by Rachel Smith
04 November 2016
I set out to write a blog post about all the ways we can pull in our belts as freelancers, but couldn’t get past the point about all the things you can cook with mince and not leaving the dryer on.
So, I decided to flip the whole idea on its head and instead look at all the ways you’re already saving money if you work from home. Like, without even trying. Here, believe it or not, are the perks to not having a regular paycheck.
Travel, from petrol to Opal cards. Opal cards are capped at $60/week at the most, but even if you’re commuting from afar that’s still $3000-plus you’re saving if you’re working from home. And petrol? Parking? It gives me heart palpitations just thinking about all the $$$ I’d be outlaying daily if I left the house for work.
Car expenses and maintenance. If you work from home, you might not even need a car – or you might be able to take advantage of car share programs or Uber when you need it. Or public transport. Thereby saving yourself thousands on maintenance and upkeep.
Dry cleaning. Forget about carting your suits and shirts to the dry-cleaner. Cha-ching, that’s probably around $500 at least you’re saving!
Office wear. Findings from Sunbank’s Cost of Looking Good report in 2015 revealed office workers spend about $187 on corporate attire per month. That’s $2244/year. I certainly don’t spend $2244 a year on the wide collection of tracksuit pants I use to write in these days, so I’d say I’m a couple thou up on that score.
Buying your lunch. When I DID work in an office last, I ate out every single day. That was at least $10-15/day. If we operate on the fact that there are approximately 250 work days each year (cutting out weekends and public holidays), I was spending $50-75/ week on lunch and up to $3750 a YEAR. And that’s before you even factor in coffee. But I was apparently relatively frugal; consulting firm Urbis surveyed office workers and found they spend a whopping $230 on average on lunch and coffee in any given week. Gulp.
Home office tax deductions. Think stationery. A portion of your utilities. Furniture for your office. Dictaphones, computers, other gadgets that help you do your job. The list goes on and on in regards to the savings you can make.
Time. As an office worker, you’re probably not getting paid to commute to and from work and all those unpaid hours add up, lowering your hourly rate (if you work it out from your salary). Doesn’t apply to freelancers who wake up and grab a cuppa on their way to the study.
Being healthier. Since I started working from home, I lost 10kg (ditching those food court lunches, maybe?) and I go to the gym a helluva lot more than I ever did when darkening the door of an office every day. I also walk a lot more and because I’m not exposed to germs on public transport or in the office, I probably get taken down by a bug about once or twice a year, if that. I don’t know how you’d calculate the savings on that, but if you factor in less sick days, less doctor’s bills, less prescriptions and more productivity, I’d bet it would add up to a nice chunk of change.
Childcare. I know a lot of freelancers who work around their small kids (I’m one of them, although I’ve recently gotten some help for a few hours a couple of days a week). But if you’re smart and live near another work-from-home parent, there’s nothing to stop you working out a barter childcare system so you can both get some work done without the rugrats underfoot – thus saving on childcare costs.
Anything I’ve missed? What other ways do you save money working from home?
Great points, Rachel and I like how you flipped the topic on its head to see a glass half full perspective.
I’d say I save a lot of money in psychologist’s bills!
The office politics of some of the companies I worked for used to do my head in…
Would love to have said working from home lost me 10kg but the chocolate stash is only five steps away from my desk and when I have writer’s block it is my first point of inspiration… Sad, hey?
Psych bills – absolutely! We must save a motza not having to deal with the anxiety and stress of office politics 🙂 And psychopath bosses. And weirdo colleagues you can’t escape…
I can’t help you with the chocolate, Kylie… my solution is to try not buy any, but that said, I’m about to whip up a batch of ‘healthy’ bliss balls 🙂
Sorry Rachel, I appreciate your effort to flip the view truly but the facts remain, as freelancers, we actually do have to pay for our own stationery, internet, mobile, petrol etc as opposed to using the office facilities. We have to look after our own superannuation too. We don’t get sick leave or holiday leave. While counterparts in PAYE roles still have quieter days or weeks without implication on their take-home pay, the freelancer may have weeks without income. I’ve lived through this angsty season for 20+ years as a freelancer, and often wondered why I put myself through it. I now use it to plan for the year ahead, to get those jobs done that otherwise take away from productive time — and if it’s a slow day, accept that it’s a perfect time for a swim 🙂
That’s all very true Heather. I suppose I was trying to look on the bright side rather than write about cooking with mince… but yeah, there’s a reason so many of us are bloody broke 🙂
Great post! I also think some of us would save on hair care products [a scrunchie will do], energy costs for hairdryers [wet hair in a scrunchie will do], makeup, and endless collections for this or that around the office.
We are also more able to juggle in cooking and food preparation [saving money on pre-cooked stuff or takeout], and find a few minutes to keep some herbs and greens and tomatoes alive.
So true Willow. My hair is so long (saving on hairdressers) that I now don’t need a scrunchie, it just goes into a bun all on its own 😀
‘Healthy’ bliss balls? Recipe please! Hahaha. Just ate a choc covered liquorice stick. I’m sure liquorice is good for our health. Might be a topic for a new article…
Heather, you are absolutely correct in all your points about the areas we are not covered for, as freelancers. There is no way I am feeding four children on my writing wage. It can be very stressful and frustrating.
Thankfully I provide priceless comic relief for my husband in the home office we share, and in turn, he wins the bread…
I would read that 🙂
Re bliss balls…this one is the one I made yesterday – it’s a Teresa Cutter protein ‘power ball’. https://www.thehealthychef.com/2011/09/protein-power-balls/
I also have the apricot oat and coconut ball recipe and the lemon tart bliss ball, if those are any good to you…