The year 2020 was a challenging year that brought about many changes to our world. Social distancing and lockdowns introduced many to virtual learning and working from home. Working remotely has had its ups and downs for me, but as Sun Tzu’s Art of War teaches us, we must know and use our environment to our advantage. Here are the five things that I love most about working from home.
Saving Money on Gasoline and Food
Not having to commute to work every day has helped me to save money on gasoline. With gas prices over $4 a gallon in much of California, this has really helped me to keep some money in my coffers. Aside from saving money on gas, working from home has prevented me from eating out for lunch. Although I bring my lunch on most days, the days that I would eat out while working in the office do add up. Working from home, I prepare my breakfast and lunch in the time that I would be making my morning commute and can have healthy meals at fractions of the cost of eating out.
Focus Time on Investments and Side Hustles
A portion of the money that I saved not paying for gasoline and food was invested into stocks and cryptocurrencies. While working in the office, I do not get the opportunity to keep an eye on my investments. While working from home, I can keep tabs and make critical trades to secure profits.
Along with investing, I have been able to work on some side hustles. Remote work allows me to use my downtime to hunt for and work on freelance contracts. Making an extra 50% daily income on a break is an awesome feeling.
Catching Up on Videos, Podcasts, and Audiobooks
When the COVID lockdowns first began, I spent most of my workday with Tim Pool, ABL, and Subzero3639 videos playing in the background. There is no way that I would have been able to get away with this in the workplace. Staying up to date with my video digest has helped me to stay abreast of the rapidly updating political news.
There is only so much politics that I can stomach until reaching a point of diminishing returns, however, so I started listening to audiobooks. Without a doubt, I refreshed myself on Robert Greene’s classics, and listened through The Illiad and The Odyssey. I even got around to finishing The Turner Diaries audiobook.
More Free Time
Working from home means that I do not have to wake up early to commute and report to work on time. If I stay up late working on a personal project, I can get that extra hour of sleep to feel refreshed. With less time in my day used commuting, I have more time to rest, work on freelancing projects, study, or complete personal tasks.
Lunchtime Workouts
Lunchtime workouts are hands down my favorite part about working from home. While many Americans gained weight during the lockdowns, I worked to stay fit. Some of the money that I saved from not having to commute was spent on rudimentary exercise equipment to at least keep a pump while the gyms were closed. Now that gyms are open again, my preferred lunch plates are 45’s.
Going to the gym on my lunch hour is a welcome break from daily operations and helps to release stress and give me mental clarity. Having a real break to dedicate to my own edification is what I will miss the most when I eventually start working from the office again.
Working from Home has been Very, Very Good to Me
Despite its challenges, I am thankful to have been able to work remotely. If you have experience with remote working environments, please share your experiences in the comment section. What are some things that you like most about working from home?