A Nation of Quitters? Brits Waste £140 a Year on Failed Hobbies

• Top three hobbies Brits most likely to take up revealed
• The average hobby costs Brits £143
• Over a quarter (29%) of Brits give up their hobby within one month

Over a third (36%) of the UK population have said they are planning on trying a new hobby this year, despite it costing an average of £143 to invest in. Cooking (50%), playing pool (41%) and keeping fit (39%) are the most likely hobbies for Brits to find out.

The survey, conducted on behalf of the UK’s biggest second hand retailer Cash Converters, revealed that one-third (36%) of Brits will be looking to learn a new skill in 2017, spending over £140 on equipment, classes and memberships in the process. However, over a quarter (29%) of us will have given up our new hobby within the first month; and within six months less than half (44%) can expect to still be keeping it up.

The biggest reason for throwing in the towel is getting bored (23%) or losing interest easily (12%), with not having enough patience, time or money cited as other major causes. Not being good enough (3%) is also a common reason for quitting, with people giving up when they are not as talented as they would like to be.

The top ten hobbies people will be trying this year are:

1. Learning to cook
2. Playing pool
3. Improving their fitness
4. Learning photography
5. Learning how to knit
6. Mountain biking or cycling
7. Fishing
8. Playing the piano
9. Golf
10. Learning French

Despite being more reluctant to try new hobbies, men seem to have more willpower than women when it comes to sticking out their activity of choice. Once committed to the idea, they are happy to spend up to £162 funding their hobby – that’s £35 more than women. Cooking tops the list of new skills for women to attempt, with 61% hoping to try and improve their skills in the kitchen, while men are more likely to try their hand at snooker, fishing and golf.

Michelle Holmes, Marketing Manager at Cash Converters says, “Starting a new hobby can be really exciting, however it is an unfortunate truth that many of us don’t continue with the upkeep after a month or two, whatever the reasons.

“Funding new hobbies can be expensive, especially if you do end up quitting after a short period of time. Buying second hand is a good way of saving money while you test the waters, and as all items we buy are in excellent condition, you won’t be suffering from a lack of quality.

“If you do decide your new hobby isn’t for you, selling any equipment that you’ve bought or been gifted can go towards funding whatever you decide to try next!”

To learn how to start a hobby for less, please visit the Cash Converters blog: https://www.cashconverters.co.uk/press/how-to-start-a-new-hobby-for-less/

• Top three hobbies Brits most likely to take up revealed
• The average hobby costs Brits £143
• Over a quarter (29%) of Brits give up their hobby within one month

Over a third (36%) of the UK population have said they are planning on trying a new hobby this year, despite it costing an average of £143 to invest in. Cooking (50%), playing pool (41%) and keeping fit (39%) are the most likely hobbies for Brits to find out.

The survey, conducted on behalf of the UK’s biggest second hand retailer Cash Converters, revealed that one-third (36%) of Brits will be looking to learn a new skill in 2017, spending over £140 on equipment, classes and memberships in the process. However, over a quarter (29%) of us will have given up our new hobby within the first month; and within six months less than half (44%) can expect to still be keeping it up.

The biggest reason for throwing in the towel is getting bored (23%) or losing interest easily (12%), with not having enough patience, time or money cited as other major causes. Not being good enough (3%) is also a common reason for quitting, with people giving up when they are not as talented as they would like to be.

The top ten hobbies people will be trying this year are:

1. Learning to cook
2. Playing pool
3. Improving their fitness
4. Learning photography
5. Learning how to knit
6. Mountain biking or cycling
7. Fishing
8. Playing the piano
9. Golf
10. Learning French

Despite being more reluctant to try new hobbies, men seem to have more willpower than women when it comes to sticking out their activity of choice. Once committed to the idea, they are happy to spend up to £162 funding their hobby – that’s £35 more than women. Cooking tops the list of new skills for women to attempt, with 61% hoping to try and improve their skills in the kitchen, while men are more likely to try their hand at snooker, fishing and golf.

Michelle Holmes, Marketing Manager at Cash Converters says, “Starting a new hobby can be really exciting, however it is an unfortunate truth that many of us don’t continue with the upkeep after a month or two, whatever the reasons.

“Funding new hobbies can be expensive, especially if you do end up quitting after a short period of time. Buying second hand is a good way of saving money while you test the waters, and as all items we buy are in excellent condition, you won’t be suffering from a lack of quality.

“If you do decide your new hobby isn’t for you, selling any equipment that you’ve bought or been gifted can go towards funding whatever you decide to try next!”

To learn how to start a hobby for less, please visit the Cash Converters blog: https://www.cashconverters.co.uk/press/how-to-start-a-new-hobby-for-less/