Simple Ways To Save Money When You Start Working From Home
If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that a lot of meetings can be simply done through an email. Even more so, a lot of jobs can be easily done from home. Working from home has become a new way of living for many who were at office jobs. They have allowed people to stay closer to their family members and closer to their coffee machines and it has become an unexpected twist on daily life. The lack of work commute is definitely something that working from home has made people say good riddance to as well.
Even with these changes, you might be asking yourself how you can do a better job of making your home office more economical. It could mean saving money in a general sense or saving money on the supplies you use for your office. Whether it is in the office itself or to save money in that overall way, you can always find simple ways to accomplish this feat. Here are some simple ways to keep from overspending while you work from home.
Buy A Used Computer
Everyone loves a nice, new electronic device, but for budgeting purposes, this is not always feasible. If you want to upgrade your work computer, you can actually find a lot of excellent deals and products that are new or refurbished. Finding refurbished laptops may help you save some money, but upgrade your work computer at the same time. New computers are incredibly expensive and for your work purposes (or multi-use purposes), you may not need too much power. When new products are released the older models immediately drop in value so you can save some money by going with an older model that works just as well.
Switch to Homebrew
Part of the office culture was going to get coffee for the team or heading out to a nice cafe to grab a cup. What you forget to realize is that the $3 cup of coffee every morning would end up being $780 a year. Close to $1000 a year is spent purely on coffee, which is why you should switch to homebrew. Not only is it much cheaper, but it is also more sustainable for the environment and you are keeping people safe by only going out for the necessities. Ground roast or beans will last a much longer time as well and it gives you a good chance to experiment with your coffee making abilities. Invest in a french press or an espresso machine to spice up your morning routine. Something as small as your morning coffee can end up protecting your budget.
Purchase Supplies in Bulk
Even with a computer, you will likely still need supplies like pencils, pens, staples, tape, sticky notes, and notebooks. All of these supplies can really add up when you buy them individually which is why you should buy them in bulk.
While buying in bulk can save you some money, you probably do not need 100 pens, so find school supply outlet stores where you can get a reasonable deal with a reasonable amount of supplies. It is also a good idea to search for deals on discounted supplies that are significantly cheaper too. Any little thing to save a buck is an important step to take.
Eat Out Less
If you are going to be brewing your coffee at home to save some money, you should ditch the takeout and business lunches. Again, it might not be as fun going out for a bite to eat on your lunch but you will be doing wait staff and cashiers a service by keeping them healthy. Most importantly, you will be reducing your annual expenses even further as lunch a day will add up to an even higher total than coffee. Assuming your average lunch costs between $7 and $13, you could be looking at anywhere from $1300 to $3300 a year in lunch alone. This money could cover your car insurance. Eating lunch prepared at home costs less and allows for much healthier options too.
Turn Down the Utilities
When you are working at home, you do not need every light in the house. Your home does not have the number of people working in it that your office did so you can ease up a little on those utility bills. Likewise, you should also consider turning down the heat as well if you are the only one home. Keeping your office space nice and heated is advised so you are comfortable, but even a space heater can provide that comfort. Saving money on your utility bills is important now that you will be at home most of the day. For your internet needs, consider a good unlimited bandwidth plan so you or your family do not go overboard with their streaming either.
Spend Less On Business Clothing
Getting dressed up and ready to go for work is one of the reasons that people are in full support of working from home. Not only does it cost quite a bit to buy new clothing for the workplace, but it is not always the most comfortable. You may need to do some conference calls and video chats, but you can easily purchase a small collection of dress shirts, cheaper blazers, and cycle through them endlessly. Based on the fact that you will be sitting at a desk, you hardly need to spend money on skirts or dress pants, just please do not stand up if you are only in your underwear! Reducing your clothing expenses will go right back into your grocery budget and utility bills. It is the little things like this that really make working from home a good way to save each month.
Working from home is not everyone’s cup of tea, but once you realize how much you can save at the end of each month, you might be reconsidering your opinion. Finding ways to cut corners and reduce costs is difficult, but when your office is at home, your lunches, coffee, commute, and clothing expenses will be dramatically reduced, helping you put more money into the bank.