Working from home can save money, and many companies and individuals are now realising this.
A recent working from home survey published in The Independent newspaper found that in a poll of 1000 employees, 7 in 10 were impressed with how employees have managed to work from home due to Covd19 and many are now looking to incorporate home working. One of the main reasons is, of course, working from home can save money for companies and also self-employed individuals.
Of course, the original outlay of setting up a home office can be expensive, but it is possible to be cost-effective when working from home. Let's have a look at how to save money when working from home.
Technology
Always start with the most simple technology set-up and upgrade as necessary. If you are working for a company maybe they can loan you a laptop to work from home and other essential equipment like a printer. Refurbished or second-hand laptops may give you a big saving if you are buying the equipment yourself or you may have a computer suitable already, so don't buy what you don't need. You can get tax relief on things for work though, so bear that in mind.
Negotiate and compare
If you are looking for a cheaper phone, internet service or other utilities it's worth comparing online on sites like Moneysupermarket or ringing up and speaking to the companies direct. Even if you don't move providers, ringing the company and threatening to move often means you will be offered a better deal. Whether you are looking for London internet providers or Las Vegas internet providers this is a good strategy to try.
Stationary
Places like Poundland and supermarkets like Tesco can be surprisingly good for stationery, like printer paper, pens and poly pockets. For ink cartridges try compatible ones which will save you money on the big branded ones, or refillable cartridges that are good for the environment too. Also don't print what you don't need.
Cost-effective furniture
Check out Facebook pages, eBay or Gumtree for second-hand items. I managed to buy an office chair for £15 on a local Facebook selling page. Some charity shops specialise in furniture as well. Freecycle may be worth a look, it's a site where items such as furniture are given away. For the best prices on new furniture, Ikea has made office stuff super affordable, like desks and chairs, and you may also wish to check out options for your office on online stores like Office Monster.
Buy what you need
Buy what you need. Don't buy what you don't need. It's a simple thing but will save you cash and the environment by preventing items from going into landfill. Do you really need the 'all singing all dancing' laptop, instead check out the features that you need and see if you can buy a simpler model. Would a Chromebook do instead of an Apple Mac, thus saving you money?
Check out grants
There are several grants available if you are self-employed. The Princes Trust helps young entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and if you are unemployed the New Enterprise Allowance can give you a grant of up to £2000. It's always worth searching online for grants available as you may be surprised at what you can access nationally and locally.
Save energy
Save energy
Working from home will mean you have higher energy costs, so doing small things can help. Only boil enough water in a kettle for the one cup of tea, stop leaving the TV on standby, wear an extra jumper if it's cold in the house rather than put on the heater and so on. Small things that can save you pounds across the year.
Shop in the sales
Shopping in the January, Spring or Black Friday sales can really save you money. If you need something expensive it's always worth shopping in the sales. An older model of computer will be cheaper in the sales, so will a coffee machine for your home office (We all need a little luxury in our working day after all),
So this is how to save money when working from home. Let me know, do you work from home? Do you have any ideas on how to save money?
I think it's easy to forget simple things like wear a jumper when its cold and only boil enough water for a drink. Simple things like that can save you on energy costs
ReplyDeleteIt can be so easy to spend loads of money when you're working from home but as long as you have a space to work you don't need that much stuff. That's great that you got your chair on Facebook Marketplace x
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has worked from home for over 30 years, my top tip would be to speak to an accountant early on. This is especially important for self-employed people, as an accountant will help you set up a record-keeping system and draw up annual accounts when the time comes. But even employees who will be working from home can benefit from speaking to an accountant, as they will be able to advise on any allowances you may be able to claim against tax.
ReplyDelete