by Judy Zabriskie

Created on: February 07, 2011   Last Updated: March 17, 2011

I began working at home when “telecommuting” was just coming into being. Fortunately for me, it coincided with my child’s foray into elementary school so I was able to become a full-time parent, employee and housewife all wrapped up into one.  The first savings I noted was that my clothing budget plummeted.  I went from business suits to sweats in the winter and t-shirts and shorts in the summer.  High heels were replaced with thongs and tennis shoes.  Of course I needed a few “good “ outfits for school events, occasional nights out to dinner with my husband at a “grown up” restaurant but, really one can get away with a very limited wardrobe while working from home.  This was truly a huge savings.

Second:  Food!  Yes, no more lattes at the local coffee shop before entering the workplace, no more lunches out, no more take-out for dinner – this turned out to be an even bigger savings than the clothing budget.  Being at home allowed me to run into the kitchen and grab whatever was in the refrigerator for lunch (last night’s leftovers, a yogurt, a quick thrown together salad…) Coffee was that which was left over from breakfast (usually thrown down the drain in the evening when setting up the pot for a new batch the next morning while working outside the house.)  Now I no longer waste coffee and I no longer pay extra for that fattening latte on my way into the office.  I am finished work at a reasonable hour so I prepare all my meals the day that they are served and from scratch – no more take-out menu ordering and picking up meals on the way home – healthier and CHEAPER.

That brings me to the third point: commuting.  With gas prices on the rise and a 45 minute commute each way my fuel savings have been extraordinary.  I find even with the daily running around with the child and doing those pesky errands that used to be done on the weekends during my mad dash shopping experiences, I still save a huge amount of money on fuel, filling up the tank every 2 to 3 weeks instead of once, maybe twice per week. 

Fourth:  hair and makeup especially make up – this is not only a huge financial savings but an extraordinary time saver.  Each morning I would have to get up a half hour early to put on makeup and do my hair.  Now I usually wear make up only on days I have outings (seeing other people while at school functions,

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