We’ve made it to November and for a lot of us, we are still working from home. If you have been able to maintain a healthy workflow, are taking mental breaks and are staying in constant communication with your co-workers, you have probably started to see the positives of working from home. Besides getting to “go to the office” in sweatpants, there are some major perks to working from home and each actually saves money. 
 
#1 Travel Costs 
Whether you work 10 minutes away or an hour, you realize the benefit of saving on gas or public transportation every month. If you were to spend $100 per week on gas, in the 32 weeks since we’ve been in lockdown that would come to $3200 spent on gas. Now consider how many times you’ve filled up this year. If you are like us, you have likely been able to save around $2500 this year on gas alone. 
 
#2 Clothes 
With business being done mostly on Zoom calls these days only half of our body needs to show, and no one is going to question why you have been wearing the same three sweaters every day. You can save hundreds of dollars every month by not spending on clothing. And if you have been buying clothes, you have probably opted for more comfortable, affordable items instead of expensive business attire. 
 
#3 Eating Out 
Prior to COVID, were you the type of person who enjoyed getting take-out multiple times a week? Were you often stopping by a coffee shop in the morning to get your daily caffeine kick? By working from home you’ve probably cut down your eating out, which is better for your budget. You got to experience how much cheaper it is to buy and make your own food. That being said, we do like to eat out every now and then to help support independently owned restaurants!
 
#4 Babysitters/Child Care 
If you are a parent, you know how expensive childcare can be for your infant or toddler. But if you are currently spending your days behind your kitchen table you are now able to watch your little rascal 24/7. Depending on their age you can rock them in their chair or bounce them in their swing or pass them over to your partner who is also working from home. 
 
#5 Clean The House Yourself 
Prior to COVID, you may have had a cleaning service regularly come clean your house. While that’s helpful when you’re away from your house for 8-9 hours a day, it’s not a necessity or likely possibility anymore. On your lunch break, you are quite capable of vacuuming the house, cleaning the sinks or dusting. Plus, every member of the house can have a weekly chore to do, limiting the amount of work for one person to do. 
 
Working from home certainly has its benefits from a financial point of view, but you need to remind yourself to get out of the house. Go for a walk, take a short drive or talk to someone new. It’s very easy to get in the habit of waking up, grabbing your laptop and sitting in bed all day. Plus with the extra money we’re saving each month, remember to actually save it! You never know when your house might need a fix.  
 
 At Knowledge Broker, our goal is to create an open-source of information for all our clients. We want to ensure that, at the end of the day, they get exactly what they want and what they need. If you know someone who could use our help or services please put them in touch with us or send us their details using the contact information below. And before you go, click here to take the Knowledge Broker Quiz and see exactly what we can do for you!
 

JOSHUA CAMPBELL (@knowledgebrkr)
Real Estate Broker
Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Centre, Brokerage
joshua@knowledgebroker.ca
249 Avenue Road • Newmarket, ON L3Y 1N8
289.231.0001