Money-Saving Guide: How to Build a Hobby Kit for Under $20

Hobbies often come with sticker shock. Photography, painting, woodworking—all can feel out of reach at first glance. But the truth is, you can build a starter kit for almost any hobby on a shoestring budget if you shop smart.

Take drawing, for example. Instead of buying expensive sketchbooks and pencils, grab a simple notebook and a basic set of graphite pencils—plenty to start practicing techniques. For cooking, discount-store utensils and pantry basics can fuel dozens of beginner recipes. Even gaming can be free if you start with mobile apps and free-to-play PC titles.

One popular trend is “hobby swaps.” Communities online and in-person organize swaps where people trade supplies they no longer use—paintbrushes, puzzle books, knitting yarn—for free. Surveys reveal that nearly two-thirds of hobbyists admit they’ve abandoned a project early, which means there’s always lightly used gear out there waiting to be repurposed.