Working From Home Could Be A Bad Idea For Your Finances

Keith WilliamsonMaybe Yahoo! had a point about banning telecommuting.

Telecommuters' tendency to shop online while still on the clock could be eating into their budgets –– and, possibly, their work performance, according to a new survey by Coupon Cabin.

Nearly 70 percent of people who work from home said they have been known to browse the virtual shopping aisles of the Internet while working. That is compared to about half of some 2,000 respondents who admitted to online shopping while in the office.

One-quarter of workers aid they spend about an hour per week shopping online, nearly double the number of people who shop online while at the office.

Without prying eyes skimming over their computer screen whenever they pass by, there is no real threat stopping people from casually picking up a new pair of boots during a conference call. Half of telecommuting shoppers said they do it because they feel they're less likely to get caught, plain and simple.

In the grand scheme of the telecommuting debate, this study may seem like more fuel for the opposition. But telecommuters still say they are less distracted and feel more efficient when working from a home office than in a cubicle.

However, there is still a case to be made for telecommuting's negative impact on bank accounts. Most career experts recommend employees takes breaks at home just as they would in any regular office, but scheduling a walk or a little at-home yoga may be a healthier use of that time than burning a hole through your credit card.