Working from home saves a ton of money! Below are just some of the ways I’ve saved over the last four months. Although I was unemployed part of the time after the March shutdown, I spent my workdays job hunting. Whether I was making money or job hunting, I was working from home in my home office. Check out these four money-saving items:
- More meals at home. Outside of the #COVID19 restaurant closedown where we haven’t eaten out for fun, I saved the money I would normally spend on breakfast and lunch.
Working downtown, I would drive through just about every morning for a #CocaCola and sometimes breakfast sandwich, so $3.00 at least three times a week. (x20 weeks=$180 for breakfast). Lunch downtown at the very cheapest, $10/day. While most days I took my lunch, on average I ate out twice a week. So multiply $20/week x 20 weeks, $400 savings! In total $580 saved, and I’m eating better by not eating out. After a couple of initial larger grocery runs, I’ve got my kitchen stocked and our grocery bill has evened out to about $80/week for our family.
- Less driving/lower fuel cost. Typically, I spent about $20 a week on fuel going to and from work. Staying #healthyathome, working from home that same $20 can last at least a couple of weeks. So, let’s say that’s about a $40 a month (x4= $160) saved.
- After having not worn make-up in four months, I’m not sure I will ever wear it like I did before. I’m a Clinique girl, so while I still have my skin-care regiment and have had to purchase moisturizer and cleanser, but make-up, I still have a bottle of foundation and eyeliner I purchased before Christmas. Savings, $45.
- Working from home has saved me in clothing and laundry. Let’s face it, wearing sweats/shorts, t-shirts, and socks while sitting in front of a computer doesn’t lend itself to creating a lot of laundry, or needing much of a Spring wardrobe.
Just from these four ideas, I’ve saved more than $1,000 if the clothes I didn’t buy are included. But the biggest savings (and most valuable) has been saving time. There is no getting up, struggling to put the perfect outfit together, make-up and hair, sitting in traffic, finding a parking space (in a garage I pay to have a space in). At the end of the day, I don’t lose 45 minutes getting home.
Officing at home, I get up about 30 minutes before work, check for immediate overnight emails from my supervisor that may change the priority of my day (this isn’t normal, but it helps to start getting my head into work), feed and let the dog out, brush my hair and teeth, shorts and a t-shirt, grab a coffee (or my Coke that’s only $.33/day), and turn on my laptop. The cadence into the day is smooth and quiet. At the end of the day, just like at the office, I shut down my machine, straighten my desk, and within minutes (that doesn’t include traffic) I’m in my kitchen thinking about my family and our evening.
What would you do with an extra $1,000? Look around, how are you saving money while staying home? Or have you found other ways to spend?
All the best,
KK
P.S. – Given my track record with making bold statements, upon the publishing of this piece I’ll probably get word that we are going back to the office. Just ask my sister, Gail. Being thankful for my job, and the fodder for writing that working downtown provides, I’m outta here.
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