Does Working at Home Save Money?
March 7, 2008 by Deborah Ng
Filed under General
Before I begin, I want to wish my mom a happy birthday. I’m not allowed to mention her age but I’ll tell you she looks wonderful and keeps youthful and vibrant.
So working at home…
When my husband and discussed my working from home as a freelance writer, we thought it would be good for my son but worried about money. Mr. Ng has a decent job, but the loss of an income would hurt. We didn’t know how long it would take for me to get to the point where I’d be earning a decent salary, nor did we know if I’d ever earn the salary I did as an Administrative Assistant. Fortunately, my career is doing well. Not only have we exceeded expectations, but I do believe we’re saving money.
- I’m not buying “career clothes” anymore. I work in mom jeans or even sweats. When I do leave the house I wear casual, every day clothes. I don’t have to worry about panty hose or accessories.
- I’m not paying for the commute. When we lived in New York City I traveled by subway. Now, I only travel locally to the supermarket and library. I don’t pay much for the back and forth.
- I’m not having meals out with friends or co-workers. I usually “brown bagged it” but every now and then I’d meet friends or co-workers for lunch. Now I make a sandwich.
I do give up a lot in return. It can be lonely working at home all day with only a child for company, but I make do. Working from home does save on certain expenses, and while there are other expenses such as supplies or electricity, many of these are tax deductible.
I didn’t work at home to save money, but it’s certainly a nice perk!
Image © Deborah Ng
LRN
Great points, Deb. And with gas prices what they are, I am happy to save on that cost.