The reasons for working from home vary for each individual. If you're a small business owner, chances are that you're unable to afford a leased office just yet. For new moms, working from home often comes as a blessing that helps to hang on to that job even while battling the demands of motherhood. One thing common to all those with a home office is the desire to save costs to justify this flexible work arrangement.
It's only when an individual starts working from home that the expenses that were hitherto hidden, start surfacing gradually. One starts to even wonder about the feasibility of setting up a home office vis--vis the extra costs incurred. Before you decide to close up shop even before you get off to a start, let us explore some workarounds to some common expenses that are likely to drain your wallet.
| Easy Ways to Save Money on Your Home Office |
$ Keep it Simple: Most of us try to recreate a corporate atmosphere in our home office by spending on a lot of furniture, nicknacks and unnecessary gadgets. You'll be surprised to know how much you can save on upfront costs by choosing to go simple.
$ Rentals are Cool: Invest in infrastructure that is functional yet not over-the-top. Purchase things that you would require on a daily basis such as a desk, chair and some basic storage. If you know that the home office is a temporary setup, then you may want to rent even the furniture, if that results in significant savings. Other stuff like a high-end printer, expensive books and magazines, etc., can either be rented or subscribed to.
$ Be Less Brand-conscious: Unless you're in a business where you'll have clients visiting your home for sampling your work (for example: architects/interior decorators/fashion designers, etc.) making it necessary for your office to look a bit flashy, select non-branded products for furniture and office supplies. You'll find a lot of low-cost equipment on online stores that will serve the purpose and at the same time, not be too tough on your wallet. You may even scout around for secondhand equipment and appliances that may be available for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
$ Pick a Nice Spot: Let's start with the location of your home office within your home. Pick a spot that is secluded from the rest of the home (preferably with a proper door, especially if there are kids and/or pets around the home). Ensure that the place has enough natural light; that way, you can save on the power bills.
$ Estimation and Budgeting: Modular home office furniture helps to save on costs as well as space. Before outfitting your home office, take the measurement, make the lists, estimate the prices and fix a budget. This way, you'll know the point at which to raise a red flag on overspending. This is essentially your first step in the direction towards cost saving.
$ Needs Versus Wants: Office supplies are a primary source of indulgence. Itemize equipment, gadgets and stationery into "what you absolutely need" versus "what you can do without". Again, online purchasing offers a great option to compare prices and get your stuff home delivered (take advantage of free shipping for a minimum amount of purchase), thus saving a great deal of time.
$ Plan Your Purchases: A detailed inventory of all supplies will go a long way in avoiding round trips to the shop and repeated online purchases, which might incur additional shipping costs. Order in bulk as much as possible!
$ Go Green: Going green can also help you save costs. Go for recycled paper, energy-efficient light fittings, air conditioner, computer monitors or laptops and other gadgets. While purchasing these appliances, check for those with the Energy Star label. They consume about half the power as a standard equipment. Even if you're a corporate employee being reimbursed for telecommuting, these cost savings are worth aiming for, from an energy conservation perspective.
$ Conserve Power: Did you know that gadgets on standby mode consume considerable power? Even if you're working from home, stick to a timetable and switch off the power source of all the gadgets when they're not in use. It is beneficial to have a common power strip to easily switch off all equipment at once, so that laziness and lethargy at the end of a day's work do not affect your ability to track down all the individual switches. In addition, seal off the air leaks and secure the insulation in your home to achieve maximum energy efficiency.
$ Reduce Talk Time: If your job requires a lot of phone use, invest in a good VoIP plan with your service provider. Using VoIP platforms like Skype offer a great voice calling experience without the costs of a landline or cell phone talk time.
$ Hygiene Saves Costs: Finally, a great way to a healthy home office experience is to regularly clean your space, organize your desk and storage to facilitate easy retrieval and keep your home office pest-free to ensure that there are no rodents chewing on those wires lying around. Try not to snack in your home office space. Walk it up to your kitchen, it'll help exercise those muscles stiffened from prolonged sitting!
Hope the other tips will help you with significant savings on home office expenditure. If you're just beginning to implement your small business setup, these savings will definitely give you the confidence to surge ahead in your venture. In addition to achieving monetary savings, you can also work with the satisfaction of being a responsible human being, while doing your bit to ensure energy-efficient surroundings.
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