coin collecting bandwagon with its wildly popular Stathood Quarter series and its new Presidential Dollar coins. Coin collectng is easy, rewarding, and requires almost no special equipment. Keep your collection in inexpensive “flips” or luxuriant albums, the choice is yours.

2. Stamp Collecting Like coin collecting, is a hobby that’s part activity, part investment. Today’s postage stamps are tiny works of art, windows on the culture, people and events of our world. Also like coin collecting, basic costs are very low. A good album costs under $50.00, and will take years to fill. You can build your collection easily and cheaply by buying packets of assorted stamps, then reselling the ones you don’t want on Ebay

1. Scale Modeling The grand-daddy of the hobby industry is still going strong. New laser-cut technology for wood models, precision molding and casting for plastic and metal parts make model kits more realistic and easier to assemble than ever. There are lots of new subjects, too, including motorcycles, exotic cars and the latest high-tech aircraft. With hundreds of kits priced under $20.00, model kits provide reqarding entertainment for just pennies per hour

These hobbies aren’t only affordable, they’re social. There are numerous local clubs and online chat groups in support of each. You’ll meet real people, not anonymous avatars, from all over the world.

People just like you.

This article was composed as part a Problogger.net group writing project.