what would you do if you could work from anywhere?

[nicholas421]

I am a programmer/consultant. Up until recently I use to travel extensively. My current client is letting me work from home. I can work from anywhere as long as it has an internet connection. Currently I work from my couch at home. My wife says I'm an eye sore.

I'd like to take advantage of this freedom. What would you do in my shoes? Would you rent office space? Would you go to an internetcafe? Would you rent a condo somewhere nice and work from there? Would you vacation often and work by the pool? Keep in mind that my wife works and would not be able to accompany me.

I save about $30k/year from not having to travel to my client.... so I'm willing to make that my budget.

 

[queenlives]

i'm in a similar situation and find that i spend most of my time working from my home office, but at times will visit the local coffee hangout and work from there a bit, too. on nice days, i'll work from the backyard patio table or hammack, listening to the ponds and birds in the background.

if you're productive and relatively happy in your current environment, why not continue working as-is and mix in some alternative locations - and save the jack or put it to other, more productive uses.

like accompanying your wife on her next road trip for a romantic weekend

hal

 

[Briank]

I would buy a small commercial building and set a side a corner for myself and rent out the rest.

 

[Mojorator]

I'm in the same boat right now as well :biggrin: ..it's a pretty nice boat too..lots of freedom but does get boring sometimes since there is minimal social inter-action working from home (I can't / not supposed to use wireless or public connections for security reasons :frown: ).

Mike

 

[redshift]

I think a home office is really the way to go. During college I worked completely from home (also as a programmer/consultant). Now that I've graduated, I'm on a different path (made the switch to chip design) but I still work 2-3 days a week from home - in my home office.

Sometimes I work in the backyard by the pool, but it gets pretty hot here in AZ. There were also times where I'd go to a local coffee shop on a man-made lake and work on the patio - again... hot.

If I were in your shoes, I'd either use that $30K/year savings to help toward moving to a house on a lake or add-on/convert a room into a nice home office (doing both would be ideal).

Just my opinion :smile:

 

[poet_x]

given the area I live, I would spend the time under a large maple tree overlooking Lake MI, and at a local ski lodge in the winter months...

 

[flaminio]

Renting nearby office space might be a good idea. There are places that provide all office services -- a receptionist, fax, phones, printers, internet, etc. -- to a large number of independent workers. You get a nice lockable office and the appearance of a full staff for your customers.

For me personally, I hate working at home, even in a home office. I prefer to keep a wall between my work life and my home life, and I don't particularly like either overflowing into the other.

 

[Yellow Rose]

What ? ? ?

I save about $30k/year from not having to travel to my client.....

Your client does not pay for your travel expenses, thus making that your financial burden? Every client that we work for, agrees by contract to pay for our travel costs. That applies to domestic and international travel.

 

[W]

I'd definately have to work in a busy office environment where I couldn't be laying down.

 

[rickysals]

Take the money you save, and build a nice, separate from the house, 2 story finished 4 car garage for your NSX and new pimping home-office/bar/entertainment room.

that's what I would do the wifey wouldn't worry about you being in the house too often, you may never come home.

 

[Jin1976]

An office just infront of the beach. :biggrin:

 

[Juice]

Nick, spend the money on the sex change that you have always wanted. Then your wife won't think of you as an eye sore and you can hang out on the couch all day!

This is a stupid question because I know what you will end up doing with an extra $30 grand a year - put it towards a new car.

 

[nicholas421]

thanks everyone. I am in the process of building an office in my house. I don't know how motivated I'll be to use it when I'm done.

I like the above idea of renting office space with other people in similar situations. I'll have to look into that.

My rate is all-inclusive... meaning travel expenses are rolled into it. Many independant consultants prefer this arrangement because it allows them to save by getting cheaper flights, hotels, meals, etc.

the sex change is also a viable option. if i go this route i'll be sure to post some pics as detroit_model.

 

[zahntech]

MMMMMMMMMM Detroit_Model :smile:

 

[donwon]

thanks everyone. I am in the process of building an office in my house. I don't know how motivated I'll be to use it when I'm done.

If you work from home its a REALLY good idea to define some boundaries with your wife (and or Kids) first. If you are in the middle of a project or a deadline, and your wife asks you to change a lightbulb, it could easily turn nothing into something. Setting aside "work times" is a good idea. My wife and I have gotten into many arguements (i got my butt kicked truth be told) over things that needed to be done around the house when I was working at home.

Who needs extra hate from the wife on their nsx? :redface:

 

[NsXMas]

I also work from home. May I recommend this?

:biggrin:

 

[akira3d]

As I much as I say I would love to work from my home office, I don't think I'd be very productive there. Too many distractions. Plus, my home office gets way too hot during the day...and running the central A/C all day is a big waste of money.

 

[NsXMas]

You're in Marina Del Rey, Akira3D!!! How can it get too hot there?

Try living in the desert sometimes...

 

[zomby woof]

if i could work from anywhere, i'd move to colorado and make furniture, rather than sitting here working on airplanes.