[lumberjim]

It's an American tradition. I negotiated 3 weeks vacation and $150/wk for travel expense when I started.

Now, after15 years here, I get.... 3 weeks. And I can't ever take more than one at a time. Most years I end up selling one week, or taking the 3rd week in one or two day long weekends. Nature of the business. There's only 2 of us, so when I'm out, my counterpart has to endure a 70+ hour week.

Anyway, my point is... When you demand higher compensation, you create value. Playing a little harder to get makes the employer re-assess you. Another candidate may take whatever they offer, and just be happy to have an offer.. But you're not just some candidate.

Go into your interviews with the mind set that you are interviewing THEM. And be mindful that you will never have the leverage you have in that moment once you work for them. If you forget to ask for it during the hiring process, they will never give it to you. Be it vacation, salary, whatever.

Your kids have been raised well, they're prepared to take on the world. Now it's about you going where you want to go and taking what you want to take. Devour to survive. So it is. So it's always been.