Designing your home office on a budget could be quite expensive, but you don’t have to break a bank to set up a decent workspace. All you need is to do is get the necessary office items that meet your budget and be creative. Beyond creating a workspace is having one that suits your interest and also motivates you to be more productive, with little or no distractions. Regardless of the kind of work you do, your office space matter and could make a lot of difference.
Here are some creative and budget-friendly ways to design your home office:
- Be Creative With Your Space
It is possible that you have a wide space available to be your office, but you really don’t have to fill every bit of that space with an office item. You could rather demarcate the room to give you a smaller and more appealing space to set up your office. Ensure that the area you choose for your space has enough light to help you work more efficiently. To take it further, you can decide on a color to set the tone of your office and get to work.
- Don’t Run to Big, Chain Office Stores for Supplies
Office items are in different categories and price lists. If you are working on a budget, your first go-to option for supplies should not be the big, chain office stores. You could opt for Walmart and other stores with cheaper items or even try thrift shops. An office chairist, for example, come in different ranges but you could get one that meets your budget if you go to the appropriate store for that.
- Use What You Already Have
This is one of the best ways to stick to your budget. Setting up a new workspace does not necessarily mean you toss out all your old items that could be useful. You can still find some basic office items lying around your house, like staplers, perforators, and books you have probably never used. You could also do a quick DIY, like covering boxes with printed paper or washi tape or organizing your pens, pencils, and highlighters in a jar or something similar. Implementing this will certainly reduce your cost to an extent.
- Decorate the Office Yourself
It is your home office, and you decide what you make of it. Try not to outsource this and just get creative with it on your own. Outsourcing would cost you an extra fee that will spike your budget, which is unnecessary if you can just bring out your creativity and design an office space that appeals to you.
- Look for Bargain Wall Decor
A few drawings or inspiring quotes can make a difference in your office space and make it more attractive. You can easily create and print your own art if buying one could eat into your budget. Also, try calendars and a wall clock; these two will not only help design your space but will also function as great planning and time management tools.
- Get Some Exercise
Working at home could increase your chance of having a sedentary lifestyle, especially if your work requires you to sit for long hours, and this been linked to several health risks. You could kill two birds with one stone by using a yoga stability ball as your office chair, so you get to exercise while you work. This will help tone your ab muscles, reduce your risk of a lower back pain and bad posture, and also help improve your overall well-being.
- Organize and Clean Your Office Space
Working from home shouldn’t be an excuse to have a disorganized environment. It might turn out that you end up buying things you already have or getting worked up about something that could have been avoided. Also, you expose your work life to a disorganized setting, which could affect your productivity in the long run. Avoid having papers, notes or receipts lying around when you could organize them in a small shelf or on your desk for easy access. Being organized helps you to be more productive, which will inevitably yield more income. While you organize and clean your office space, remember not to have clutter lying around in your desktop or virtual space, as it could also make you unproductive. Always take out time to organize and clean your space.
- Shop the Sales
Buy some of your office items when they are on sales to save you some cost. You definitely will not need all the items at once. Simply prioritize your list and buy the ones you need to kick off with your business and with time, you can start buying others on the list when they are on sale.
These 8 creative ideas, if implemented well, will help you design your home office on a budget.
