Here’s How Much You Can Save by Working Remotely

Working from home saves people a bundle of money, according to new research from FlexJobs.

The average full-time remote worker saves up to $12,000 per year, while those who work from home half of the time in hybrid situations still save up to $6,000 each year.

FlexJobs arrived at those numbers by looking at several key costs that remote workers trim or eliminate thanks to not having to commute to an office.

Following are the ways FlexJobs says working from home saves you cash.

Lower commuting costs

Eliminating a commute saves you on several vehicle-related costs, including:

• Gas
• Car maintenance
• Auto insurance — If you drive fewer miles, your insurer might cut your premium costs.

Even workers who normally take public transportation eliminate bus and train fares by working from home.

Looking for ways to cut your car insurance costs? An easy route is to let a service such as The Zebra do the rate shopping for you.

Fewer clothes to buy

Once you work from home, you no longer have to purchase work attire that makes you look professional for an office setting. You also can skip dry cleaning and its high cost.

For more on cutting the cost of your attire, read “10 Clothes Shopping Mistakes That Are Costing You.”

Less eating out

Working in an office entices you to spend plenty of money on food and drink: For example, you might:

• Stop at Starbucks for a morning coffee.
• Join colleagues for lunch at a local restaurant.
• Meet friends at a watering hole at the end of the workday.

Working remotely does not offer the same temptations.

More tax breaks

Contractors and freelancers make up a large slice of the workforce who work from home. These folks might be eligible for tax breaks that are not available to those who are employees working at a business. Depending on a remote worker’s particular circumstances, these tax breaks could include:

• Home office deduction
• Deduction for health insurance costs
• The pass-through deduction
• Contributions to a retirement plan
• Deductions for depreciation of equipment

Less wasted time

When you commute each day, you spend time — possibly a lot of time — driving. Perhaps you also get stuck in traffic for long periods.

Much of this time is wasted, and it could be spent on more fruitful pursuits if you didn’t have a commute. It’s hard to put an exact value on wasted time, but there is no doubt that it is costly.

Reduced harm to the environment

Perhaps this isn’t a dollars-and-cents cost to you, but your conscience has a price to pay when you commute by vehicle and pollute the surrounding air.

Working from home allows you keep the planet green at the same time that you add more green to your wallet.