What are some useful skills or hobbies that anyone can learn for free?

Programming started as a hobby for me as a teenager. I always "liked computers" so thought I'd give it a try. I never intended to make a career out of it because it seemed so hard at first, but over a decade later, I'm decently accomplished in my field and get paid bank for it.
As a hobby, it's fantastic. You can add in missing features to open source software you use (including the one I'm posting this to right now!). You can make your own little apps to fill niches you haven't found an existing program for. You can automate boring stuff from other work. You can make mods for certain types of video games. Or if you're really ambitious, you can even make a video game (but I gotta tell you, video games are hard and need much more than just programming -- I do not recommend making video games as a goal unless you've thought out just what that involves).
If you make a career out of it later, cool. But even if you don't, it's a fun and rewarding hobby that costs almost nothing. As long as you have a computer (preferably not a mobile phone, though it's technically possible to use a phone), you can program. Hardware doesn't generally matter. Any cheap laptop works. All the tools you need have free and often open source ones you can use. You only need to pay for web hosting if you make a web tool and want to share it with others.
- Programming is super useful as a scientist, especially with how easy it is to collect huge data sets these days.
  
  This, entirely. And especially with how tech-averse most scientists are in my field (biology), it's really easy to set yourself apart with just some basic programming knowledge
- Taking a break from making a video game to read this thread lol, you are not wrong about that part! Or any part, actually, programming is awesome and even outside of using it for work it's come in handy at least a little bit in every other hobby I've ever done. Up to and including knitting.
- Meanwhile my dumbass has been trying to be even remotely functional with programming. A degree and a software dev job later I still don't think I really get it.
  
  That happens to us all. My first year I felt useless. Once I started running projects and getting the opportunity to actually design our framework, I got a lot more confidence. The first project I ran I was not prepared for. But I improved in confidence so much while I did it.
  Imposter syndrome affects us a lot. But even if you’re a shit dev, remember this: we literally do magic. Think about it for a moment. We write words in an esoteric script to convince electricity to create things that didn’t previously exist. Even the worst wizard is still a wizard. And the best part is that they can improve! There’s so many resources out there to improve your skills. It might not be for everyone, but I love my job.
- Programming is great.
  On that note, kinda similar: Selfhost your services. There is a lot of cool software that you can run on your old computer, or on a more dedicated machine. A file storage, a media server, your very own AI server, the lost is endless.
  
  I'd like to learn more about how to do this. I've got a home theater PC I've been using as a NAS via simple windows & samba file sharing, but I'd like to expand that to tools like Jellyfin and potentially something like writefreely or a podcasting platform for others to enjoy. I've looked it up cursorily but would appreciate if you could share additional resources my way in developing my own server here as well. (All good if you don't have any to share, I can just google as well I suppose)
- There are many free (static) web hostings: GitHub Pages, Azure, Vercel, and so on.
  On the rest of your comment, I agree
- Same. Been a hobby since I was 13 back in 1984. 39 years later, I'm still doing my hobby and being paid for it. I've made a career out of it. Although, I've done it so much I no longer do it as a hobby. It's just too much. If I never saw another computer or programming language again for the rest of my life, I don't think I'd mind. Hoping to retire within the decade.
- It's pretty much how it started for me. It can work extremely well if your job can tie it in. But at that point expect it to stop being a hobby.

It's not free, but you have to pay for it no matter what, so it kinda is, but cooking. Everyone should learn the basics of navigating a kitchen and the basic terminology.
Singing and dancing are both learnable free. Art in general tends to be cheaper. Usually anyway.
Intellectual skills are all fair game, there's wide availability online. You need to start with Information Literacy though, to kinda unlock the rest. Otherwise you'll waste too much time on bullshit.
- I kind of resent the whole "celebrity chef shows you how to cook" media thing because it makes something that should be approachable seen really intimidating for a beginner
- Since I've begun "trying" in the kitchen, I eat way healthier than ever before, and most of my meals are better and cheaper than restaurant equivalents.
- Can you expand on what you mean by information literacy?
  
  Rather than try myself, I'll let a bunch of school teachers and librarians do it instead. They're better than I am.
  https://youtu.be/P4HWuRRUMBs
  https://literacy.ala.org/information-literacy/

Next time something breaks, try repairing it. Pull it apart and look for whats broken, google if you need info or ideas on fixing the problem, and go for it. Worst case scenario you can't fix something that wasn't working, best case scenario you've saved something from the scrap pile. Either way you'll have a little bit of knowledge you didn't already, maybe some skills
- Unless it has to do with electrical wiring or anything dangerous. Part of learning to repair is knowing your limits!
  
  Some things are very dangerous even though for inexperienced they might not seem so. Case in point: the microwave. It has a powerful capacitor and if you try taking it apart, it might shock you even when disconnected from power
- I can't count the number of expensive things I've been given for free or cheap-as-free, and fixed it with 0 to 1 easy steps.
  It's astounding how easily people give up on things.

Touch typing.
- I’ve been practicing this. In 30 years when computer input is primarily voice and touchscreens, we’ll be the only ones left. It’ll be like knowing how to use Morse code with a wireless telegraph.
- I’m a software dev and one of my coworkers is a hunt and peck typist. I couldn’t function that way. He’s actually incredibly fast though, so it works for him. Definitely wouldn’t for me.
  
  I had to look it up, but chorded input? What made you switch to it? Interest or necessity?
- Fun fact: My left hand is on gamer pose wasd for typing (not to f position). Doesn't really hinder me from speedy touch typing.
  
  I'm more of a QWER gamer.

Lear how to cook. Just grab a simple online recipe, a bottle of your beverage of choice and try cooking something. It's a really simple and useful skill acquire.
- Recently i picked up an electric smoker and oh boy it's been life changing. If you want to be the "cook" in your family this is the easiest way.
  Take your meat of choice and smoke it. Make sure to tell everyone how long it took to smoke so they know to tell you it tastes good
  
  I approve!
  The best thing for home smoking is electric- best control, set it & forget it.
- What really helped me learning to cook was experimentation. I was always ok at following recipes but at some point I decided to cook Bolognese every week and every time I cooked it I had to use an ingredient I hadn't used before. Cooking the same thing with variation helped me learn the effect of adding different ingredients.
- Having cooked professionally for the last 15 years, I take this for granted sometimes.
  It amazes me how many people can't cook anything more complicated than kraft dinner. I don't mean to rag on anybody, but it's a skill you really need to learn if you don't know how. You'll save a ton of money and there's a lot of simple dishes that can impress people.
  
  You'll save a ton of money
  idk dude, kraft dinner is pretty cheap.
- Agree. The number of people I know who "don't" cook blows my mind. 75% of my repertoire takes less than 30 minutes of involvement to cook. It's cheaper, healthier, and a great zen thing that's totally different from my day job.
  For those trying to get started, do a meal kit that involves cooking, and start there. Not having to buy ingredients or plan things out makes it less intimidating.
- What really helped me learning to cook was experimentation. I was always ok at following recipes but at some point I decided to cook Bolognese every week and every time I cooked it I had to use an ingredient I hadn't used before. Cooking the same thing with variation helped me learn the effect of adding different ingredients.

This is an animated site for teaching you how to tie different knots.
With a piece of string and perhaps a few wooden dowels, you can teach yourself a variety of useful knots for different needs.
- Thank you for this rabbit hole.
  
  Saying grace before you tie a bowline.

This barely qualifies as a hobby, but at some point I decided to learn how to count in binary on my fingers. It's handy if you need to hold a number in your head for a bit and can't write things down, or to count past 10 visually on your fingers for somebody. There are probably YouTube videos on it. I literally can't remember where I learned, but I practiced a lot when bored in church. It's relatively non-disruptive and practicing can eat a decent amount of time.
0 materials. Just takes time. Literally free.
- I practiced a lot when bored in church
  I've heard church frowns upon non-binary people. But I had no idea they convert people to binary counting.
- I did the same when Masahiro Sakurai explained how to do so when revealing Byleth for Smash Bros. Ultimate. It's come in handy a few times when needing to count things out, and honestly can be a fun exercise for dexterity to just count to 31 on each hand.
  
  Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/CXhbyCGi5hs
  Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
  I'm open-source, check me out at GitHub.
  
  Oh absolutely, you just gotta be careful who you direct those 4s toward

Clothing repair. Patch, darn, replace a zip or button. Expand that to full sewing and it isn’t free but you’ll save a bucket of money, have clothes that are exactly what you want, and don’t disintegrate in 6 months

I learned the basics of 3D printing and Fusion 360 (CAD software) via youtube. And the 3D printing has gotten easier since I learned.
- 3d printing without basic cad skills is almost useless imo. I use freecad now but I've made tons of useful precision fit things using tinkercad.
  
  Freecad is based. It feels like a superpower to be able to imagine relatively high precision parts and make them real in just a few hours. Tailored exactly to your project.
  
  🤮 Freecad is a barely functioning mess, fusion360 is a professional level cad that's free for hobbiest and infinitely more usable.
  I spend most of my day doing cad work, I can jump between Catia, NX, Solidworks, Fusion360 with no problems but Freecad is just horrible. I want to like Freecad but the simplest things are the hugest pains in the ass, it's feature set is huge but none of the features are actually polished.

Learn a new language. Tons of free resources online. Borrow books or audiobooks from your local library. Make friends with others interested in learning and teaching each other new languages.
- This

programming

- Hi there! Looks like you linked to a Lemmy community using a URL instead of its name, which doesn't work well for people on different instances. Try fixing it like this: !sailing@lemmy.world)

Mental math. People overcomplicate how difficult things are but quickly calculating numbers and percentages is a super useful skill that'll save you a lot of time.
- Warning - incoming Redditcomment©®™
  Uh, that's mental arithmetic, not maths
  Snorts

I just recently took up cross stitching. You can learn all the basics for free on YouTube and there are tons of cross stitching communities online and there are tons of free patterns online too. All the supplies you need at first are some thread, some Aida cloth and needles. When I started I got a stitching hoop too I think my total investment was about $20.
- Well hey fancy seeing you here 😄
  It is my sworn duty to drop the community link wherever it's relevant so please don't mind me jumping on your comment.
  !lemmy_stitch@sh.itjust.works <-- we have cute cross stitch, satanic cross stitch, occasional embroidery, and at least once we've accidentally had crochet too!
  
  I'm working on some new pieces now so hopefully I'll have something else to post soon!

If you have a patch of soil with good sun exposure you can learn how to grow your own food. It's not free but you can be very thrifty while doing it. Huw Richards has published a nice book on the cheapest ways to garden.
- Even in a pot on a balcony you can grow a blueberry bush. They're pretty hardy, nice looking, no thorns, the flowers are good for pollinators, and you'll be able to pick and eat fresh berries. One little bush won't produce enough at one time for a pie, but at least they don't get moldy like strawberries.

Learn a language. It's a great thing and you can easily do it instead of browsing social medias while traveling. I started with japanese about 5 months ago and can understand some phrases of native speakers already.
- Nihongo difficult desu
  
  ええ、難しいだ。でも、日本語が大好き。

Depends, define free and define useful. ;)
You can learn a lot by reading up and watching YT vids. I already did my own car maintenance (started as hobby, now it's a necessity, car mechanics cost twice/trice my hourly wage), but didn't know how to replace the fuelpump on this modern car. Garage quoted €500, part was 109, special tool 79, seals 5 each (2). Replaced it myself in 4h.
I'm also learning to play bass guitar with the help of YT (already have the bass), painted my house, replaced kitchen and parts in bathroom including plumbing,... None of DIY things for free, but cheaper then hiring somebody to do these task. Even when you count your hourly wage, most of those tasks can be done cheaper yourself.
When you want no investment at all, languages are very useful to learn, at least when you meet others speaking those languages. Learning to setup a computer with free software is usefull as well (saves cash, so eeven better then free ;) ).
At this moment in time, in most pasrts of Europe and the USA, labour is the most expensive part of everything, so I'd say everything you can learn to do yourself is worth investing some time and maybe some cash in. Nothing wrong with hobbies that can save cash in the long run.

You can teach yourself how to change the oil on your car simply by watching YouTube videos. And then all you need to buy are a few basic supplies, and you'll be able to change your oil for life. Oil changes are either absurdly expensive (dealership) or done half-assed (Jiffy Lube), so doing it yourself gives you a job done right for pennies on the dollar.
And if you find that you have a knack for it, you can teach yourself more basic maintenance jobs like changing brake pads.
- Also, if you have a warehouse membership from like Sam’s Club or Costco, they often have the synthetic oil you need for an absurdly low price.
  I was buying 5 quarts of oil for like $20-30, I bought a 4 pack of Costco brand 5 quart motor oil for like $40
  
  I took more stupid long to realize you bought 20 qts of oil from Costco And not 5. Guess I need to learn that mental math stuff from earlier in the thread.
- Its a total pain in the ass and the most annoying part. Usually you can take it to an auto parts store in your area that has a container you can dump it. But half the time its full and isnt emptied for weeks.
  
  In the US, all AutoZone and Advance Auto Parts will dispose of your oil for free. Also, most municipalities will take it at special centers (same place where you might go to dispose of electronics).
  Personally I have a designated where I let the oil collect from multiple oil changes, and then I take it to the county landfill maybe once every two years when there's enough to justify a trip.
  It's a small hassle, but worth it IMO. Just depends on what is available to you.

Check out The Odin Project. It is a free full stack developer course. I'm going to give it a try myself.

Additional languages beyond your native tongue. Spanish, French, Chinese, American (in my case) Sign Language, etc. There are so many apps that teach even the most basic conversational skills in the most commonly spoken languages, and a lot of content can be found without upgrading to a premium version. It's a great bonus job skill, and an excellent way to make new acquaintances.

You can learn how to make a donut: https://youtu.be/nIoXOplUvAw
- All hail Blender Guru!

Cooking. Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by "free". I guess tree climbing or parkour. Or, languages too.

You can literally go to the woods, pick up a thick branch and start carving away. Only tool you need is a cheap knife, even an old kitchen knife would suffice for starters.

In three days of YouTube Tutorials, there’s nearly nothing you can’t learn (up to a certain level of course)