How do I get paid more without a raise?
- Claire Baker
- Sep 6
- 2 min read
You’re probably sleeping on the biggest company perk just because you think it isn’t free.
Is your breakfast routine a granola bar from the office snack rack?
Does every pen, charger, and pair of socks in your house have a logo on it?
Do you have the premium health plan, not because you need it, but because work pays for it?
You may think you’re maximizing the company perks, but if you aren’t maxing out your 401(k), you’re playing like an amateur.
Here are the company benefits skim artist profiles I see most often, and why their racket is small time compared to what they could be getting if they applied the same effort and thinking to their retirement.
✂️ The Coupon Clipper
You eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the office every day to save on groceries. You take the office shuttle to work to save on gas. You take advantage of every discount in the benefits portal. You use work software for personal projects like it’s a shared family Netflix account. You’re saving money but where’s it all going?
If you put that money you saved in your 401(k), work could double the savings with a dollar-for-dollar match. And you save on taxes. And it compounds for life.
Forget the leftovers in the fridge, your retirement account is where you really bring home the bacon.
🧾 The Expense Report Artist
You expense every $6 latte as a “coffee chat.” You book all of your flights on the card that lets you double the miles. You treat work travel as a chance to catch up with old friends around the country. Your home office is better stocked than the actual office.
You’re already in the game of “put a dollar in, get a dollar back.” Why not put a dollar in and get two dollars back? With interest? For life?
🤓 The Future Builder
You take the job that pays for your master’s degree. You take every certification they cover. You go to every lunch-and-learn and webinar because you’re building your career and long-term income potential. You show up early and stay late just so you can be “seen” by the boss.
If you believe in your future earning power, why skip the investment that increases your spending power when you finally retire (hopefully early)? The employer match lets you double your contributions. Because of interest, some years your 401(k) will get a bigger raise than you do.
The point of the hustle is to retire sooner. The point of saving is to retire better.
Got a question about your benefits? Send it our way. We'd love to talk it through with you. There are no stupid questions. (Okay, maybe there are, but I bet yours isn't stupid.)
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