Wanna Ditch That Commute?

I’ve been working from home for about a year and a half, eliminating a commute and its associated energy consumption. This wasn’t a green decision for me—as a writer, it just made sense to go independent and work for a variety of magazines and websites—but it’s eco-friendly nonetheless, which is extremely gratifying.

Yahoo recently released its list of “Ten Hot Home Office Jobs.” The angle is that, by working from home, you can reduce your dependence on gas. According to Yahoo, “with fuel prices topping four dollars per gallon in some states, many Americans want to keep their paychecks in their pockets and out of their gas tanks.”

Check out Yahoo’s list and see if one of their recommended home office jobs is the right fit for you . . . and then you can ditch that commute. For information and advice on working from home, check out WHY Magazine (www.workhomeyou.com), the first e-zine dedicated solely to work-at-homers.

Question of the blog: The Presidency is the premier home office job—the Oval Office is, after all, located inside the White House. Do you think the next highest-profile work-at-homer (go, Obama) will be green not just in his office, but in all the decisions he makes at his desk?

What Color is Your Office?

I’ve been working at home for the past year. I’m an editorial and marketing writer and also run my green business, EcoVixen (www.ecovixen.com), out of my home. Several months ago, I started writing for WHY Magazine (www.workhomeyou.com)—it’s a great resource for work-at-homers.

WHY conducted a poll recently and found that 52 percent of work-at-homers have taken steps towards a green office. I find that statistic thrilling. I have a mostly green home office and, while it’s sometimes hard to pay extra for 100 percent recycled paper or it takes longer to track down vintage filing cabinets, it’s immensely gratifying to know you’re doing the right thing.

Speaking of the right thing, I like WHY Magazine so much that EcoVixen is going to sponsor an upcoming issue; later this month, WHY readers will also receive a special supplement about the best ways to get a green office.

Question of the blog: Whether you work at home or away from home, how green is your office?