Creating A Home-Office On A Shoestring
Once upon a time, the idea of having an office in your home was nice. That’s all. It was a nice-to-have something that added a bit of sophistication to your home when you didn’t know what else to do with a space. Nowadays, though, having a home office is slipping into the category labelled ‘essentials’.
More and more people are a) working from home full-time or b) working from home some of the time, which is amazing but not without its problems, mainly costs.
Well, to help you with this, we have pulled together some super-useful tips to help you, the frugal work-from-homer, to create a home-office on a shoestring budget without having to compromise on quality. Oh, yeah, it’s possible; it’s totally possible.
1. Made To Measure
First things first, there is absolutely no point in grabbing yourself the bargain of a lifetime if it isn’t going to fit up your stairs or in your office. That is money down the proverbial drain and that, dear friend, is not an effective way to spend money. Think of it as financial planning, if you like. Our advice: don’t buy anything without measuring your space and plotting what you want to go where.
2. Essentials Only
That is the mentality you need to stick with, at least at the beginning. You need to make a list of the office-essentials and stick to these until you have gotten them in place and up and running. We’re talking desk, chair, shelves, printer and a computer of some sort. That’s it. However, ensure that you’re buying what you actually need, such as the correct printer ink as it’s always better to buy quality. For example, if you have a HP Envy 5530 printer, then for best results you’ll need some HP 5530 ink rather than a cheaper alternative.
3. Be A Savvy-Shopper
It isn’t how much money you make that makes you rich, it is knowing how to save money when you spend that is the real secret. That means knowing which sites are best for buying good value used-furniture, it is knowing a supplier that sells cheap ink cartridges, it is knowing which online companies are reputable with good returns policies. That is what you need to know. It’s as simple as that.
4. DIY Saves Money
If you don’t know how to hold a screwdriver – or immediately think about cocktails when hearing the word screwdriver – then it may not be wise to do any DIYing yourself. If, however, you think you can get by, then definitely opt to put furniture together yourself, as well as put up shelves and whatnot. Of course, don’t get carried away. In fact, knowing your limits is one of the best things you can do when looking to save money.
5. Know Where Bargains Lie
Flea markets, yard sales, auctions, refurbished item sellers and online sites are all amazing places to browse when it comes to bits, bobs and tidbits for your office. After all, there is no point going to such and such to buy a $120 filing cabinet when someone two-streets over is selling there perfectly good – but used – one for $15 on Facebook Marketplace. That’s how to do it.
6. Get Organised, Okay
Okay, so you may not be spending money per se, but not being organised means wasting time and that tends to equate to wasting money, which is why you need to make sure you know how to be organised. It really is as simple as that.
