Is the Stay-at-Home Economy Here to Stay? Here’s What You Need to Know

Starting as early as March 2020, many people and industries traded off-site offices for the home, thanks to the remote work revolution. Because of bubbling concerns over management, some companies dug their heels in, insisting that employees return to their cubicles and leave home offices behind.

Despite this subsect resisting remote work’s revolutionizing forces, many other companies discovered that the benefits of the at-home approach are far-reaching. From boosted employee productivity to enhanced work-life balance, the list stretches for miles. Therefore, many who were allowed to work at home will continue to do so indefinitely.

With home offices a few footsteps away, many have taken note of the convenience of this 30 second morning commute and opted for stay-at-home alternatives in their personal lives, as well as their professional lives. Instead of going to a crowded store and waiting in line to make purchases, people use their phones or computer to order what they need.

As the pandemic drags on, individuals decrease in-person interactions and increase virtual interactions. It helps to find things that make staying at home more comfortable and convenient, but there’s more to it than that.

Services gaining traction

Online services of all types are growing in popularity, but some of those increasing more quickly include those related to health, education, and entertainment.

For instance, ordering contact lenses through a service like 1 800 Contacts is convenient, and therefore many people prefer this option instead of going to a physical location for contact reorders. This tendency can be seen across sectors, from home care products to contact lenses to pre-portioned meal kits.

Check health

A doctor’s visit is sometimes necessary. In many cases, a virtual doctor’s visit works just as well as the in-person version. Many telehealth doctors offer apps that enable patients to send the doctor information about their vitals like blood pressure and pulse rate.

The cameras on phones and computers have sufficient quality for close looks at wounds, eyes, or other required areas for diagnosing the problem.

Maintain fitness

A variety of apps are available to support a healthy diet and plan or track exercise. Some apps even provide fitness routines or classes to keep people motivated.

Learn a new skill or gain additional knowledge

Online classes are more available than ever, ranging from free options to accredited college classes. People can now learn cooking and baking, photography, leadership, business, music, writing, and even basic math, language, history, and science online.

Some classes charge a fee. These include MasterClass, which offers classes taught by celebrities, and many colleges offer online courses from their regular professors, including Harvard and Stanford.

Free courses from Kindergarten level to college level are also available from various sites. These include trade school and general education. Khan Academy has a wide variety of free educational opportunities, and Open Culture has a list of free university courses.

Read a book

Kindle Unlimited is an excellent way to devour lots of good reading material, even without a Kindle device. Amazon’s Kindle app works on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers, making it convenient to read regardless of one’s device of choice.

Listen to a book

If reading is less than desirable or one wants to listen while working on other things, an audiobook subscription such as Audible will provide anything from fiction to how-to.

Watch a movie

Streaming services such as Disney+, HGTV, Hulu, or Netflix are convenient ways to bring a movie home – and the snacks are much less expensive.

Takeaway

The stay-at-home economy is a way of life that is unlikely to disappear in the foreseeable future. People enjoy the abilities and conveniences accessible from the comfort of their homes, and companies are finding more and more ways to profit off of the online market.