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8 Reasons You'll Love Working From Home

Technology makes it easier than ever to work from home doing many of the jobs that used to mean commuting to the office each day. If you're thinking about working from home, maybe you're nervous about some of the unique challenges that come up - like filing your taxes, managing your time well, and budgeting for the infamous “feast or famine” cycle that many self-employed home-workers face. While those challenges certainly do exist, there are also many benefits to working from home that make the hurdles well worth clearing. Here are just 8 of the reasons you'll love working from home.

Save Money

The cost savings you can take advantage of when you work from home are remarkable. For example, you'll save a ton of money on gasoline, car maintenance and other commute-related costs alone. There are also significant savings to be had in the areas of eating out at lunch time, clothing maintenance, and childcare.

Take Control of Your Schedule

When you work from home, you can usually enjoy a lot more control over your time. This is great for a few reasons. You'll be able to work around other commitments easily, which can come up a lot if you have children! You'll also be able to set your schedule in a way that lets you maximize your productivity by working when you know you do your best work.

Add an Hour to Your Day

The average U.S. worker commutes for an hour per day - what would you do with that hour? Maybe you'll increase your income by using it to work. Or perhaps you'll dedicate it to your health and get in a workout or an extra hour of sleep. Another option is to simply spend more time with your family. No matter what you choose to do, chances are most of us would welcome that extra 60 minutes per day.

Work as Much (or as little!) as You Want

When you work outside the home, your hours and workload are determined almost completely by your employer. The same is not true when you work from home. If you find yourself needing to bring in some extra income, you can find more work to take on on your own terms. Conversely, if you're going on vacation or are going through a season where other commitments demand more of your attention (like having a baby, taking care of a loved one that's ill, starting a business, etc.) you can decrease your workload as well.

Get Healthy

Working at home almost always means eating out less - use this opportunity to clean up your diet and get healthy!

Live Simply

If you're inclined to a slower-paced, simpler lifestyle, you have the option of building your career around that kind of lifestyle. Doing the same can be difficult when you're in a fast-paced, “go-go-go” business atmosphere for 40 or more hours per week.

Bring Your Work With You 

Working from home doesn't mean you have to stay at home! You can take your work to the local coffee shop when you feel the need to get out and about or even go on a trip. For most work at home careers, you can figure out a way to do the job from anywhere with an internet connection. This opens up a world of possibilities, including the option to relocate if you'd like. You don't even have to lose local clients, in many cases. Technology makes it easy to stay in touch and collaborate over long distances. For example, video conferencing software allows you to hold meetings from far away.

Do Work You Love

If you're self-employed and working from home, you can choose which types of projects you're willing to take on. While you might have to take on less-than-ideal jobs to keep your income flowing, you'll never be forced to work on a project you despise when you're your own boss. A good example of how this works is the Elance marketplace. On Elance, clients can post their projects for contractors to bid on, and select the provider that best fits their needs and budget. As a freelancer, you have the option of only bidding on jobs that interest you. While clients might invite you to bid on projects as well, you're never obligated to offer your services.
 
There are all kinds of work at home opportunities on Elance. Chances are good that you can find projects that fit your skill set. Some of the jobs home-workers are doing on Elance are:
  • Writing and Editing
  • Graphic Design
  • Virtual Assistant
  • Bookkeeping
  • Project Management
  • Research
If having more control over your life and working at the rate you choose sound pretty good, consider making the transition to your own work at home career. It's not very often that you'll hear anyone say “I regret spending so much time with my family!” or “I wish I hadn't had so much control over my own schedule.” You, too, can take advantage of the opportunities available to start earning a living from the comfort of your own home.

 

About the Author

Kylie Worthington has been a work at home freelance writer since 2009. She loves connecting with clients on Elance and working from home, since it allows her to spend more time with her husband and two sons. Since she works solely from her home office, she loves checking out new equipment on websites like http://officedeskreviews.com.
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