The price of trying something new

Many people are wary to start a new hobby for fear of spending a bunch of money getting started, then realizing they don't even like the hobby after all. For example, say you wanted to try golfing. You may be inclined to buy golf equipment, golf shoes, and a snazzy new outfit. This is true for many sports and hobbies.

I found a list of free or very frugal hobbies to try in a great book I am currently reading called The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches. Most of them will even save you money by learning a practical skill to be applied directly to everyday life.

Here are some of the ones I think are worth trying:
Birding
Climbing trees
Composting
Conservation
Cooking
Crafts
Dancing
Dream interpretation
Foraging
Fossil hunting
Foreign language learning
Free attractions and events
Free factory tours
Gardening
Genealogy
Haircutting
Hiking
Kite flying
Meditating
Painting
Reading
Recycling
Sewing
Stargazing
Writing
Yoga

Hobby shops

One thing I really miss about living in a larger town is the accessibility of certain specialty shops. In particular, I miss having a good hobby shop nearby. I know there are online hobby shops that carry all the same items, but that's the type of store where I like to browse. Some projects require materials that you wouldn't necessarily search for online because you may not know what it is called, but if you saw it in the aisle of the store you would buy it because it could work for your particular project.

Like in the case of seasonal decorations. I really like to see the items in person to determine if the size and quality are suitable for my needs. I've bought things online or from a catalog before only to be very disappointed at the quality when I received the items. Of course, I returned them and there was no problem with that, I just prefer browsing in a store for decorations, arts, and crafts project items so I know exactly what I am buying.