This post is sponsored by Yaheetech. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I can’t believe I’ve been working from home full time for almost 5 years now. In 2019, I started going to a local coworking space once a week. Then, when the pandemic hit, I was back to working at home all the time along with tons of Americans.
According to FlexJobs, at least 41% of Americans continued to work from home as of December 2020. Working from home can produce a ton of distractions – like having unlimited access to the kitchen for example. However, I find it best to create a designated space to work or even a home office to help you stay motivated and focused.
I thought it would be fun to share my home office on a budget and some latest additions. My set up is definitely not Instagram-worthy, but there are a lot of great finds I’ve come across to create functional a home office on a budger.
Remember, You Don’t Need an Actual ‘Office Space’
I’ve never had an actual home office in an enclosed space. We have a small home and need all of the bedrooms so instead, I opted for an office nook in an open are of the house. It works for me because while my husband is at work and the kids are doing school, the house is pretty quiet anyway.
This just goes to show you that you don’t need a ton of space to have a functional home office. In fact, keeping the space concise can help you save money since it’s much less to furnish.
As you can see, my space is pretty simple, yet everything serves a purpose in helping me focus on the task at hand and get more done each day.
I chose to spend more money on bigger items like my laptop, monitor and writing desk. We all know computers are expensive. I purchased my Macbook Pro from Best Buy during a Black Friday sale a few years ago. Yes, it was pricey, but it’s worked pretty well over the years. Plus, since I run an online business, I was able to deduct this purchase on my taxes. In fact, what I spent on most of these items was tax-deductible since I run a blog and freelance writing business.
Here’s a breakdown of how much I spent on some of the other things in my affordable home office.
Home Office On a Budget
Monitor – $159
I purchased a white 23-inch HP monitor from Amazon last fall and it came with an HDMI cord used to connect it to my laptop so I can have two screens. Right now, this monitor is listed at a slightly higher price, but Amazon’s prices often fluctuate and sometimes they even offer coupons and discounts on certain items.
Triple Docking Station – $109
I purchased this multi-function docking station from Best Buy in order to connect my monitor to my MacBook. This is a USB Type C with two HDMI ports, a microSD slot, mic and speaker port, and a lot of other capabilities. You can check it out here.
Desk – $184
I use the See Jane Work Writing Desk that I got from Office Depot a few years ago and I love it. I eyed this desk for several months before buying it and waited for a good sale so I don’t believe I actually paid the $184 that it is listed for now.
The desk is very sturdy and great for small offices. Keep in mind that you don’t always have to buy your desk brand new. You can always look for a sturdy gently-used desk online or at your local resale shop. I actually found a nice desk for my son to use for homeschooling for free in our neighborhood. Someone was throwing it out so we grabbed it and took it home. Then, I sanded it down and repainted it in a beautiful sky blue color. You can see what it looks like in this video where I’m walking through our homeschool set-up.
Gray Recliner – $149
This gray recliner chair sofa is from Yaheetech and it’s so comfortable and perfect for a small office space. I can definitely see myself using this chair to read or work while taking a break from my desk. Sometimes I’m a little hesitant about having furniture delivered from an online store, but this chair actually arrived pretty quickly and was easy to assemble since it came in just two main pieces. Yaheetech also sells other office chairs, living room furniture, and other home items as well for affordable prices.
It took my husband and our foster son only 5 minutes to set up.
Wall and Desk Decor
I got a lot of my decorations for cheap from places like Dollar General, Five Below, and Hobby Lobby. Some things were also gifts too which was nice. My main idea was not to make it too cluttered but to also add some nice wall decorations, motivational sayings, candles, etc. to really get my energy up when I sit down to work.
One of the best small purchases I made for this set-up would also be my dry erase board. I got it from Target for around $10 and I like it so much more than a calendar because I can update my daily and weekly tasks pretty easily and make changes whenever I want.
File Cabinet – $95
My file cabinet sits on the other side of my desk and I got this one from Wayfair for $95 when it was one sale. Just like Amazon, Wayfair offers some really good sales and discounts from time-to-time so it’s best to keep an eye on the items you’re considering on the site.
This file cabinet is perfect for helping me organize contracts and other forms while keeping paper clutter to a minimum.
Wrapping It Up
My home office on a budget didn’t come to fruition overnight. It took time to add things slowly and shop around – but you can totally do this as well! Whether you have a full room to utilize or a smaller space in your home, having a designated space to work can do wonders for your productivity and your sanity while you work from home.
Do you work remotely? If so, have you thought about creating a home office?
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