What are your work related expenses per week/month?

gettingready

Still - I think knowing what percentage of income goes on work related expenses gives a better idea about the REAL income.

Personally I am not complaining as whatever I do spend is still quite low procentage wise but I know some people on lower income can spend as much as say 30% of their pay on work related expenses which is terribly high.

Mine may be high when you look at £ value but percentage wise it is well below 8% so not bad at all.

Still, perhaps I can cut a bit here and there.

Was actually thinking of getting a coffee machine for the office, nothing major just a £50.00 Krups Dolce Gusto and make coffee here as I like it much better than the rubish they sell for £3.00 a cup in "peabodys" (the only cofee place we have where I work) so perhaps.... small enough to take with me when I move (I am contracting), will see

BillJones

gettingready wrote: »

On a serious note though - perhaps the question should have been:


what percentage of your income goes for work related expenses?

That gets difficult to pin down. For example, I live in central London, because I work here, but also because I like it. It probably makes sense to put some of the expense of that down as work expenses, but it's not clear how much, especially as you could view some of it as capital investment, buying an asset, rather than just spending.

datlex

I spend very little, £44 a month travel to and from work. I don't have specific work clothes. I take my own lunch made at home, varies according to what I fancy. Today for example I had soup. I take my own coffee/tea in company provides hot water. I don't buy shop bought sandwiches and don't work close enough to a supermarket to pop to one at lunch time. Work's canteen food is unappealing.

PasturesNew

gettingready wrote: »

Was actually thinking of getting a coffee machine for the office, nothing major just a £50.00 Krups Dolce Gusto and make coffee here as I like it much better than the rubish they sell for £3.00 a cup in "peabodys" (the only cofee place we have where I work) so perhaps.... small enough to take with me when I move (I am contracting), will see

Check if that's allowed. I had a temp job a few years ago where the building was rented to a variety of companies, one private company provided a canteen/cafe; the building was a mile from the town, so no alternative. They sold coffees at about 40p for a plain/black (instant) coffee. I bought a flask at Asda and a jar of instant coffee and took the flask to work containing hot water. After a week of making my own coffees at my desk from the flask/instant coffee a memo went out to all staff to say it wasn't allowed/flasks were banned as it was "against Health and Safety".

Also, with a machine, there might be the issue of PAT compliance.

t0rt0ise

I'm amazed at how much people spend working. For me, I spend nothing except travel on the tube and I'll get my 60+ pass in a few months and then that'll be free. Sandwiches from home cost nothing more than if I was at home, clothes are provided at work, change into scrubs when I get there and chuck them in the laundry as I leave.

gettingready

Not officially BUT - I brought a kettle into the office and just last week there was a guy walking around and checking electrical equipment and my £5.00 Asda kettle got a PAT sticker - wohoooooooooooooo

My whole floor does not have a kitchen, I bought a kettle, we buy bottled water at 50 pence for 2 liters and use this water to fill the kettle for tea/coffee as well as disposable cups as we are too lazy to go one floor up or down to wash normal cups and do not want to use tap water for the kettle as it scales too much plus we do not trust the type of old pipes the water is running through. So this is sorted.

But I like a frothy coffee sometimes so may really get a coffee machine. I would not mind paying for a decent Costa but what we have at "peabody" is vile.

We have M&S on site and a Sainsbury a short bus ride away.

There is a massive restaurant/canteen but not much veggie choice and I do not eat meat.

As I am out of th house for like 11 hours per day, the last thing I want to do when I get home is cooking/preparing food for next day and then carry it around when I travel 1.5 hour each day by: bus/tube/another tube/bus.

So I guess paying for the convenience and that way "buying" some TIME. Time is something I value a lot as I have so little of it.

I get home, sort out 4 cats and a dog (yes I know) and it is pretty much time to go to bed.

So....Hmmmmm

My job before this one was in air conditioned really posh offices with hot water on tap, free tea/coffee, on site beautician/gym/massage and all that.

Current one - we go floor up or down or across the street to use the loo LOL

Pay is the same though so... phewwww

There was a sugession of uniforms (read: shirts) but my team flatly refused as they are so tacky it is unreal PLUS they would need ironing - no wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

theoretica

BillJones wrote: »

£350 per pair shoes, times four, each pair needing a £100 refurbishment once per year, and replacement after a few years.

So you are wearing your shoes about 90 times between refurbishments? This seems very excessive wear to me. I assume as you have four pairs you are rotating wear sensibly. Have you considered sacrificial stick on soles if that is the issue?

Nebulous2

I've managed to cut my work expenses to zero. Possibly even slightly less. I cycle to work at a 3 mile round trip and it must cost me £5 per week or so to run my bike. I also do some work miles though at 20p per mile and take in approximately £5 a week from that.

Lunch is fruit, brought from home. If I was at home I'd have a salad which would be more expensive.

The only time being at work costs me anything is if someone leaves and I contribute to their present.

duchy

Fares nil
Work clothes nil
Lunches out coffee out nil
Broadband connection nil as I'd have it even if I didn't work from home ditto landline
Heat and light nil as son is a student so often home in the day so it'd be on anyway
I can claim £5 a week extra tax allowance for working from home

Every time I look for a new job I add up what my working expenses would be and decide I'm better off where I am.