I live in the Boston metro area. My house cost approximately $370K when I bought it. To live within walking distance of my office, the cost for a similar house would very easily be $600K. Some houses in the town I work in can hit $1M. When available, $370K houses in the town I work in would be two bedrooms, maybe three, 1000 square feet, no garage, lead paint, 50-60 years old, etc. The house we live in has three bedrooms, a two car garage, 1700 square feet and was built in the 70’s, so no asbestos, lead paint or formaldehyde insulation. Also the electric and plumbing systems are reasonably modern.

My car is paid for, and has been for years. I carpool with three other people, so I typically drive to work once or twice a week, spending about $10 on gas for the commute, probably $2/week on tolls. Repairs I do myself, so they are a few hundred dollars a year for maintenance. I plan on keeping the car another 6 or so years. The car has been extremely trouble-free, requiring only $400 in repairs outside of maintenance in 100K miles.

We’ve discussed moving in closer many times, but the numbers never work.

Tip: Never buy a car that has only been used for short trips (i.e. to the shops/work etc) since the lubrication and cooling systems have had no time to work, resulting in the engine sizing solid shortly after starting off on your first long journey. Car rescue associations see a lot of this, especially in the spring when cars have only been used for short trips all winter leading to the same situation

I also work from home now, and have reduced travel expense, anxiety & frustration over traffic, clothing expense, eating out, so many things that really add up…

It probably adds a bit to the electricity use, since we’re home all day, but not that much. Since I have animals in the house I always had to keep some temperature adjustment for them anyway. And I’ve replaced all the light bulbs with CFLs. The electric bill actually went down.

Less mileage on my car, especially in start & stop traffic is great too!

I might make more money in a different job, but my LIFE is worth so much more than the difference in pay!

- You will still have SOME gas expenses. You will lose your commute, sure, but unless you sell the car, you are still going to run errands and use the car somewhat.
- SOME clothing expenses. Unless you are sitting around the house naked (in which case you are likely wasting money on heat), you still need something to wear. Sure, you can get away with t-shirts and jeans, but you still have to wear something. And if you were already thrift-store shopping, it’s likely there isn’t much room to go down anymore on this item.
- The coffee shop expense — I believe Trent has mentioned that he still goes out to the coffee shop. If I worked from home, I’d likely see an increase in coffee-shop spending, just to get away from the house.
- For food, you still are paying for it. You might be eating at home more often, but I’m guessing that in the name of sanity you might head out once a week to grab a sandwich or meet a friend for lunch, so this expense hasn’t really gone away entirely, either.
- As for the grocery store, I don’t understand how working from home will make you any more disciplined at shopping from a list.

So I’m willing to concede SOME savings here, although I can’t really believe that ALL the expenses went to zero.

I would love to be able to walk to my own office, myself — however, the cost of housing around my workplace is two times more (for the same house). Spending the same money would mean trying to cram a four person family into a two bedroom house with half the living space we have now!

My employer is very anti-telecommuting as a regular thing. They provide access for occasional use, but senior management has made it clear they consider people being present in the office an important thing.

It means a significant, significant dip in wages, but so many other benefits.

I currently work about 25 miles away from home, a trip I must take using back roads. I work as a journalist, which means long, strange, stressful hours which often result in not knowing when or if I will be home to cook dinner. This means quite a bit of takeout or restaurant food for me and processed, frozen crap for my husband because he can’t cook. The stress leads to health problems such as TMJ and lack of sleep, as well as lots and lots of caffeinated beverages.

I soon will be switching to working in a small-town library about 9 miles away from my home. I still have to take back country roads, but the commute is significantly shorter and the portion of road I have to travel is much better maintained. I will be forced to always take my lunch to work because there aren’t any restaurants in the town where I’ll work, and no coffee shops, either. My hours will be set so I will know when I’ll be home to cook dinner. Stress level will be much lower, so the health problems hopefully will go away or get better.

Some people thought I was crazy for taking such a significant pay cut, but I say it’s all relative.

Plus, as an added bonus, my hours will allow me to have regular time for exercise, something I’ve been longing to have for awhile.

Otherwise, it sounds great. Workers get no tax credits or deductions whatever for keeping up with the corporate-culture Joneses.

Good thought processes here that each individual can tailor to their own situation.

After having a child (who is now 10) I went from full-time to part-time work for 2 years, and then to being a full-time SAHM. I can tell you from this journey that there are so many surprising benefits to having one parent home full time it is mind boggling! This includes the financial aspect, but also the amazing increase in quality of life for all of our family.

The efficiency of our home and financial management soared because I now have the time and motivation to really take charge of it and give it the attention it needs. We no longer just get by, we plan and manage very purposefully. We’ve prospered in ways we never would have when we both worked.

Now, there is time to meal plan, grocery shop/stock the pantry and cook great meals at home, to garden in a big way and eat and preserve our own organic produce, to spend the time to shop around for the best rates on home and auto insurance clothes and household items, to manage our finances in an efficient manner, and to home school our child who has thrived in this lifestyle. Raising children and home management are rewarding careers that far exceed any rewards I ever attained in my corporate career, and to me, are a full-time job, plus! Quality of life and strength of family have been huge blessings of our choices.

Best regards.

@Lis, I don’t think it’s that realistic to expect people to walk to work, honestly. If you live in the suburbs or the country, it’s probably a very long walk. If you live in a city (as I do) an apartment near a business district usually costs significantly more than one farther out. (For me to live near my workplace, I would have to pay about 3x my current rent.)