Remember when your biggest morning commute challenge was dodging your cat on the way to your home office? Well, buckle up, buttercup—2025 is the year millions of North Americans are trading their pajama bottoms for proper pants and their kitchen tables for cubicles. Whether you’re in bustling Manhattan or mid-sized Milwaukee, the office awaits, and with it comes a financial reality check that might make your morning latte budget weep.
The Price Tag of Presence: What’s Really at Stake
Let’s talk turkey—or rather, let’s talk about that $61 daily damage to your wallet. Yes, you read that right. Workers are spending an average of $61 every day when they come in, paying for parking, gas or transit, coffee and lunch, and even breakfast or dinner on some days, according to recent surveys. That’s up from $51 just last year, which means inflation isn’t just hitting your grocery bill anymore.
For those doing the mental math (and reaching for their stress balls), that’s roughly $300 per week for a full five-day return. Remote work reduces employee expenses by $4,000 annually on average, so reversing that trend feels like taking a surprise pay cut. Ouch.
But here’s where it gets interesting—and by interesting, I mean expensive. On average, workers will need to cover expenses such as outfits ($12.60), beauty products ($2.75), childcare ($60), pet care ($22.50), and commuting ($32.56)—in addition to coffee, breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks. When you add it all up, that fancy office coffee machine your company installed suddenly seems less like a perk and more like a necessity.
The Mental Health Meter: When Your Brain Meets the Office
Now, about that other cost—the one that doesn’t show up on your credit card statement but definitely shows up in your mirror. A staggering 91% of respondents reported experiencing high or extreme levels of stress in the past year, according to the 2025 Burnout Report. And guess what’s contributing? 26% of workers indicated that being forced back into the office contributed significantly to their burnout.
The generational divide is particularly striking. Those aged between 18 and 24 were also most likely to report high stress due to issues such as having to regularly work unpaid overtime (experienced by 48%), taking on additional hours due to the increased cost of living (46%), and feeling isolated at work (44%). Meanwhile, their older colleagues are handling it slightly better—or maybe they’re just better at hiding it behind their reading glasses.
Here’s the kicker: Almost half of respondents say life was easier during the COVID-19 pandemic than it is now—just two months into 2025. Let that sink in. People are literally nostalgic for lockdown. If that doesn’t scream “Houston, we have a problem,” I don’t know what does.
The Smart Money Moves: Your Financial Survival Kit
Alright, enough doom and gloom—let’s talk solutions. Because while you can’t control your company’s RTO policy (unless you’re the CEO, in which case, hi there!), you can control how you respond to it.
The ABC Strategy That Actually Works
Financial coach Becky Western-Macfadyen recommends a “sustainable spending” framework using the ABC method: A for analyzing your income and expenses, B for brainstorming ways to increase your income, either by cutting spending, and C for adjusting your approach. Simple? Yes. Revolutionary? Also, yes, when you actually do it.
Meal Prep Like Your Wallet Depends on It (Because It Does)
Remember that $21 daily lunch expense? That’s $105 per week, or about $420 per month. That’s a car payment, folks. Or a really nice pair of shoes. Or, you know, groceries for two weeks.
The solution isn’t rocket science, but it does require Sunday planning. Ms. Western-Macfadyen recommends ditching the cafeteria line by bringing a packed lunch from home. She suggests using apps like Too Good To Go for surplus food at reduced cost, participating in meal swaps with friends and family, and cooking larger meals that will leave leftovers for lunch the next day.
One worker’s strategy? “Hard-boiled eggs and a couple of tangerines,” plus taking advantage of the free office coffee. Not glamorous, but effective.
The Commute Hack That Changes Everything
Here’s a mind-bender: what if your commute didn’t have to be dead time? For transportation, “there’s carpooling or ride-share swaps you could do with friends, even with someone who might not work in the same building as you,” suggests Western-Macfadyen.
But beyond just sharing rides, consider this: If public transit is available, this is a fantastic way to reduce commuting costs. Even if you don’t have a car payment, public transportation will almost always be cheaper than driving your own car when factoring in gas, depreciation, maintenance, etc. In Chicago, for instance, unlimited CTA rides run just $75 a month. Compare that to parking alone in most downtown areas, and the math becomes crystal clear.
The Stress-Busting Playbook: Keeping Your Sanity Intact
Let’s address the elephant in the room—or should I say, the open-plan office. The mental health impact of RTO is real, and pretending otherwise is like ignoring a Check Engine light while your car makes that weird noise.
Setting Boundaries Like a Boss (Even If You’re Not One)
The beauty of remote work was the clear(ish) line between work and home. Now? Your office is calling, and it wants all of you. The solution isn’t to resist—it’s to adapt strategically.
Start with your morning routine. Allow yourself a buffer—aim to leave home earlier than you need to. This cushion can help absorb traffic delays and keep you from starting the day in a state of panic. Nobody needs that kind of adrenaline before their first meeting.
The Power of the Ask
Here’s something wild: 64% of US employees would prefer remote or hybrid roles over working from the office every day. You’re not alone in this struggle, which means you have leverage—use it.
Companies are realizing that 8 in 10 companies report losing talent due to RTO policies. That’s a lot of institutional knowledge walking out the door. So don’t be shy about asking for support. 53% of respondents would need anywhere from $50 to $75 to make the trip to the office. Your employer might not cover everything, but even partial support can be helpful.
The Company Response: What Forward-Thinking Employers Are Actually Doing
Not all heroes wear capes—some wear HR badges. Progressive companies are getting creative with their support systems. Ernst & Young, for instance, created a transition fund that covered all commuting costs, all dependent care costs, and even pet care costs for U.S. employees. Extreme? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.
Currently, 17% of companies require employees to be in the office five days a week, and 14% of hybrid companies are offering a childcare solution. Meanwhile, Lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs) are emerging as a popular benefit, particularly among employers requiring full-time office attendance.
Some companies are thinking outside the box—literally. Notion offers a free lunch daily, monthly social events, and a “Walk & Talks” program, where they cover the cost of employees’ coffee when they grab it with a coworker. It’s not just about the money; it’s about creating an office environment where people genuinely want to be.
The Reality Check: Making Peace with the New Normal
Here’s the thing—and I say this with all the empathy of someone who’s mourned the loss of midday laundry folding—the complete remote dream is fading for many. Only 7% of companies offer fully remote roles, down from 21% the previous year. The pendulum has swung, and fighting it might be less productive than adapting to it.
But adaptation doesn’t mean resignation. It means getting strategic. It means having honest conversations with your employer about what support you need. It means building new routines that protect both your wallet and your well-being. And yes, it means accepting that some Tuesday mornings, you’ll miss your cat being your only coworker.
Your Action Plan: The Next 30 Days
Ready to make this work? Here’s your roadmap:
Week 1: Track every penny you spend on work-related expenses. Knowledge is power, and you need to know precisely what this is costing you.
Week 2: Implement one cost-saving measure. Start with lunch prep—it’s the easiest win with the most significant impact.
Week 3: Explore Your Commute Options. Test that public transit route. Find a carpool buddy. Download that gas rewards app.
Week 4: Have the conversation. Armed with data and solutions, discuss support options with your manager. You might be surprised what’s available—or what could become available if you ask.
The Bottom Line
The return to office in 2025 isn’t just a logistical challenge—it’s a financial and emotional marathon that nobody really trained for. But here’s the truth bomb: you’re more resilient than you think. You survived a global pandemic, learned to unmute yourself on Zoom (eventually), and discovered that yes, you can actually survive without office birthday cake.
This transition isn’t about choosing between your financial health and your mental wellbeing—it’s about protecting both with the fierce determination of someone guarding the last good parking spot. Will it be easy? Nope. Will you sometimes yearn for the days of virtual backgrounds and ‘camera-off’ Fridays? Absolutely.
But with the right strategies, a solid support system, and maybe an excellent podcast for that commute, you can navigate this new-old normal without losing your shirt—or your sanity. After all, if we can make sourdough starters trendy, we can undoubtedly make office life work again. Just maybe with more flexible dress codes and better coffee this time around.
Remember: the office may be calling you back, but you get to decide how you answer.
