Remote Work Budget Friendly Survival Gear
I’m 5 years into my fully remote work life, and there are 3 budget friendly items that I couldn’t live without.
Cost: $26
I am not a YouTube star, I didn’t need a monstrously huge ring light, I just needed something that kept me from looking like I was in witness protection during Zoom calls. This little guy does the job. It clamps to your desk, and can either be powered by plugging the USB into your laptop, or you can plug it in to the wall. It’s only 6 inches and can be positioned in any direction. I don’t use the cell phone holder, I just bent that down behind the desk, but you have that option too.
Cost: $90
I know folks who have spent thousands of dollars on their mics. I just needed something that would sound more professional than my MacBook microphone. I still cringed a bit when I dropped $90, but it was well worth it for the difference in sound quality. (And since I use it daily, I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of it.)
Cost: $29
Over my remote work years I have purchased an army worth of headphones trying to find some that comfortably fit my apparently weird shaped ears AND had solid quality sound. I tried big names (AirPods, Beats, Bose, etc.), and always ended up in pain by the end of the day. Then I stumbled across these beauties. For $30 I finally found headphone Nirvana. They also come in black and gold.
And there you have it. $145 total for 3 items that will have a huge impact on your daily remote work life.
Bonus:
Cost: $120
This is random, but it’s ridiculously fun and as a remote worker during a pandemic, it’s a great way to get in a stress relieving, joint friendly workout! Apparently 10 minutes jumping on a trampoline is equivalent to roughly 60 minutes of jogging, and in my case significantly more enjoyable!
