Your Job Might Be Secretly Costing You £5,000 a Year

👋 Hey guys - Noah here,

Every job has some hidden costs you might never have thought about. If you’re looking at applying for new jobs or thinking about if your current one is worth it, check this out!

Your Job Is Eating Your Salary (And You Don't Even Know It)

Last month, my mate was chuffed about his new job in London. £30k salary! Then we sat down and worked out what he was ACTUALLY earning.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About

Here's what's secretly draining your bank account:

The Commute Tax

• Train season ticket: £2,400/year

• Petrol + parking: £1,800/year

• That's £200-400 disappearing every month before you've even clocked in

The "Professional" Wardrobe

• Work clothes: £500/year minimum

• Those "smart" shoes that fall apart after 6 months: £150

The Lunch Trap "I'll just grab a meal deal." Famous last words.

• Daily meal deal: £4 x 230 work days = £920

• Coffee runs: £3 x 230 days = £690

• Friday pub lunch: £15 x 40 weeks = £600

That's over £2,200 just on lunch and coffee. Mad.

The Sneaky Ones That Really Add Up

Unpaid Overtime If you're on £25k working 40 hours a week, you earn £12/hour. Stay an extra hour each day "to finish up"? You've just given away £3,000 of free labour.

The Social Tax

• Leaving drinks: £30/month

• Secret Santa/birthday collections: £10/month

• Work socials you can't really skip: £40/month

The Mental Health Cost This one's harder to calculate, but think about:

• Gym membership to "destress": £40/month

• That wine to "unwind": £60/month

• Weekend trips to "escape": £100/month

Let's Do The Maths

For someone on £25,000:

• Commute: £2,400

• Work clothes/appearance: £890

• Food and drinks: £2,200

• Unpaid overtime value: £3,000

• Social obligations: £960

Total: £9,450

That £25k job? You're actually earning £15,550.

Ouch.

How to Fight Back

1. Calculate Your REAL Hourly Rate Take your salary, subtract all work costs, add your commute time to work hours. That number will shock you.

2. Negotiate Remote Days Even 2 days from home saves you £1,000+ yearly on commute and lunch.

3. Set Boundaries Those "quick" overtime hours? Start logging them. Show your boss the data when asking for a raise.

4. Meal Prep Like Your Life Depends On It Boring? Yes. But saving £2,000 a year? Worth it. Sunday prep = money in the bank.

5. The Clothing Hack Buy 5 identical work outfits. Sounds mental, but you'll save hundreds and never stress about what to wear.

The Bottom Line

Your job should make you money, not cost you money. If you're barely breaking even after work expenses, it might be time to:

• Renegotiate your salary

• Find a job closer to home

• Go remote

• Start that side hustle

Because working to pay for working? That's not living.

If you're realising your job might not be worth it, I've put together a complete guide on landing a better job in just 2 weeks. It includes CV templates that actually get responses, interview prep that works, and negotiation tactics to make sure you're properly compensated for ALL your costs.

Get the Land Your First Job guide here - because life's too short to work for free.

Let me know what hidden job costs are killing your budget!

All the best, Noah