10 Frugal Hobby Ideas
Here are ten Great Depression-era habits that are both practical and have the potential for a small side income. Each is built on the principle of resourcefulness.
1. Mending and Basic Sewing
Instead of throwing away a shirt with a missing button or jeans with a torn knee, you can fix them. This was a non-negotiable skill during the Depression. Today, it saves you from buying new clothes and can be a valuable service for others.
Startup Cost: $15-$25 for a basic sewing kit (needles, thread, thimble, seam ripper). A used, reliable sewing machine from a thrift store can be found for $40-$75.
Weekly Time: 1-2 hours.
How to Earn: Charge $5 to replace a button, $10 to patch a hole in jeans, or $15 to hem a pair of pants for neighbors or on a local community board.
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Taking on complex alterations (like resizing a jacket) too early. Stick to simple, visible repairs until your skills are solid.
2. Vegetable Gardening
Growing your own food provides fresh, healthy produce for a fraction of the grocery store price. A small 4×8 foot raised bed can produce a surprising amount of tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs. This is a core tenet of living like our grandparents.
Startup Cost: $30-$100 for seeds, some basic tools, and soil amendments or wood for a raised bed. You can start smaller with a few pots on a patio for under $25.
Weekly Time: 2-4 hours during the growing season.
How to Earn: Sell excess produce (especially high-value items like heirloom tomatoes or garlic) at a small table in your front yard with an honor-system cash box.
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Planting too much, too soon. Start with 3-5 easy-to-grow plants you know your family will eat, and master those before expanding.
3. Canning and Preserving
This goes hand-in-hand with gardening. When you have a bumper crop of tomatoes, canning allows you to enjoy them in January. It’s a classic way to “put up” food for the winter, saving a fortune on out-of-season produce.
Startup Cost: $50-$120 for a water-bath canner, a set of jars, lids, and basic tools like a jar lifter.
Weekly Time: 3-5 hours in batches during harvest season.
How to Earn: Sell unique, small-batch products like “Spicy Dill Pickles” or “Peach Bourbon Jam” at local farmers markets or to friends. Check local laws, as some states have “cottage food laws” with specific rules.
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Ignoring safety protocols. Botulism is a real risk. Follow tested recipes from reliable sources (like the National Center for Home Food Preservation) to the letter.
4. Baking Bread from Scratch
A warm, crusty loaf of homemade bread costs about $1.50 in ingredients, compared to $5-$8 at a bakery. The process is meditative, and the result is far superior to mass-produced bread.
Startup Cost: $20-$50 for flour, yeast, a digital scale, and a large bowl. A Dutch oven for baking is highly recommended and can be found used for $30-$40.
Weekly Time: 2-3 hours (most of which is inactive rising time).
How to Earn: Start a neighborhood “bread subscription.” For $20 a month, a customer gets one fresh loaf delivered to their porch every Saturday morning.
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Getting discouraged by your first few “failed” loaves. Bread making has a learning curve. Your early attempts might be dense or flat, but they’re still edible and part of the process.
5. Making Soap
Handmade soap is gentle on the skin and free of harsh chemicals. You control every ingredient. This craft turns a daily necessity into an affordable luxury and a beautiful, giftable item.
Startup Cost: $60-$90 for a digital scale, stick blender, safety gear (goggles, gloves), lye, oils, and molds.
Weekly Time: 2 hours for a batch, plus 4-6 weeks of curing time.
How to Earn: Bundle 3 different bars of soap with a simple ribbon and sell them as gift sets for $15-$20 around holidays.
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Not respecting the lye. Sodium hydroxide (lye) is caustic and dangerous if handled improperly. Always wear safety gear and work in a well-ventilated area, away from children and pets.
6. Simple Woodworking and Repair
Being able to fix a wobbly chair, build a simple bookshelf, or refinish a tired-looking table is an incredibly empowering and money-saving skill. It’s about maintenance and creation.
Startup Cost: $50-$100 for a good handsaw, a drill, a tape measure, a square, and some clamps. Scour garage sales for these items.
Weekly Time: 2-5 hours per project.
How to Earn: Offer a “small furniture assembly and repair” service in your neighborhood. Charge a flat fee of $25 to assemble a bookcase or $40 to sand and refinish a small end table.
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Underestimating the importance of “measure twice, cut once.” Rushing leads to wasted wood and frustration. Work slowly and methodically.
7. Knitting or Crocheting
This portable, relaxing hobby can produce warm hats, scarves, blankets, and even dishcloths. It’s a perfect activity to do while watching TV or listening to a podcast.
Startup Cost: $20-$35 for a set of knitting needles or a crochet hook, yarn, and a pair of small scissors.
Weekly Time: 3-5 hours.
How to Earn: Knit high-quality, simple items like cotton dishcloths (sell in packs of 3 for $12) or chunky winter beanies (sell for $20-$25). They are quick to make and always in demand.
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Buying expensive, fancy yarn as a beginner. Start with affordable acrylic or cotton yarn to practice your stitches without worrying about wasting costly materials.
8. Foraging for Wild Edibles
This is the ultimate frugal habit: gathering free, nutritious food from nature. Depending on your region, you might find berries, mushrooms, nuts, or greens. It requires knowledge and a deep respect for nature.
Startup Cost: $15-$30 for a good regional field guide and a basket. Do not skip the guide.
Weekly Time: 2-3 hours of walking and learning.
How to Earn: This one is more for personal savings. However, with expert-level knowledge, some people sustainably harvest and sell sought-after items like morel mushrooms to local chefs. This is an advanced step.
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Eating anything you are not 100% certain about. The rule is: when in doubt, throw it out. Many poisonous plants have edible look-alikes. Go with an experienced forager your first few times.
9. Making Your Own Cleaning Supplies
Why pay for fancy packaging and harsh chemicals? You can make effective, non-toxic cleaners for pennies using simple ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda, and water. This was standard practice in every household during the Great Depression.
Startup Cost: $10-$20 for spray bottles and bulk ingredients like vinegar and baking soda.
Weekly Time: Less than 30 minutes a month to mix new batches.
How to Earn: Package your all-purpose cleaner in a nice glass spray bottle with a custom label. Sell it with a bundle of microfiber cloths for $15 at a local craft fair as a “green cleaning starter kit.”
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Mixing the wrong ingredients. For example, mixing bleach and ammonia creates toxic chloramine gas. Stick to simple, proven recipes and never experiment.
10. Repurposing and Upcycling Furniture
Find a dated, beat-up piece of wooden furniture at a thrift store or on the curb and give it a new life with some sanding, paint, and new hardware. This prevents waste and can result in a beautiful, custom piece for your home.
Startup Cost: $40-$80 for sandpaper, paint brushes, a can of primer, paint, and new knobs or pulls.
Weekly Time: 4-6 hours for a small project like a nightstand.
How to Earn: Find a small, solid wood dresser for $20. Spend $30 and 5 hours cleaning, sanding, and painting it a modern color. List it on a local online marketplace for $125-$150.
Beginner Mistake to Avoid: Skipping the prep work. Proper cleaning and sanding is 80% of the job and is the difference between a finish that peels in six months and one that lasts for years.
