Frugal Friends Podcast: “Social Media is Ruining Hobbies”

Hosts: Jen Smith & Jill Sirianni
Date: August 26, 2025
Episode Theme:
This episode delves into how social media is distorting our approach to hobbies—turning genuine interests into identity markers and vehicles for consumerism, and in many cases, leaving people with “hobby graveyards” full of abandoned projects and wasted money. Jen and Jill unpack the dangers of hobby-hopping, why we’re compelled to overbuy, and how we can reclaim hobby joy with mindful, frugal strategies (plus plenty of laughs and real talk about sourdough starters, pickleball paddles, and book hauls).

Main Topics & Structure

1. The Hobby Graveyard: Why Do We Keep Abandoning Hobbies?

[01:23–10:03]

• Hosts introduce the concept of the “hobby graveyard”: A collection of abandoned hobbies and unfinished projects, often a result of impulsive purchases and fleeting inspiration (06:06, Jen).
• Personal admissions:
  • Jill talks about utilitarian hobbies (gardening, bread-making, home renovation), and how many hobbies have turned into side hustles (04:52–05:58).
  • Jen leans creative for hobby-chasing—coloring, embroidery, journaling—admitting to falling for every trap they’ll discuss today (06:06–07:35).
  • Both acknowledge the comedic tragedy of partially-used supplies: “stack of unread books,” “half-used yarn,” “a sourdough starter that died in the fridge” (07:35–09:20).
• Intersection of self-improvement and hobby-hopping:
  “There’s probably crossover between just a hobbyist and kind of a chronic self-improvement person.” — Jill, [09:20]
• Notable moment: ADHD Hobbyist briefly shares an epic list of hobby purchases that fizzled fast: “I spent a lot of money on resin...candle side business...knitting...I haven’t completed one single thing.” [10:03–10:46]

2. How Social Media Skews Hobbies

Key arguments illustrated with memes, real TikToks, and personal reflection

a. Identity and Influencer Culture

[11:25–16:59]

• Influencers press the idea: Your hobby is your identity; niche down your interests just like you would your online persona (15:34, Jen).
• Pickleball as a case study:
  *Clips mimic the “stages” of pickleball obsession—from casual player to someone quitting their job for it—highlighting how a hobby can eclipse your life and wallet.
  • “...I probably spent more than $15,000, $25,000 on this hobby and I just started playing 10 months ago.” — ADHD Hobbyist, [15:51]
  • Jen and Jill discuss the absurdity: “That’s extreme. Not everybody does go that extreme. She really scaled the wall with that one.” — Jill, [16:38]

b. Consumerism and Buying for the Sake of Belonging

[17:08–21:38]

• BookTok & Hauls:
  • Fast-paced cycles encourage mass acquisition: “Do I have a book buying problem?...Apparently, yes. Do I regret any of these purchases? No.” — Jen, [17:38]
  • Jill and Jen bemoan the neglect of libraries in favor of consumer book hauls (18:14–18:39).
• Spending’s increase is normalized:
  • Buying more, not better: “...the cost of school supplies has really stayed consistent with inflation...[yet] our spending...has increased $150 per year. And so that’s just buying more quantity, not increased prices. And it's the same here with hobbies.” — Jen, [22:00]

c. Performative Hobbies: Showcasing, Not Enjoying

[25:00–29:54]

• Sourdough and Social Display:
  • Bread-making and other hobbies become performative, needing to be artful or unique to be social-media worthy: “...how old is your starter, how healthy is your starter, how unique is your bread, how big are your air bubbles?” — Jill, [26:29]
  • “I will say they are obnoxious for something that you’re gonna consume. This is not art.” — Jen, [26:44]
• Pressure to perfect:
  “It’s not enough to crush at your job...But you also have to have cool hobbies...your skill set needs to be that of an expert. And it really takes away the joy and the creative impulses.” — Jill, [28:59]

d. Perfectionism, Insecurity, and Selling the Dream

[30:13–34:27]

• Impulse decisions driven by trends:
  • “A lot of it is on impulse...when we’re scrolling you make impulsive decisions, and they’re not fully thought through.” — Jen, [30:13]
  • Courses that promise to make your hobby profitable even when the influencer hasn't done it themselves (31:39).
• Perfectionism discouraging new hobbyists:
  • “Social media is perpetuating perfectionism, which ultimately drives insecurity and discourages people from starting some hobbies.” — Jen, [31:39]
  • Stories of wanting to make beautiful embroidery but feeling discouraged by comparison to social posts (33:44, Jen).

3. How To Reclaim Your Hobby (and Your Sanity)

[35:14–42:47]

a. Practical Steps to Avoid the Hobby Graveyard

• Minimize initial investment:
  “You’re going to purchase just what you need...If the interest is crochet...now is the time and the desire is to buy...seven balls of yarn...Instead you’re going to...buy one ball of yarn and a crochet hook.” — Guest/Expert, [36:06]
• Return unopened supplies:
  “Don’t open anything you don’t need right now...if, in the next two or three weeks, you discover you’re not going to use those materials...you can still return them.” — Guest/Expert, [37:03]

b. Jen & Jill’s Frugal Hobby Guidance

• Set a hobby budget cap:
  “Decide what’s a reasonable amount...Not overextending myself financially that I can feel good about.” — Jill, [38:56–39:08]
• Pause before purchasing:
  “Pause before you purchase and really think: When I make this, where is it gonna live? Give it a 30-day test and then potentially buy more.” — Jen, [39:08]
• Start with what you have:
  “You do not need to be buying new supplies...see what you already have at home or if a friend has it to borrow.” — Jill, [39:54–40:14]
• Borrow, swap, or thrift:
  “Try to borrow it. It is inconvenient… If you really want to do it, then that’s going to be a barrier you’re going to want to cross.” — Jen, [40:42]
• Keep your hobby off social media at first:
  “No pressure for this thing to become a social media enterprise for you. You can just do it that way.” — Jill, [42:06]

4. Lightning Round: Real Hobbies and Hobby Aspirations

[46:44–53:18]

• Jen: Training for a half marathon, hopes to get back to embroidery, enjoys making quirky gifts (47:21; 51:11).
• Jill: Running, cleaning (“not proud of it”), reading via library apps, and dreams of returning to painting tiny flowers—a nod to finding joy in childhood passions (47:34; 53:07).
• Both: Discuss how hobbies don’t need perfection or performance value to matter. Sometimes, life just redirects your attention, and that’s okay.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Sometimes hobbies, most of the time hobbies, are left in the hobby graveyard. But sometimes they're taken too far.” – Jen [05:49]
• “This is my hobby. But I'm not great at it and I don't have to be.” – Jill [29:54]
• “Reading books, definitely a hobby. Buying books, not reading them, buying more books. Also a hobby.” – Jen [17:40]
• “It really takes away the joy and the creative impulses that it allows…and I really love it when I can find people who are like, this is my hobby. But I'm not great at it and I don't have to be.” – Jill [28:59]
• “What TikTok and social media is doing…can actually make it more stressful and it does the opposite of what we actually want it to do.” – Jill [34:27]
• “If we have a strategy to appease the impulse without going overboard, that's definitely something we need to have in our pocket.” – Jen [37:19]

Actionable Takeaways for Frugal Hobbyists

• Only buy the minimum to get started—resist full hauls at the outset.
• Keep purchases returnable and actually return what you don’t use quickly.
• Set boundaries for hobby spending, both per hobby and per month.
• Use, borrow, or swap supplies before making new purchases; check thrift stores and secondhand craft shops.
• Avoid turning your hobby into a performative or monetized project until (or unless!) it truly brings you joy.
• Allow yourself to be a beginner; perfection isn’t required.
• Accept that abandoning a hobby is normal—even healthy—and supplies can be handed off to someone else’s project.

Overall Tone & Closing Thoughts

The episode strikes a warm, humorous, and empathetic tone. Jen and Jill are honest about their own struggles with hobby churn and spending, but also hopeful about how we can take conscious steps to bring joy—and savings—back to our free time. Their advice is practical, actionable, and never shaming: you’re not alone, and you don’t need to find your “one true hobby” or turn every interest into a social spectacle.

Further Listening

• Episodes on de-influencing, book thrifting, and exercise trends
• Book: Buy What You Love Without Going Broke (written by hosts)
• Back episodes about budgeting and mindful spending

For timestamped deep dives on particular segments, refer to:

• Hobby Graveyard explained: [06:06–09:20]
• Pickleball/identity discussion: [11:25–16:59]
• BookTok and consumerism: [17:08–22:00]
• Practical frugality strategies: [35:47–42:47]
• Lightning round/hobby confessions: [46:44–53:18]