It probably comes as no surprise that many organizations are prepared to foot part of the bill if you work from home. Or you might be contemplating a home-based business. Setting up a home office sounds easier than it is, but at the same time, is pretty simple. You just need to have some foresight into devising the office space you want to work in.

Of course if you're going to be in that home office all day, you should push for maximum comfort and efficiency. But even that doesn't have to break your bank account.

1. The Desk: It's easy to go cheap with pre-fab furniture. But if you're going to be working at home all day (even if not) you can still find a nice desk. Can't afford a new one? Check out craigslist.com to find furniture in your own area. You can also find a cheap quality furniture at office furniture stores. The small mom-and-pop shops often have floor sample discounts and other deals that push Wal-Mart or Target fiberboard desks to the dust. Not to knock the big box stores, though. Some of their materials are very sturdy and you can even find a good desk there if you wait for close-outs.

2. Embrace technology:

Again, it depends what your needs are out of a home office. But if you're going to run a business from it, I highly advice putting money into an all-in-one machine that will print in color, copy, fax, and scan (if you don't already have separate machines). They work well and take up less space. I have a Brother MFC 5860 All-In-One. It has USB, Network, and WiFI capability. I paid $99.00 dollars (Office Max). I usually buy quality machines that reach the end of their sales cycle. Six months ago this machine listed for $499 - big savings.

A good computer is key. Depending on what you do, though, you may not need the speediest, top-of-the-line machine. Laptop VS Desktop - Option call. But since you will probably want your computer to last a few years, buy name brand and do it right. Again, closeouts can save much coin. My Toshiba, (Pentium Dual Core 360 gig drive 4 gigs ram) listed for $1995.00 six months ago but I found it at Circuit City for $449.00.

Internet access: DSL is OK - Cablemodem is better.

Network: WiFI works but wired network is much more reliable

WiFI: Stick with 802.11g - 802.11n is not ready for prime time

FAX: Unless you do a lot of volume, fax services are the way to go.

Phone Service: Voicepulse gives me unlimited long distance and every calling feature imaginable for 49.99 a month and their system is never down.