If you work from home for a while, eventually you’re going to want to upgrade from your recliner or kitchen table to something a bit more professional, if only to convince others that you don’t sit around all day in last night’s clothes watching Simpsons reruns. Even if that’s actually what you do. No, especially if that’s what you do.

Setting up a home office, though, can easily make your measly paychecks disappear. Blogging at Building A Home Office On A Budget, Ana offers some advice on how to set up a home office on the cheap.

Here are some tips she offers:

*Work the garage sale circuit. See if you can’t score a desk or office chair from someone down the street who gave up on trying to work from home.

*Buy in bulk, and buy in advance. Hit up wholesalers for cheap loads of staples such as paper and … staples to avoid having to run to the grocery store to refill your supplies.

*Replace goods with technology whenever possible. Avoid sticky notes by sending emails to yourself.

*Avoid fax machines. Not only are they expensive, but they force you to maintain a land line. Instead, scan signed documents and email them as PDFs.

Check out the link below for the rest of Ana’s tips.

If you work from home, what do you do to cut costs?

Building A Home Office On A Budget [MintLife]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.