Having our own interests is an important and healthy part of being alive. Everyone should have a hobby that helps them feel better about themselves and entertains them. Whether it’s something outdoors like hiking or fishing, indoors like video games or puzzles, or creative like writing and painting, you should have a hobby you enjoy.

But for some, hobbies aren’t forever. Maybe you’re bored of your current pastime and are looking for something new and exciting. Or it could be your hobby has an off season, like golf in the winter, and you need something to fill the cold days. 

If you’re looking for a new hobby, there are a few things to consider alongside whether you will enjoy it or not. Many hobbies can get very expensive very quickly, so here’s some ways to keep it affordable, regardless of the hobby.
 

Picking a New Hobby
 

A tricky thing to do, picking a new hobby requires quite a bit of research and experimentation. You should make sure you’ll actually enjoy the hobby before jumping in with both feet and investing in it. For example, maybe the idea of knitting sounds relaxing, but when you try it out, you find it frustrating. It would be horrible if you already invested a lot of money into yarn and supplies only to find out you couldn’t even get through knitting a baby’s hat.

A good place to start with finding a new hobby is either doing something similar to what you already enjoy, or to “tag along” with someone doing a hobby you might be interested in. For example, if you enjoy fishing, you might like hunting, or if you like video games, you might enjoy board games. If you have a friend who hikes, ask to join them the next time they go out.

You might even find a few different hobbies to explore before settling on one you want to really spend time with. Once you have a new hobby you are interested in, you’re ready for the next step.
 

Dip Your Toes in the Water
 

Every hobby has different levels of experience and expertise. A professional painter might spend hundreds on a single paint brush, while a major car enthusiast might drop thousands on a broken down car they want to restore. 

As you begin with your new hobby, don’t cannonball in and get all of the expensive supplies right away. Start small and cheap. If your new hobby is mountain biking, don’t buy the two thousand dollar bike, get the hundred dollar one that will do a decent job. That way, if you lose interest in a few months and now need to pick a new hobby, you haven't sunk a ton of money into it. 

You should also pace yourself with the hobby and start small. If you’re interested in hiking, don’t book a week long hike in the wild, start with some simple short hikes in your local area. Going too big too soon might push you too hard and make you discouraged about your hobby.
 

Rent Equipment Before Buying
 

A lot of hobbies require expensive equipment, and if it’s your first or second try at the hobby, maybe consider renting the equipment rather than buying. Or similarly, take a class that provides the equipment rather than striking out on your own.

Renting is great for the really expensive stuff, like if you want to get into dirt biking or snowmobiling. The first few times, rent the equipment to get a good feel for it, and maybe even start to gain some preferences. If the equipment for your hobby is thousands of dollars and renting is just a hundred, it’s worth doing it once or twice to make sure you enjoy it.

A lot of times when you rent equipment, especially something expensive, they’ll require a credit card on file, so why not use Pioneer’s Visa Credit Card? A bonus to using it for rentals is that you earn 1 Reward point for every $1 spent, which you could later re-invest in your hobby! 
 

Found a Hobby You Love? Now Invest in Quality Equipment
 

Have you found a new hobby that’s captured your attention? That’s wonderful! Now it’s time to look at investing in good quality equipment. 

The cheap stuff is right for people giving the hobby a try or being very casual about it, but in the long run might cost you much more than you intend. If you love hiking but buy cheap hiking boots that wear out quickly, not only are you spending more on replacements, you might be paying in extra pains by using low quality equipment.

Research the right type of quality equipment for your level of interest. If you enjoy cycling on the weekends, you might want to buy a nice mid-range road bike. But if you’re interested in racing and getting very serious about cycling, you’ll want to invest in a much more expensive top-of-the-line bicycle. 

If the equipment is a little out of your current budget, you can always use a personal loan and pay it off monthly. Especially on large hobby purchases like that thousand dollar racing bike, Pioneer’s Signature Loan is a great way to pay for it month over month. 

Learn more about Signature Loans