Two years ago, the idea of remote work seemed more like a pipe dream than a reality. I know this because I was actually interested in remote work way before COVID hit. When I would mention my desire to work remotely to friends and family, they would often reply with “there really aren’t a lot of good, remote jobs out there” or “won’t you get lonely working all by yourself all day?” There seemed to be a lot of skepticism about whether remote work was a good option or if good companies would even offer remote jobs.
Well, after COVID hit, most companies, even prestigious ones like Microsoft and Google, moved their jobs to remote work. And now, almost two years later, a lot of their workers are still working remotely.
Nowadays, remote work is so prevalent that even nurses, counselors, and interpreters are working online! And guess what? It’s going pretty well. According to a survey done by PWC, 72% of workers prefer a hybrid remote-office model, with only 12% preferring to work in an office. Numbers don’t lie, but even from my own experience, most of my friends, family, and acquaintances love working remotely.
The only people I know who rag about remote work are people who don’t work remotely. They’re still caught in the “I would get lonely working alone” headspace.
As someone who’s been working remotely for about a year now, I can tell you that working remotely is awesome for a number of reasons.
You Can Work Anywhere in the World
When it comes to working remotely, the world is your oyster. You can work from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. This gives you the freedom to travel and explore new countries while still earning a living. It also allows you to take care of family needs without having to move to a new location.
Just in the year that I’ve been working remotely, I’ve taken little trips to San Diego and Santa Barbara while working, and I’ve even traveled and worked in Peru for three weeks while visiting family. Before this trip, I hadn’t been to Peru in 8 years because of the demands of school and work, but working remotely gave me the opportunity to finally pick up and leave without having to take a single day off.
You Save Money
Working remotely can also save you money. For example, if you’re working from home, you don’t have to pay for transportation or parking. Working from home also makes it a lot easier to save money on food because you’re less tempted to buy food during your lunch break. Your kitchen is two steps away.
And if you’re working from a foreign country, you can even save money on rent by living in a cheaper location. For example, when I was in Peru for those three weeks, I probably spent less money the whole time there than a week living in Los Angeles. The food is 4X less expensive than in Los Angeles, and I was living with family, so I didn’t have to pay rent. It was glorious.
You Save Time
When you work remotely, you save a lot of time. Living in L.A., I used to spend up to two hours commuting to and from school and work, and it was such a waste of time. Working remotely, you don’t have to spend time in traffic or getting ready for work. You also don’t have to waste precious hours in meetings or dealing with office politics.
Another time-waster at in-office jobs that you can eliminate is lunch breaks. When I was working at jobs that gave me 30 minutes or an hour for lunch, I always finished my food in 15 minutes and just sat on my phone for the rest of my break scrolling through Instagram. When you’re working from home, you can take care of household tasks or run errands during the day without having to take time off work.
Remote work also allows you to be more productive. You can work at your own pace and take breaks when you need them. And since there are no distractions in the home office, you can focus on your work and get more done.
Final Thoughts
If you want to save money, time, and gain more freedom, remote work is definitely worth considering. It’s worked wonders for me! Remote work has been growing in popularity for years, and if you want to take advantage of this trend, now is the time! You won’t be disappointed with how much easier it can make your life. So what are you waiting for? Give it a shot!