With the COVID is still going on, many people are working from home these days. Working remotely seems to become the new normal. I personally enjoy working from home since I can avoid commute work!
Having a designated workplace that encourages you to be productive is important, however, one does not have to spend thousands to achieve this.
Below are my work setup that costs me less than $500 (the cost excludes my laptop).
The essential
Desk (~$110)
I got this on Amazon for around $110. It is a 55-inch desk with pretty natural wood color. I like that it is wide and spacious, and the surface is made out of wood, and it has a minimalistic look. It is not too bad for the price, but I would check out IKEA since I can find almost a desk for half of the price.
Chair ($49)
I got this swivel office chair from IKEA for $49, and honestly, I think it is such a good deal.
I got another one from Amazon for $79 a few years ago and it was squeaky, and this one is not which I appreciate.
It is pretty sturdy, comfy, and lightweight. It is worth it for the price.
I got Huawei Matebook X Pro Laptop in Feb last year, and so far, I do like it because it is so light, I can easily put that in my bag, quite fast and the trackpad is very responsive.
The biggest complaint I have about its battery. It only lasts probably about 2-3 hours. 🤦
But for video editing, some programming, and just basic tasks such as document editing, email, browsing, and stuff it has served me well in the past year and a half.
Mouse and Keyboard (~$25)
For mouse and keyboard, I got these wireless keyboard and mouse bundle from amazon for around $23.
I do quite like it because there are no cables and it only shares one USB port.
The keys are not very loud, but not super silent either and the mouse will enter sleep mode after 10 minutes of disuse so it helps preserve the battery. So far, I enjoy using it.
Monitor ($~130)
I got an Acer 24-inch 1080p monitor.
It has two hardware interface VGI and HDMI. I was not looking for a fancy gadget, but my main criteria are affordability and a reasonably color-accurate monitor. It does not have a USB hub, nor a speaker and only tilts up and down, which is totally fine to me.
For video editing though, I could get a longer monitor which something I may do in the future.
I think if you have limited desk space, prefer a small screen, or have less than $150 to spend, this is a good option to consider.
Non-essential
Docking Station (~60)
This has been a huge lifesaver for me. Since I’d like to be able to take my work anywhere, I use a laptop. Before I had to unplug the HDMI cables, USB-c, and USB cables every time I want to work somewhere else.
This little annoyance happens every day and has a real cost.
So, after using this, what I have to do is just unplug the USB c, and plug it back in every time I need to use the desk space.
I don’t really recommend the item I bought though, because I found a few of the USB slots are not working after a few months. But, I still recommend a docking station because they will save you from frustration.
Aside from that, I like that it is small, and it provides 13 connectivity ports.
Vertical laptop stand (~25)
I am happy with this laptop stand. Although I found it is quite pricey for around $25, but maybe because the seller has to pay more in shipping since it is quite heavy.
I personally found it is helpful because it saves more space for my desk, and makes the desk more well-organized.
It got two holders with an adjustable dock and quite easy to adjust its width. I use it for my personal and work laptop.
Cable Box (~20)
As far cable management, my approach is probably not the best out there.
I use a cable box. The cable box is quite affordable and helpful in terms of making my space less cluttered. But still, I can see some cables are hanging.
If this is bothering you, I’d recommend using a cable management tray instead since they are sitting underneath the table, thus making it less visible.
Calendar (~22)
I also have a calendar, I was inspired by best-dressed, Ashley.
I used this calendar for mostly managing weekly and monthly activities. For instance, I have a piano lesson every Monday, I’ll put a sticky note on it.
For meeting related to my work, I’d like to separate it.
Mini Cactus and fake plants (~15)
I have two flower house plants and unfortunately, they are almost dead, so I use a fake plant instead. I got it from amazon for ~10 which you can probably get it cheaper in Walmart.
I got also a mini cactus too from my fiancee. It is so cute and it does not take too much space.
Those are my setup and generally I am quite happy with it. It allows me to produce creative work and hopefully a better and better blog posts in the future 😊
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