Top Cost Benefits Of Working From Home vs. In The Office
One of the biggest phenomena occurring in the workforce since the peak of the pandemic is the rise of remote work. We’ve all learned a thing or two when it comes to working from home over the past few years. And now with inflation continuing to increase around the world, here are some of the biggest cost benefits of working from home vs in the office you may want to consider as you look for ways to save money.
Transportation
In 2019, over 130 million Americans drove to work and in August of the same year, gas prices averaged around $2.70 a gallon. Today, gas prices are around $3.94 a gallon. Yikes!
Working from home eliminates, or at least drastically decreases the need to spend money on gas just to go to work. If you live in a major city or metro area, you wouldn’t need to spend money on public transportation to travel.
Time
One element that is overlooked in commuting to work is the time you spend traveling. Time is just as important as money. On average, Americans spend over 27 minutes one way commuting to work. That time spent at home can be used towards tasks such as preparing for a company meeting, completing a household chore or making time for self-care.
Once your work day is finished, you don’t need to rush back home to make dinner or to let the dog outside, instead you can look at your bank account and see how much you saved by not spending gas money. That spare money and time you now have can allow you to invest time and energy in yourself by going to places after work that you may have not considered such as a new restaurant in town or a concert.
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Childcare
For parents with young children, childcare is often a financial burden. By working from home, parents can take turns watching their children from home 1-2 days a week to save a little bit of money. The only drawback to not needing childcare would be the possibility of a child disrupting a parent during working hours. Even with the possibility of interruptions, it still beats paying hundreds (or thousands) of dollars a year on childcare when it can be done from home.
Petcare
If you have a furry friend at your house, why pay someone to look after them when you can watch them while you’re on break at work? There is the possibility your pet may interrupt you during work, but just like with childcare, there are ways in which you can manage your schedule to make sure that you have balance between your work and your pets needs.
Food
If you commute to work and you’re in a rush, chances are you are buying lunch at or near your office instead of packing it yourself at home. Working from home however would allow you to cook your own meals and save money from buying lunch. While you may miss out on the opportunity for your boss to take you and your team out to lunch if you worked at an office, it is more cost effective overtime to work from home and make your own food. You can also improve your health by making meals that align with your nutritional needs.
While these five simple cost benefits of working from home may not be for everyone, they surely offer more of a work-life balance than traditional office work. If you can’t negotiate a fully remote job, consider approaching your employer about hybrid work and get the best of both at home and in office work!
Related:
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Meet The Writer!
Hi, my name is Ian Ward and I am a writer and editor with over five years of experience. I have written articles for publications of varying sizes and have worked on everything from SEO to graphic design. Some articles I have written have received thousands of views online. My ultimate goal as a writer is to write engaging content that readers will share with their friends and family. You can reach out to me on LinkedIn and check out my articles on MuckRack.
