Happy New Year to all of you smart shoppers out there and here’s to a happy, healthy, and frugal 2022!
This is the time of year where people like to reinvent themselves and use the upcoming calendar as an opportunity to try new things and invite new experiences into their lives. In the wake of COVID rearing its ugly head again, we have constructed a list of pandemic-friendly hobbies for you to consider and in the TopCashback spirit, they are also budget-friendly or at the very least give you cash back for purchases.
Golf
6.06% cash back
Golf experienced a surge in popularity during the first year of the pandemic, and as we go into our third year of this never-ending travesty, now may be the time to dust off your grandfather’s old clubs, or better yet, get a set of your own.
One of the aspects of the game that has lent itself to these trying years has been the inherent social distancing component. There is no sharing of equipment, it takes place outdoors, you can stay as far away as other golfers as you like, and it’s so frustrating all you’ll want to do afterwards is go home.
Even though it isn’t quite golf season it is never too early to practice, and with at-home routines and ranges, there is no excuse to not get started. Some of the retailers that specialize in golf and great prices and partner with TopCashback are Budget Golf, Callaway Golf as well as Callaway Golf Preowned, and Fairway Golf USA among others. Hit the links and wager some more money on your game with newfound earnings from TopCashback.
Photography
25.25% cash back
Photography has found itself at an interesting intersection. Taking photos has never been easier and the artform hasn’t been this popular since it was invented. With photo-sharing apps like Instagram and iCloud albums, photos are everywhere.
But, wouldn’t it be nice to actually know how to use a camera past the point of point and click? Don’t you want your photos to be a cut above the rest, to be able to stand out amongst the never-ending ocean of digital images? A course with Udemy can take you and your photos to that next level without the need for any fancy cameras or expensive equipment. The camera phone in your pocket will do just fine. These courses come at incredibly reasonable rates when the value is considered.
For instance, the bestselling course “iPhone Photography | Take Professional Photos On Your iPhone” comes with 1.5 hours of instruction for only $11 (at the time of publishing). In a very short amount of time, you will be taking photographs you never dreamed you could be capable of. And if you really take to the hobby and decide to get yourself a real camera, Udemy offers a wide supply of courses that delve deeper into the practice and art of photography that you can grow with.
Using TopCashback, you can earn back money from your course purchases that could potentially help you earn money from your photos. What an investment!
Reading
3% cash back
Reading more is a frequent entry on people’s list of things to do once a new year rolls around. With all the streaming services and new TV shows and movies constantly coming out, it can be difficult to settle down and read without a screen claiming your attention.
So, why not start with an actual book, with pages made out of paper that you can feel, while your phone and laptop are sitting face down two rooms away? One of our favorite sites to get books at TopCashback is Books-A-Million. Books-A-Million is the premier book retailer in the Southeastern United States and the second largest book retailing chain in the nation. With cash back from TopCashback, you can get great books and maybe even some of your attention span!
Chess
8.08% cash back
Chess may not be something present on many people’s new year’s resolutions hobby lists, but it could be something you may want to look into. Proven to make you smarter just by talking about it, chess is a fine way to strengthen cognitive abilities, memory, and strategic thinking, which is perfect for that hostile takeover you’ve been meaning to get to, and you don’t have to do any boring reading, unless it’s the instruction manual because you’re new.
Not to mention what a great pandemic game this is, especially if you live in the vicinity of someone else who is not infected with the malicious disease. With boards, pieces, clocks, cases and everything chess related from the US Chess Federation, you can be on your way to checking mates in no time. However, for a more pandemic-friendly game of chess you can still use USCF for their instructional books and DVDs and play online with strangers or against a CPU.
Home Improvement
up to 12% cash back
If you have been stuck at home for an extended period of time these past two years, you may have come to notice that many of the things in your home aren’t as perfect as you once remembered. And I’m not talking about your relationship with your husband. Leaky faucets, cracks in the wall, slanted doors, all things that require fixing, but maybe you don’t know how to do any or all of them?
Home Depot is quite the resource when it comes to this type of stuff. Not only does it have an app that informs home improvers on how to do just that, but it naturally carries all the tools and supplies necessary to fix up your home without having to pay an arm and a leg for a specialist. Learn how to do these things all on your own, plus with TopCashback you can even look at it like you’re getting paid to fix your house.
As it looks like the virus is making a comeback, and we may be back at home it does not mean you need to let this pandemic stop you from living the life you want, at least not altogether. There are still plenty of hobbies you can have and enjoy from the comfort of your home or outdoors in a safe setting. Happy New Year, wishing you all the best and the best money-saving practices from everyone at TopCashback!
by Louis Pino
Louis Pino is the junior copywriter at TopCashback.com. He defines frugality as not solely buying life's necessities, but being shrewd when it comes to purchasing your wants. This is why, since 2021, Louis has been spreading the good word of balancing money management and shopping through informative blog posts such as this.
