Practical and Fun Hobbies for Young Professionals

What do you do for fun after work or on weekends? Do you have an exciting hobby that you can talk about all day?

Everybody needs a hobby or two (or more) not just for fun but also to relieve stress. A lot of yuppies turn to watch the latest movies to ease stress, but the price of tickets and snacks can drain your wallet.

Having something to do outside of work can help you build social connections, become a more interesting person, and earn extra income. Below are some hobbies you can do to live a more meaningful life.

For the social butterfly

1. Play board games
   
   Entertain your friends by playing board games to exercise your social skills. It’s an exciting hobby that keeps your mind working.
   
   Simple games like chess can help you de-stress and learn a couple of life lessons. For instance, sacrificing a piece to gain a strategic advantage can be similar to sacrificing your wants to increase your savings and gain a financial advantage later in life. Meanwhile, Monopoly can teach how to manage your money better (e.g., diversify your portfolio and avoid spending all your money straight away).
   
   
2. Starting a book club
   
   If you enjoy meeting people and engaging in discussions, you can start a book club. Sharing the same interests, understanding how people think, and knowing what subjects people care to read can be fun and interesting. Maybe you can find people who want to share and discuss financial management, which can be mentally stimulating and valuable for everyone.
    

For the health and fitness enthusiast

3. Biking
   
   Dust off the bike that has long been sitting in your garage and tune it up. You can bike around your neighborhood or on local trails where you can reconnect with nature and unload the stress from work. This is a great activity for families, couples, or even friends.
   
   Biking is one way to get active without subscribing to a gym membership. Imagine the amount of money you can save when you cancel your membership fee. That sum can go to your savings fund, emergency fund, or investments.
   
   
4. Exercising
   
   Zumba, parkour, yoga—these are some of the exercises that can keep your mind and body sharp. You don’t have to avail of a membership to get started. YouTube is an excellent resource for free tutorials or workouts for exercises like this.
   
   Exercising isn’t just an enjoyable hobby to have; it’s a good habit to keep you healthy. For your own and your family’s peace of mind, get a life and health insurance plan like Critical Care 100.
   
   Secure lifetime protection from up to 100 critical illnesses until you’re 100 years old, so you can live your days worry-free with your family.
   I want to learn more!

5. Playing music
   
   Have you always wanted to learn how to play the guitar or piano? Well, time to pick up an instrument, look up tutorials on YouTube, and start learning. If you don’t have a budget to buy an instrument yet, you can borrow one from a friend. The important thing is that you get to exercise your music appreciation and skills the more you practice.
   
   
6. Gardening
   
   Get practical and find a sense of satisfaction and happiness in growing something from nothing. Gardening not only lets you release stress through spending some alone time with your nature friends, but it also boosts your financial health. Growing your own produce can save you loads of cash. Whether you plan on curating a lush flora or vegetable life, getting your hands dirty is a healthy hobby.
   
   
7. Cooking or baking
   
   They say that the kitchen is the heart of every home, so why not try to experiment with cooking or baking and create a delectable dish? The best thing about learning how to cook or bake is that you can look up any recipe online, follow them, or tweak them to make it your own. The second best thing is cooking your own food, which can save you lots of money!

For the side hustler

8. Learning a language
   
   Learning a new language is not only a fun hobby but also a life-changing one. It exercises and enhances your listening skills, communication skills, and memory. You can start slow and introduce yourself to a new language using Duolingo, or enroll in language classes to further enhance your mastery of it.
   
   If you get better at one language that it almost sounds like your second language, you can work as a translator on the side. That’s hitting two birds with one stone—a new skill unlocked plus extra income.
   
   
9. Writing
   
   Writing—whether through pen and paper or a blog—eliminates stress, gives you a better grasp of reality, and helps you make better decisions. Write when you need to vent, make sense of whatever you’re thinking, or simply document your day-to-day.
   
   Reading what you just wrote can help you understand your feelings, emotions, and thoughts. It’s good for the soul and mind. You can even earn on the side with writing. You can take on freelance writing jobs in your free time.
   
   
10. Thrift shop flipping
    
    Selling vintage items on Instagram and other e-commerce platforms are growing in popularity. Make sure only to have a fixed allowance when thrift shopping. If you love thrift shopping, you can make a living with this hobby by restoring items you buy from your local thrift shop. This way, you get to better exercise how to stay within your budget and maximize your capital.

For gaining new skills

11. Coding
    
    If you can’t be bothered to meet new people or go outside to exercise a hobby, learning how to code brings about a different perspective on problem-solving, which can come in handy when managing your finances.
    
    It can also pave the way for career flexibility and has excellent earning potential. You can check out many free coding classes online like Codecademy and freeCodeCamp.
    
    
12. Photography
    
    Taking up photography as a hobby isn’t cheap, but you don’t need to buy a DSLR camera to practice your photography skills. The camera on your smartphone will do to get you started (you can upgrade later!).
    
    Moreover, you can choose to focus your photography using a smartphone camera (and join the #phonephotography community) and use the money you saved up for other expenses (i.e., insurance plans, savings, etc.).

Taking up fun and healthy habits not only improves your quality of life but also pays off in your personal finances. Who needs a gym membership or a paid class when you can find workout videos or guitar tutorials on YouTube, right? Better to put that money you saved on more important funds like a life insurance plan or emergency fund.

Are you looking for other ways to improve your personal finance? Reach out to a Bancassurance Sales Executive at any of our 900 BPI branches today!