3 work-at-home pitfalls

ATLANTA - From time to time being your own boss sounds appealing. On the surface working from home sounds great, but it can come at a cost. There is actually a price tag attached that we can forget about.

Amy Short in southeast Atlanta does it. She works from home doing accounts receivable for a Florida-based company. She's done it for years.

The upsides are easy - no distractions like office chatter.  And heck, the day we stopped by she was still in her pajamas. She saves money on work clothes and that commute - from one room to the next - is a real money saver.

"No commute at all. No traffic. No stress. I don't have to wake up an hour early to get somewhere which is very nice," she said grinning.

But, there are costs you need to consider before making the work-at-home plunge like taxes. Yeah, they follow you everywhere don't they? Most of us don't think about them week to week as our employers handle this. The money is taken out of your check before you ever see it.   If you're self-employed you have to do that, set the money aside and then deal with the IRS yourself. Or pay an accountant.

Taking time off means losing money. No built-in vacation time. And no sick days.

And here's what I think is the real biggie:  health insurance. This will hit your bottom line like nobody's business. The best thing about working for a company is not worrying about expensive health insurance. So, dream big, but do some math before you walk into the boss's office and say, "I quit!"