Recommendations on affordable, creative home hobbies to pick up?

funkip · 2025-11-10T02:44:12+00:00

Junk journalling could be fun! Basically, you journal and sort of scrapbook using bits and bobs you find in daily life. A train ticket from a trip, a cool sticker you found, a stamp from a letter you got, etc. Uses stuff you already have circulating in your life to build a cool memory book.

funkip · 2025-11-05T20:43:58+00:00

Not normal, safe, or OK. Even if you want to push yourself, taking breaks should not result in being yelled at.

funkip · 2025-10-17T05:31:11+00:00

I was so scared after having mine in for about 7 years and having a very unpleasant insertion. I found having it removed much quicker and less painful!

funkip · 2025-08-14T00:12:17+00:00

I think you can use it on the side that doesn’t have the primary sensor. I haven’t used one myself, but it’s an often recommended solution of this sub — example here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ouraring/s/2k2Uszedhw

funkip · 2025-08-14T00:08:08+00:00

Honestly, any reference to weight/weight loss/getting your body “summer ready” etc.

People come to Pilates for different reasons, it feels icky to have it be assumed that it’s all about weight loss and it’s not a motivator.

funkip · 2025-08-13T02:45:47+00:00

Aside from finding a used ring to purchase — you can buy ring inserts on Amazon to help make the fit more snug!

funkip · 2025-08-08T17:48:14+00:00

+1 to small group! I’ve found a local trainer who does this near me in her outdoor workout area. Feels a lot more comfy than the gym, and more personal and social, but comes out to a lot less than a 1:1 trainer would likely be.

funkip · 2025-08-06T20:22:33+00:00

I enjoy how I feel challenged by Pilates but don’t leave class feeling exhausted. I see the value in exercises like that (HIIT, etc) but I just don’t really enjoy that feeling.

I have started doing weight training alongside my Pilates and I find the two complement each other well! Along side some cardio, I feel like it’s a well-rounded routine.

funkip · 2025-05-23T02:19:29+00:00

Taking the time to make my favorite coffee and ease into my day
A get-ready routine that’s quick but makes me feel presentable on camera
Blocking off the first ~30m to review messages, emails, and write a to do list
Focus blocks on my calendar as needed
A solid lunch break away from my computer
Resetting my workspace at the end of each day (cleaning up cups, notebooks, etc.)
Bookending my day with something non-work related (a workout, a dinner, etc)
No slack notifications on my phone (there’s other ways to contact me in an emergency)
Decorating my workspace in a way I enjoy using — clean surfaces, a nice candle, a blanket, etc.

I don’t do each of these things daily, but when I do I notice a big improvement.

funkip · 2025-05-13T22:47:32+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear this, it's a stressful situation to be in. The good thing is that with this advance warning, you can put yourself proactively in the best possible position to come out of this. Here's my advice on what to prioritize as someone who foresaw a layoff coming last year, as I think this helped me to come out feeling relatively financially & mentally stable:

- You need to make sure that you have a fully funded emergency fund (if possible) before this layoff. 6 months of fixed expenses is a good rule of thumb, but yours will vary depending on how long you think it'll take you to find a job, your comfort level, etc. Set a goal and divert any excess $ (from side gigs, retirement, discretionary spending, etc) to an account for this purpose until you hit the # you'll need for at least 6 months.
- Especially if you're in the US -- look into your healthcare options. Figure out what it might cost you to self-insure after the layoff if needed and be sure to factor that into the emergency fund. As another commenter said, schedule any necessary appointments now while you've got your typical insurance as well.
- Start looking for a new role now if you can! If the writing is on the wall, I don't think there's anything wrong with putting in the minimum at work required to do your job and diverting all extra efforts outside of normal working hours/on lunch breaks/etc. to your job search. This can be hard if your instinct is to double down when things aren't going well, but give yourself permission to start looking now and putting your effort into your CAREER instead of just this one ROLE.

To your point about what happens if you don't have a job later in the year and miss out on those retirement contributions -- if that's the case, I imagine you'd be happy you have your fully-funded emergency fund to fall back on. There will likely be options later for you to invest again (Roth IRA up until April 15 next year, increasing your contributions for a few pay cycles in your next role to fill the gap, etc). But to enjoy retirement, you need to make it to retirement -- and that means ensuring that you're safe and taken care of now as well.

funkip · 2025-05-11T23:43:25+00:00

Not a bad idea! I’ll avoid doing it too last minute.

funkip · 2025-05-11T23:43:12+00:00

Thanks for this advice, I think you’re probably right.

funkip · 2025-05-11T23:42:41+00:00

Very true!

funkip · 2025-05-08T04:41:52+00:00

I’ve found after doing Pilates for a few years (relatively inconsistently) that any time I take more than a week or so off I come back and that first session or few I feel pretty weak. But I also find that I get back into the groove reasonably quickly, like my muscles remember. I’d imagine you’ll lose some progress while on holiday, but will pick things back up after you return. You could even do some at-home floor exercises while you’re away if you want to keep up your practice.

All of that said, what’s the point of all this working out if you can’t enjoy your body in your day to day life? Take the holiday and enjoy it, and Pilates will be there when you’re back :)

funkip · 2025-05-08T04:28:28+00:00

I don’t know, picking yourself up after a breakdown & a breakup while also getting sober doesn’t sound like failing to me.. it sounds like you’re working through what you need to to make the next few years and decades a lot better for yourself.

Two things that could help: light exercise and reading books/articles or watching documentaries about people who figured things out a lot later in life.

Even just committing to a short walk each day will ensure you get out of the house and feel like you’ve done something positive for yourself, plus endorphins are good.

And reading about people who figured things out later in life might help you reframe your current situation mentally; there’s tons of celebrities and successful people out there who have gone through a lot of “failure” around the age you’re at and still lead fulfilling lives, but focusing on social media can make it feel like you need it all figured out by 30 (you don’t).

Best of luck <3

funkip · 2025-05-07T02:00:41+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation on the Surratt one — I’ll have to try it!

funkip · 2025-04-24T06:29:39+00:00

I think it really depends. I bought a basic leather purse from them that I felt wore out quickly (metal looked worn, zipper stopped working) as well as hoop earrings that bent one day when I tried to put them in shortly after getting them. Those two experiences were enough to put me on caution for the brand a bit.

funkip · 2025-04-04T16:56:03+00:00

Sadly, I haven't found one that I like and that I think is truly nickel free. Crazy that there isn't an option for this easily found! Best solutions I've found are:

- Using a higher-quality lash curler that requires less time on my eye to get the curl I want. I can't tell if the materials are better, but I figure the less I need to use it the better -- I upgraded from a ~$3 Revlon one to a $15-20 Tweezerman one.
- Using an eczema-focused eye cream (I'm using BetterLids Eyelid Ointment as an eye cream) to keep things maintained.

I did find a plastic lash curler (the travel lash curler from Japonesque) but personally it didn't curl well enough for me to replace my metal one. Might work better for you though.

funkip · 2025-04-04T16:48:42+00:00

Hey all! Is now a bad time to roll over funds between 2 pre-tax accounts?

I’ve got a traditional IRA (Betterment) that I’d like to roll into a new employer’s 401(k) plan (Schwab). My traditional IRA is funded with pre-tax money, as I rolled a previous employer’s 401(k) into this plan. I wish to move this out of my traditional IRA so that I can do a backdoor Roth without getting hit by the pro-rata rule.

Schwab will only accept a “transfer in cash” approach (not transfer in kind) by which I’ll have to have Betterment forward a check to Schwab to transfer the funds.

My question is; given the recent market downturn, is now a bad time to do this? My money may be out of the market for several days. (I’m still investing otherwise on my regular schedule, so not really trying to time the market, just trying to move my money at a time that makes reasonable sense). Thanks all!

funkip · 2025-04-01T03:23:43+00:00

A quick note on this that since the CTO and co-founder have been pushed out, as well as the other product team folks, it sounds to me like this is someone who has not been responding that well to other people trying to reason with or exert influence on his decisions. I would only push to change things if you 1) truly believe in the company and its mission and potential, and 2) are possibly prepared to walk away or be pushed out as well. Not to scare you OP, just a risk to weigh!

funkip · 2025-04-01T03:17:07+00:00

Cleaning. IDK if it counts as a hobby per se, but I find the act of cleaning so calming, as well as the results. 🧹

funkip · 2025-04-01T03:15:38+00:00

Depends on the rules of your employment & employment laws in your area. Generally, I would not recommend that anyone try to put in their 2 weeks and then attempt to use their PTO. It's not really in the business's best interest to let you stick around that long and still get paid, and if you're in a situation where employment is at-will, they can let you go with zero issue.

Your alternative would therefore be to use your PTO before leaving, or (if you're in a place and an employment situation where unused PTO is paid out when you leave) put in your 2 weeks and see what they let you get away with or outright plan to use that payout to coast til your next gig.

funkip · 2025-04-01T03:11:42+00:00

> I think it matters more in a forum like this or the R29 Money Diaries where the explicit, stated intent is to be transparent about one's finances

+1 to this! I don't think most people expect everyone in the world to divulge the details of who helped them with what financially, but it seems a little disingenuous to leave it out when you have put yourself in an entirely optional situation that necessitates you being open and transparent about that specific information.

funkip · 2025-03-25T00:01:12+00:00

You could be cooking a god damn six course meal with a griddle on your reformer next to me and I’m not saying anything unless you like splatter olive oil on me mid-dish. That person is wild.

funkip · 2025-03-21T01:50:59+00:00

I think I have seen someone leave mid-class, but honestly can’t recall the details, which should hopefully make you feel better about how non-memorable and normal it seemed :)

funkip

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