My temporary home office
DCL
We have noted before that studies show that working from home is really greener, and have provided a comprehensive guide for doing it. But in these times when we are watching every penny, how can it save us (or make us) more money? Here are 10 ways it can help.
1. The Commute:
It is obviously cheaper to walk down the hall than it is to drive or take transit to the office. A lot cheaper—a SUN microsystems study estimates savings of more than $1,700 per year in gasoline and wear and tear on their vehicles for working at home half the time; it is probably more than double that if you work at home full time, as you may be able to do without a car (or at least a second car) altogether.
2. Coffee:
Particularly if you have a double tall nonfat latte addiction as this writer once did, the costs of the Starbucks visit can seriously add up. One can buy a pound of the very best fair trade shade grown organic coffee for the price of three takeouts and it will last a lot longer. See the How to go Green guide for coffee and tea.
3. Lunch and Snacks:
This can be a danger when working from home; the fridge is very convenient and you can graze all day, eating far more than you might at the office. However with a bit of discipline, you can make healthy lunches and use up leftovers. Calculate your savings here.
4. Clothing:
When you just need the power suit for the occasional meeting and can wear anything the rest of the time you can save a lot of money on clothing and cleaning. Just make sure you get dressed in the morning, wear a nice shirt or top and brush your hair—more and more working from home involves video calls and conferences.
5. Communications: Business phone lines cost more than residential lines. Not only that, with call waiting, call display, answering services and call forwarding, one can run a fairly professional operation without any additional equipment or services beyond what the phone company offers for a few bucks a month. Some people are dumping the land line altogether and running their lives on their cellphones and computers, which offer even more services for the home office. However some might suggest that cellphones are great when you are on the road, but it is a good idea to minimize your exposure to the concentrated EMF. More information on Cell Phone radiation here. 6. Electronics: Office IT departments have tough standards and protocols, for very good reasons; they have to manage a lot of people. But with modern computers, open source software and high speed internet a home office can be far more cutting edge and use technology far more effectively than a larger organization. Many companies still look askance at Skype or online services like google docs, yet they let you communicate with others in ways that companies only dream of after spending thousands of dollars and hours. To save even more money, Set Your Computer for Energy Savings and consult the buygreen guide. 7. Furniture: With modern technology your office is where you are; unlike corporate offices that tend to buy expensive systems that are co-ordinated throughout the company, you get to work from whatever you have or want, be it the dining room table or an elaborate home office. This post is being written from my temporary office beside a pool in Miami Beach. (Don't be envious—it is freezing and windy and there is nothing else to do BUT work in these conditions.) And whatever you do—get a good chair. Here are some examples of TreeHugger writers' home offices; they run the gamut from Aeron chairs at custom desks to exercise balls at dining room tables. 8. Childcare: Childcare is still an issue, but you may have more flexibility in your choices and options. 9. Taxes: It's work, keeping every reciept and logging every mile in the car, but when you work at home, often your home office and operating costs are deductible expenses. Speak to your accountant, but there is no question that when you work from home you can set up your affairs to be as tax-efficient as possible. There are also opportunities for tax splitting by having members of your family do legitimate work for you, shifting income over to people in lower tax brackets. More on tax breaks for fixing your home, which can make a more comfortable, greener home office. 10. Therapy: Some people just can't work from home; they need the structure of the office or they don't actually want to be at home. But for others it is a breath of fresh air and freedom, to be able to work according to their own rules, be part of their community all day, get out and take breaks in local parks, or having lunch with the kids. For many the level of anxiety and tension is dramatically reduced. It can be really good for your emotional well-being. Read also Change the Way You Work.
