Been to the gas pump lately? It's not fun. One way to cut down on your gas expenses is to reduce commuting back and forth to work. How can you do that? By telecommuting.

When you telecommute you work for your company at home, at least part of the time. The advantages of doing this are easy to imagine. No commuting back and forth, which reduces stress and gas expenses. You can sleep later and work when you are at your best. If necessary, you can run errands when the stores, post office, etc. are much less crowded. Your life will change for the better! I know, because I've been telecommuting for more than 10 years, and interviewed lots of companies and telecommuters for my book, The Telecommuter's Handbook.

How can you become a telecommuter? One way is to get a job with a company that already has telecommuters. They probably will not let you telecommute from the outset, as they'll want to get to know you first. Plus you'll need to be learn who does what, and basically how your new office operates. Then, when the time feels right, youu can bring up telecmmuting--at least part-time.

The other way is to "take your current job home." That is, to telecommute one or more days a week. Now why would your boss let you do that? It's actually in his best interest. Free of the distractions of an office, telecommuters are actually more productive that their cubicle-confined counterparts. Studies show at least 20 percent more productive! And if you work from home, your office at work is freed up for someone else to use. You can still be available through email and the old fashioned telephone. So don't be concerned about suggesting to your boss that you telecommute. You're doing your boss a favor, really. Just be sure to present it as something that's in the company's interest, not just yours.

Ok, to be balanced I should mention some of telecommuting's drawbacks. You may work too many hours. With your office just a few feet or a climb up the stairs away, it's easy to fall into the trap of working too much. Speaking of "too much" with the refrigerator nearby telecommuters can eat too much. (Um, I sometime nibble at stuff all day.) It's easier to to engage in other bad habits too like drinking, drug use--you get the idea. Plus, your co-workers may not think you're really working as hard as they are.

So be sure to weigh these drawbacks also when you're thinking of telecommuting. You can counteract them by learning to keep those bad habits in check, and making yourself known in the office by emailing and calling regularly, and stopping by too. Of course, your work will speak for itself.

Remember, another option is to work for yourself, and make selling on eBay your new fulltime job. For more on that see our books eBay PowerSeller Secrets, and eBay PowerSeller Million Dollar Ideas.