What no one tells you about working at home is that it's a lot tougher to make a living than you think. When you're sitting in your cubicle, having just been given a project that will require long nights and weekends (and a lot of bad coffee), you dream of the day you can leave it all behind, and be free. Working at home is the answer, right? Well, it's always helpful to weigh the pros and cons.

Pro: No more early mornings

Con: While it's definitely a benefit to be able to leave your alarm clock behind, those who work from home will also tell you that it requires a lot more hours than you'd expect. Not having regular hours means that the day actually seems longer because it is filled with a lot more interruptions than you'd ever encounter at the office. While you may adjust your mornings to a more natural rhythm, you'll likely also have to work farther into the night than anticipated, and there's no bonus for overtime or weekend work either.

Pro: No boss

Con: There's no one overlooking your work except your clients, and while your boss at the office may have known your overall track record, and let a bad day slip, the same will not be true of your clients. You will need to perform at maximum capacity or risk losing payment and future work. Instead of a yearly review from your boss, you'll be evaluated each time you seek out new work or turn in an assignment.

Pro: Vacation whenever you want it

Con: Can you even afford a vacation, now that you are working from home? No one is going to supplement your work with two or three weeks of free vacation money. Every dime you earn now must be gained from work assignments you get (minus taxes...don't forget). It's true that time off is more flexible, but it's also true that you need to be around when the plum assignments are available if you want to keep cash in your checking account. Retirement? That's all on you, too.

Pro: Earn as much as you want

Con: While there are no salary caps when you work from home, there's also no minimum wage. The sky's the limit, but there are still only 24 hours in a day, and you have to sleep sometime. You can take on extra work to bump up your income, but that means longer hours as well. Be sure to count in the time that you spend chasing your payment as well. Some clients consider 30, 60, even 90 days plenty of time to get the check to you. The electric company isn't as generous with its bill, however.

Pro: More time for family fun

Con: Does your family realize

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