You could play MTG: Arena for free, but I'd understand if online play wasn't your thing.

You could also have a look at pauper decks, which are focused on being very affordable.

I must also admit that, as a longtime player, I can't wholeheartedly recommend the hobby right now due to how the game is managed and the insane amount of releases they put out.

Neither can I, and I have 9 Commander decks. Very rarely do I spend more than a few dollars on a single card, and even then it's been maybe $15 at most.

Those cards that are that expensive are good (provided they aren't just special printings of cards that are otherwise less than a dollar), but they're absolutely not necessary in casual formats. Most of the time, there's a <$1 card serves the same purpose. There's even a format called Pauper where only commons are allowed.

Standard is where it gets excessively overpriced, and it's a big reason for its decline in players over the past few years. If you want to play it, play Arena, which is F2P.

At work a long time ago they played mtg with fake cards, like home printed.

I don't know if they had the same or whatever extra rules surrounded it, but I sure do know that the scarcity thing is just a dark pattern to rob players of their money.

I mean, you don't have to buy those absurdly expensive single cards to have fun. I bought my first cards in 1997 and have been playing on and off since then. I have only ever bought pre made decks or booster packs, not once have I even been tempted to buy some stupidly expensive single card.

You can buy a starter pack that comes with two decks for you and a friend to learn to play with for like £15 - 20.

I won't deny some of the shit it out of control expensive but you don't need any of that trash to both learn to play and have fun with it!

The joke about drugs being cheaper isn't a joke. The joke is the pain your wallet feels

If you don't care about tournaments and want to play with your closer friends then you can all build simpler decks with budget restrictions or you can even prepare a "cube" which is just basically an independant game that uses MtG rulesets. There's tons of cheap cards.

Not everyone needs to do the tournament thing. There is a format called booster draft where knowing how to build a deck matters as much as how well you actually play. But it works like poker in the sense that you buy in with a sealed booster pack and you keep the cards at the end. Depending on the local format, it can be winner takes all.

Yeah. I limit myself to sealed tournaments, Jumpstart, and a casual commander deck.

I’m in this same sort of boat. It’s not that I really want to play but I have a friend who wants me to play and I’m happy to go along with it. So like you, I can’t justify the prices for something that I might (and probably) won’t even like.

What I’ve found is what are called “proxys”. Basically you can just print the cards you want for free off the internet. I’m sure there are groups out there that aren’t approving of playing with proxies but if your group falls more on the side of playing and having fun rather than collecting and you’re not trying to pass off proxies as real cards then you should be fine.

It seems to me like a great way to get started and see if it’s something you like without much investment at all

Proxies my friend.

MTG is a complete meme game. There is so much OP stuff it doesnt matter about certain cards becaus you can just play a different format.

Same. Although MSFS 2024 has been a buggy mess for a couple years, it does scratch that itch for me pretty well.

Same, my coping mechanism is a small dji and working on getting drone certs. Charging a small battery is a lot cheaper than aviation fuel

I met a guy a few years back who was into building and flying small aeroplanes and gliders. My mind was blown - I had no idea hobby aeroplane building was a thing since the wright bros.

I fly a paramotor (powered paraglider) and it's the cheapest form of powered flight.

Costs about as much as a motorcycle to buy and run.

Not one day goes by where i think about just going to a smith and begging him to teach me his craft

If you think about it a closet is really just a burned down yard anyway

Start small with silver smithing!

Same, I even met with a few smiths and really enjoyed the process. Ultimately, not enough time/space/money to get into it, so I just do chain mail instead. Makes a good stim.

Hey! I've gone down the rabbit hole with unorthodox methods of birdwatching like using a parabolic microphone (very directional, so you can locate with a mono audio source) and a couple other weird things like that! Would love to chat if I can provide any info to get you into the hobby 😁

Could you still use a camera, scope, or monocular?

I'd get into building vehicles, bikes, etc. but lack the funds, time, and space.

Where ever you are at if in the US, there is likely a makers space nearby. They provide the space, tools and classes, generally for a reasonable fee.

And awesome people as well!

It's (a lot) like riding a bike, it'd come right back!

You should considere a folding bike! I have a Priority Folder and I love it.

the last bicycle i bought i got to ride exactly once before it was stolen.

A hinged vertical bike hanger can save a lot of room, particularly if you mount it in a corner.

The other commenter is totally right about it being “like riding a bike.” My kids started riding and I had a bike but hadn’t ridden in like 15 years probably, so I was a little apprehensive about trying it again. It was no problem at all.

If ebikes you're something youd consider l, they make some that fold.

My gf and I share an apartment so small it's a bit of an inside joke in our friend group and we have 3 bicycles inside, we just get everywhere on city bikes and refuse to leave them outside overnight. Honestly, it doesn't take that much space.

Here in portland OR they have places with all the tools for hobby woodworkers. Not sure what it is called, but it's whole purpose is for people who don't have a shop of their own to still be able to do stuff. And it comes with a whole community of people to learn from.

Dude, yes. This has been a secret wish of mine ever since I found out it existed, but I would have no idea where to start. It would be so cool though.

Every time I see a race on TV, all I think it's about how I could have aced every inch of every course in my 20s. Grew up tearing up dirt roads, and also never had the money to pursue it past pissing off neighbors. Rally cars always looks fun as hell.

Can I talk to you my lord and god... Skydiving?

Nothing you do in the air will ever be cheap, but jumping out of planes is a lot cheaper than flying them.

Let me tell you, you dont need imagination. But a fun group is everything

N scale is pretty small though there's not as much available as HO scale.

Make it really mini.

Hi! Lifelong climber (grew up on doing free climbs) and I have some thoughts.

First off, please go to a climbing gym or two and take a beginners class. I can't account for someone being an asshole but I can tell you that older climbers are definitely excited when someone's interested in their thing, like most usually are. With that said, I want to give you a fair warning. My number one concern for someone of your stature would be foot/ankle injuries and pulley injuries (fingers) with rotator cuff being second.

With that said, I completely think you could do bouldering and frankly the fact that you're already a frequent gym goes/weight lifter means you have a, forgive the pun, a leg up on most who are gonna walk in that gym. Take it easy, don't try and do anything absurd, and have a good time. If you're renting shoes from the gym then keep in mind that climbing shoes are a WHOLE thing and finding a pair that work and don't completely murder your feet is a project in and of itself even with average sized feet, your size 16s might be a bit of a secondary project tbh. But spend some time on a wall and see how you feel about it truly after having someone give you some pointers as it's an activity that is closer to 75% technique and 25% strength so knowing some beta (climber speak for "meta" - knowledge of a route/problem) actually goes a long ways.

Edit: Seriously though, the difference between an everyday rental shoe and a shoe that is higher quality and fitted properly to your foot actual does make a tangible difference in how you "feel" and whether you get positive response from the wall/foot connection. Good traction will ensure you can get grip even on the face.

You’ll learn footwork over time. I would absolutely recommend going back a few more times and maybe sign up for a beginners class. I started climbing a few years ago and it has been the best decision I’ve made in a while

The shoes may be the only issue, as few brands even make climbing shoes in those sizes. But I see people of all shapes and sizes at the gym and at the crag, and everyone is there to have fun. It`s a very low-judgment sport, some just like climbing easy stuff, and others like pushing their limits.

yeah rock climbing is really hard for big guys but its still enjoyable. You wont be doing crazy walls but you can have fun at any level

As a 50 year old skater with a broken wrist, you will for sure break something.

Still skate a few times a week, though far more mellow than in my teens and twenties. Mostly just carving the park or some mini ramp.

I always wanted to get into wake boarding, but there was never a boat around etc.

Now with my knee injuries it's too late to learn something new.

However, I'm pretty sure I could handle surfing.

The electric one wheel boards are a lot of fun, and are easier than a skateboard, but pad up and helmet for sure.

I too skated for years but was just an A to B skater because I could never figure out how to olly. Watched tons of videos, had friends try to teach me, but could never get up even a one inch ledge. But it was my preferred method of transport to get around town prior to getting a driver's license. You could go into a store without locking up a bike, or some mean shop owner telling you no roller blades inside, you could take the bus or train easily, or hop in a friends or parents car easily. Though the train was the most common way I would lose my board by getting off my stop in a hurry. Eventually I fully switched to longboard, but even now in my forties I can't do it. My child got one for Christmas and I felt like a fish out of water immediately and knew that one small mistake would put me out of work. I do miss it though and I look back on those days fondly.

Honestly, I find it to be miserable at first too, which really sucks. I've stopped and started exercising multiple times in my life and it's always difficult for me to get back into for this reason. However, I've found that if I comfortably push through I get to a point where I'm struggling less and it becomes more satisfying. That's when I start enjoying it because I can start setting specific goals and working towards them.

The secret to it is to learn which kind of misery to keep pushing through and which kind of misery is an emergency stop. You gotta get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Then... It kind of becomes more comfortable.

It's funny, I noped out of coding immediately after trying it when I was 14 for basically the opposite reason. It delighted my logical math brain and I wanted to know everything, and I realized I'd be really really good at it.

And just as quickly I realized that if I went down that path, it would consume my life. I would get a job coding, all my hobbies would be coding, and I would spend all day every day in front of a screen. That wasn't a life I wanted, even if I would've been happy day to day.

I even avoid getting into the weeds on any technical computer stuff, because I know it'll be a slippery slope.

Yeah, those flight hours are expensive (especially these days).

I mean, that is gardening though. I can't baby things (well, except the jaboticaba I'm trying to bonsai), I just plant things and figure out what works. Winners stay and eventually you get a garden.

Okra and watermelon love the heat here, and the trees do fine. Most food plants I grow in winter though. Well from October through April.

I agree it's really frustrating at times. And the more you micromanage the more it seems to fuck something else up. I started during the pandemic with a little balcony and a ton of containers, filling gallon jugs of water in the sink or tub, filling the watering can, and then watering. It took tons of time, but I had tons of time. I've since moved into a place with a yard and now have a 4x8x4 in ground raised bed, but I'm also now in a place where it will get to 110 F so I put up a shade and the bed is around trees. I'm curious to see what survives once summer hits hard soon. Also in the side yard there's no hose bib, so I had to buy a 100 foot house and run it from the front yard. It's a total pain.

All this to say I have six pots of potatoes, for tomatoes plants in pots, squash, strawberry, basil, thyme and cilantro in the raised bed. It's totally a huge pain in the ass. It's taken me years to learn what to do and what to avoid, and inevitably something gets fucked by bugs or whatever, but it truly is rewarding to have a meal with a bunch of ingredients you grew yourself. The amount of money I've put into it would buy bushels of what I've grown at the store even at current prices, but it brings me joy to go out everyday and look at progress, try different things, and learn from mistakes. I'll be doing it for the rest of my life I'm certain. Planting all natives may be easier for you. I hope you don't give up and end up enjoying one day!

I feel you. Same my mentally deranged sibling

Relatable

In my city there's a glasswork studio that does classes and has studio space. I have made a stained glass snowflakes and leaves. It was fun. So look to see if they're are studios

CodeAcademy is pretty good for a free self-teaching tool, you should definitely take their course! The good news is that the stuff you learn in C# can easily translate to other languages like Java or Python. C# also has a lot of nifty synthetic sugar, it's a fun language

I'm somewhat similar. I don't think it's impossible* for me, but it's easy to run into issues and lose motivation or simply lack viable ideas for learning projects. Currently stalled due to multiple system-related issues**, and chilling effect of AI (copilot).

I have a YLoD PS3 I've fixed a few times before many years ago, though it likely was a capacitor issue that was only fixed accidentally. Don't feel like spending money on caps/cooling stuff etc, not set up for soldering. I have another PS3 that currently works, not bothering to set up for firmware stuff for that either (slow internet, no easy way to monitor progress).

* I completed a sweeper clone months ago (in the one somewhat-niche language that I actually like) and that actually went great but I haven't been able to share it. So haven't done anything since then

** I probably need to use a different distro but not convinced by any, and probably need a better GPU to sidestep legacy driver issue (which could help w/updating my current setup) but everything seems like a side-grade or overpriced or both

If I could somehow just do this instead of work everyday, I'd be so happy. I love keeping old cars working. There is so much waste and the older cars had such style and artistry. New cars are too similar, too utilitarian/aerodynamic in design. Paint is too plain, muted, and lacks vibrant colors.

The storage requirements are the real killer, cars become 3 times larger the moment you start dissasembly.

thats easy. all you need is a smartphone and a consenting partner or object.