Calculator estimates how much time and money you save by working from home

CINCINNATI - As millions of Americans find themselves suddenly working remotely amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they’re also likely saving themselves both time and money in ways they might not expect.

Between dialing into Zoom calls and skipping the morning shower, the average U.S. worker can save almost $5,000 a year, according to a calculator created by the career site Zippia.

Zippia used a default amount of time and money involved for typical work-related activities, including an average of $.50 for the cost of each 15 minute hot shower and $1.25 for beauty and personal care products used during 30 minutes per groom session to look presentable at the office.

A file image shows an employee working from home due to emergency restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 19, 2020. (Photo illustration by Mairo Cinquetti/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

There’s also the cost of getting there. Zippia used a default of 2 minutes per mile on the commute at an average of $.59 per mile.

If you’re not driving into the office, you’re also probably not stopping for that expensive cup of coffee. Zippia figured an average spending of $10 on lunch, $3 for coffee, roughly 1 hour of talking to coworkers and 1 hour of Zoom meetings each day.

Sticking to these defaults, working from home can save about 8 hours of time and $92 per week, according to Zippia. Over a span of 50 work weeks, a remote worker could save themselves $4,600 and 48 work days of time on average.