If you want to lead a richer, more fulfilling, more social life as a retiree, you need to take up some new hobbies. The problem is that some hobbies are exorbitantly expensive, which might eat into your living budget. Some hobbies are also inaccessible to older folks who aren’t as athletic as they used to be.
What are the best hobbies to take up as a new retiree?
Hallmarks of the Best Hobbies to Take Up as a New Retiree
1) Inexpensiveness
Even if you’re retiring wealthy, it’s a good idea to look for hobbies that are relatively inexpensive. Your stream of income may be consistent and you may feel confident about not outliving your savings, but you also don’t want to splurge so much that it starts to threaten your overall lifestyle. Inexpensive hobbies, including ones that are completely free, are financially sustainable.2) Revenue Generation
If you can find a hobby that gives you enjoyment and an opportunity to generate revenue, jump on it. Making extra money can help your fixed income go further, provide you with more financial stability, or potentially mitigate the costs of an otherwise expensive hobby. If you genuinely like what you’re doing and you can make money doing it, make sure it finds a home in your weekly schedule.3) Accessibility
How easy is it to partake in this hobby and how often can you do it? As a simple example, you may like the idea of fishing, but if there are no lakes, rivers, or other bodies of water near you, it’s going to be hard to practice. Conversely, there are some hobbies that attract large meetup groups all over the country and can be practiced at home quite conveniently.4) Physical Demands
It’s also important to find hobbies that have limited or nonexistent physical demands. Even if you’re in good shape now, there’s a chance you won’t be as mobile or as flexible in the near future. You’ll want to have at least a few hobbies that you can continue to practice even if your health and physical shape deteriorate. That said, it’s also a good idea to find hobbies that force you to engage in some level of physical activity, so you can stay in shape for longer.5) Mental Demands
Good hobbies for retirees have some aspect of mental stimulation. You need to keep your brain active and challenged if you want to sustain your memories and cognitive potential for as long as possible. In fact, one of the best ways to prevent dementia and other degenerative conditions of the brain is to regularly engage in intellectually stimulating activities.6) Socialization
Socialization is important for your health and happiness, and unfortunately, it becomes harder to make and keep friends as you get older. Hobbies are one of the best ways to meet new people and form new friendships, so it’s important to give extra attention to hobbies that naturally encourage more socialization.7) Growth and Development
Finally, think about the growth and development potential of each hobby. Is this an activity you simply do over and over, with no real changes to your approach? Or is this an activity with boundless potential for new learning and development? For example, there’s practically no limit to the skill ceiling of a game like chess; even the best players in the world are learning new things about it routinely.Hobbies to Give a Try
Using this list, you can generate your own list of potential hobbies to try.1) Traveling
Traveling is an incredibly valuable hobby for retirees. It’s very intellectually stimulating to travel somewhere new. It gives you significant potential for new social interactions. It can keep you physically active and mentally engaged. And because there are infinite travel destinations, you’ll never run out of interesting places to go. The only real downsides are the cost of traveling and the potential physical demands. But if you choose the right destinations, and come up with proper plans, you can mitigate these downsides.
