The convenience and absolute joy of getting out of bed at 8:50 a.m. to attend 9:00 a.m. zoom meetings at your dining table, clad in an office shirt and sports shorts, is unfortunately coming to an end.
In a recent announcement by Lawrence Wong, co-chair of the multi-ministry Task Force Covid-19, working from home will no longer be the standard mode (sigh!). Instead, there will be a hybrid version that encourages a mix of working from home and from the office.
As of April 5, 2021, 75 percent of employees can return to the office at any time, as long as the guidelines for safe distancing are followed. In addition, restrictions on the amount of time employees can be in the office are allowed, and the mandatory arrangements for shared teams are also lifted.
So, if you’re one of the many who received a royal decree from your Human Resources department to get back to the office soon, this article is for you.
From transportation costs to meals, hygiene and other essentials, expect how much (more) to spend working from the office.
For the purposes of the calculations, they will be based on Denyse and Esther. Both are professionals in their thirties, staying near the Hougang MRT and working in the Central Business District (MRT Outram). You have to be physically in the office three times a week.
1. Transportation
The only thing you saved most while working from home is now costing you back. Depending on where you are and the transportation of your choice, getting back to the office can save you anywhere from $ 0.92 to over $ 50 per day.
Denyse and Esther live on the same block near the Hougang MRT and work in the Central Business District (MRT Outram). Here’s how much transportation it will cost.
Denyse’s trip to the office requires a bus ride (2 stops) followed by a train ride (11 stops).
| Type of public transport | Price per trip |
| bus | $ 0.92 |
| train | $ 0.72 (distance-based rate) |
| Fear of being in close proximity to dozens of strangers and rushing to work | ∞ |
| Total price for one way | $ 1.64 |
| Total price for a round trip | $ 3.28 |
| Approximate price per week | $ 9.84 |
Esther travels to and from work with hailstorm apps like Grab, Gojek, Taxi and car sharing services like Car Club and BlueSG.
| Type of private transportation | Average price per trip * | Average price per day * | Frequency per week | Price per week * |
| Grab yourself, Gojek or Taxi | $ 13.50 | $ 27.00 | 2 | $ 54.00 |
| Car Club or BlueSG | Car Club: $ 13BlueSG: $ 9.9Average: $ 11.45 | $ 22.90 | 1 | $ 22.90 |
| total | $ 76.90 |
* The tariffs shown are approximate and indicate timing outside of peak times.
2. Eating and drinking
Unless you work for a large company that offers free buffet lunches, all-day snacks, and drinks, keeping your tummy full at work can be quite expensive.
Denyse is health conscious and would choose a salad or grain bowl instead of economical rice every day. Aside from lunch, she drinks traditional coffee every morning and treats herself to a mandatory snack every day at 4 p.m. – because life is hard and hunger is not a diet plan.
To celebrate surviving a working week, Denyse goes to a café or restaurant with her colleagues every Friday.
| Type of food or drink | business | Average price per serving | Amount per week | Price per week |
| Having lunch | Daily cut | $ 12 | 2 | $ 24 |
| Having lunch | Cafe or restaurant | $ 25 | 1 | $ 25 |
| Traditional coffee | Nearby cafe | $ 1.50 | 3 | $ 4.50 |
| snack | Random bakery or takeaway | $ 3 | 3 | $ 9 |
| total | $ 62.50 |
Esther does not have a strict diet and prefers to buy something quickly at the nearby cafe. She gets her daily coffee and snacks from the pantry, but buys her own coffee and snack once a week.
Similar to Denyse, Esther goes out to dinner with her colleagues every Friday.
| Type of food or drink | business | Average price per serving | Amount per week | Price per week |
| Having lunch | Nearby cafe | $ 5.00 | 2 | $ 10.00 |
| Having lunch | Cafe or restaurant | $ 25.00 | 1 | $ 25.00 |
| Bar | coffee shop | $ 6.00 | 1 | $ 6.00 |
| snack | Random bakery or takeaway | $ 3.00 | 1 | $ 3.00 |
| total | $ 44.00 |
Make your money harder for you by charging your lunches, drinks, and snacks to the right card to earn points, airline miles, or even cashback that can be used to fund your next lunch trip.
ALSO READ: The Real Cost of Working From Home May Surprise You
3. Toiletries
Aside from safe spacing measures, there are some toiletries that you should bring with you to keep yourself safe while out and about.
Denyse and Esther alternately wear disposable and reusable masks (to avoid maskne), disinfect their hands three times a day and regularly disinfect their workstations, hands and surfaces with antibacterial wipes.
| Type of hygiene article | Brand or business | Amount per day | price per day | Amount per week | Price per week |
| Disposable masks | OEM, Qoo10 | 2 | $ 4.90 for 50 pieces, $ 0.20 per day | 2 | $ 0.40 |
| Reusable mask | Government issued | 1 | Free | 1 | Free |
| Antibacterial detergent | TOP, Redmart | 20 ml | $ 4.35 for 1.6L, $ 0.06 | 10ml | $ 0.06 |
| Hand sanitizer | Dettol, Watsons | 3 ml * x 3 = 9 ml | $ 3.95 for 50 ml, $ 0.71 per day | 27ml | $ 2.13 |
| Antibacterial wipes | Watsons | 4 sheets | $ 2.50 for 30 sheets, $ 0.33 per day | 12 sheets | $ 0.99 |
| total | $ 3.58 |
* Fun fact: to keep your hands well sanitized, it is recommended to apply at least three ml per application.
4. Essential elements
You can’t exactly get your entire house into the office, but you can definitely get hold of some items to make the long hours a little easier.
We keep things simple and only list the essentials that almost anyone would need to work in an office setting.
Since Denyse and Esther have just started their new jobs and have not been in office since the breaker, they have to buy these important items.
Bottom line: how much does it really cost to go back to the office?
| category | Deny | Esther |
| transport | $ 9.84 | $ 76.90 |
| to eat and drink | $ 62.50 | $ 44.00 |
| Hygiene products | $ 3.58 | $ 3.58 |
| Important items (one-time purchase) | $ 90.78 | $ 90.78 |
| Total price per week (three times) | $ 166.70 | $ 215.26 |
| Total price per month (12 times) | $ 394.46 | $ 588.70 |
Are the numbers what you expected?
If you return to the office three times a week, you will get almost $ 400 a month back – and if you make a little money, about $ 600 a month.
That’s roughly the cost of a canceled one night stay at Andaz Singapore or a two night stay at Fairmont Singapore when you use your $ 100 SingaporeRediscovers vouchers.
From the above calculations, it can be seen that transportation, food, and drinks are the largest costs. Fortunately, it’s also the same ones that can be easily reduced.
Are you wondering how else can you cut your expenses? Well, you can start by charging them with the correct credit card. With every eligible transaction, you can receive up to 10 percent cashback, which you can use to offset your monthly bill. Apply to us today and you can take home exclusive cash or prizes! *
* Rewards are subject to change at any time. Terms and conditions apply.
This article was first published on SingSaver.com.sg.
