5 Ways to Save Money While Working at Home

Wind back the clock several years, and the whole working from home philosophy was only for an elite few. Well, things have changed. Sure, this change may have happened for reasons nobody could have ever envisaged, but WFH is here – and it’s here to stay. 

Most workers have embraced this, but some are concerned about the costs of working at home. Yes, you can eradicate all of your travel costs, but other smaller ones enter the picture, which we’ll now mull through today. 

Be savvy with any equipment you have 

While most of us will be given company laptops in a bid to create the “ultimate” home office environment, many of us rely on other tech. 

Unfortunately, if you are employed, there are few tax breaks for purchasing new equipment. It means that you have to tap into retailer benefits themselves. For example, Apple in Covent Garden offers a Reuse and Recycling Programme. This allows you to get credit every time you recycle your iPhone or iPad – an easy way to put cash towards your next purchase. 

There are all sorts of other schemes dotted around the high street, but the moral of the story is simple; resist the urge to pay full price for the equipment. You aren’t protected by all of the perks that the self-employed get. 

Be shrewd with your heating setup 

We’ve all read the news about heating bills, which appear to be soaring through the roof. If you’re working at home, this is worrying indeed. After all, you no longer have the office air conditioning or heating to rely on – everything is on your budget. 

Well, if it’s only you working from home, it might be time to trial some portable heating systems. Even though a lot of them haven’t been manufactured with efficiency in mind, they at least allow you to heat one area of your home – and avoid igniting that expensive boiler. 

Invest in some quality second-hand furniture 

While you might want to make a great first impression with clients, there’s no need to spend a fortune on office furniture. You can find some wonderful second-hand deals, which will help you to keep overheads to a minimum. 

Fortunately, costs have decreased a lot in the last year as well. While there was an initial surge in people buying office furniture to cater for their sudden WFH needs, with more people now returning to the office, it means that there are certainly bargains to be had on the likes of eBay and Facebook Marketplace. 

You can still take advantage of tax breaks 

As we’ve alluded to, you don’t have the luxury of the self-employed regarding all of their tax breaks. 

However, all is not lost. You can save up to £124 per year on your basic needs, which can make a difference. 

Check your car insurance! 

It sounds totally random, right? However, if you had previously used a car to commute to work, your insurance may have been higher due to your daytime parking situation. Now that your vehicle is at home all day, you are more likely to qualify for lower premiums. 

You can look into other forms of insurance you have as well and see if your situation change will result in lower costs.