Microsoft and Google have sent their employees home to work as a precaution against the novel coronavirus COVID-19, as have Apple, Facebook, and Twitter. Many other companies throughout the world are following suit. While many of us have worked from home for years, many other employees have never had to set up a fully-functioning home office — until now.
Doing some work from home over a weekend is one thing. But working full time from inside your home is a different game, which will impose new challenges, especially if your spouse and kids are also home for the duration. You’ll need to carve out a space to work and you’ll need some gear to get started.
While it’s certainly possible to spend a lot to equip the ultimate home office, we’ve put together a build that can get you everything you’ll need to be productive for under $300. We’re assuming you’re starting with a laptop and a smartphone. Beyond that, we’ve chosen items that will get you going.
Of course, the irony isn’t lost on us: We are sending you to a store to pick up goods so you can successfully social distance yourself from your co-workers. That said, it’s a way to make this work on a budget.
It all starts with a dedicated desk. When you can get a desk for under $30, it doesn’t make sense to try to survive on the dining room or kitchen table. By having your own desk, you can define the area that becomes your office and get your work done.
We chose this desk because it allows space for a monitor, an all-in-one printer/scanner, and there’s even a cubby on the side where you cancan tuck your laptop and a docking station.
By David Gewirtz | March 16, 2020
