Places To Work With Some Of The Best Employee Discounts

In this economy, finding extra ways to save money can be the key to staying above water. Between inflation, student loan debt, and housing prices, it can feel harder than ever to feel financially secure, let alone plan and save for the future. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, not only has the current financial pressure affecting Americans led to a record high amount of household debt (U.S. households have a total of $17.69 trillion worth of debt as of the first quarter of 2024), but it's also leading to disturbing rises in repayment delinquency across all age groups. This means it could be time to get more creative with your money-saving strategies.

A potentially underutilized strategy for both saving money and combating debt might already be available to you: taking advantage of your employee discount. In addition to paid time off, vacation days, health insurance, and/or even 401(k) plans, your job might also provide discounts that can be useful to you. While a discount perk might not be significant enough to make you choose a company over another on the job market, it could be worth factoring into your savings potential when deciding where to work. Also, while many might think of employee discounts as simply percentages off at a certain store, the opportunities can be much more creative than just that. Plus these discounts can apply to everything from food to utilities to clothing, making an employee discount a potential workhorse for anyone looking to be more frugal without giving up their quality of life.

A good place to start looking when it comes to budgeting is your regular monthly expenses. You've probably found these monthly expenses (on things like the internet, cable, or cell phones) can add up fast and can contribute to your monthly financial drain. This can make looking for a more creative approach to an employee discount particularly helpful.

For instance, for those looking to save money on monthly expenses, communications companies, such as T-Mobile and Verizon, offer employees a percentage off their recurring costs (that is, phone lines, messaging, and/or data) for lines attached to an employee's account. Another interesting and untraditional employee discount option is that Costco employees receive a free membership card (as well as a free turkey at the holidays) in lieu of a more traditional percentage discount on products. Saving on your annual membership can be enticing, especially if you're debating whether to renew your Costco membership or not.

For more traditional retail employee discounts, there are a few companies that stand out from the rest. For instance, Bass Pro Shops offers employees up to 45% off on in-store merchandise while REI workers get 50% off on all REI-branded products. However, these retailers can have particularly specific products that might not require regular purchasing. For those looking for a retail employee discount with a little more variety, Gap Inc. provides employees with a 50% discount (on regularly priced merchandise) across multiple umbrella brands, including Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, and Old Navy. Macy's also offers employees a 20% discount on clothing, furniture, accessories, and cosmetics.

Everyone has to eat, and this is part of what makes an employee discount on food so valuable. For example, restaurant workers at Olive Garden can enjoy free meals during their shifts, as well as a 25% discount (for them and up to eight guests) at any restaurant subsidiary of Olive Garden's owner, Darden. These umbrella restaurant chains include Yard House, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Cheddars. Not to be outdone, Chili's employees can enjoy up to 50% off at all Chili's restaurant locations, in addition to employee discounts on clothing, theme park tickets, movies, cellphones, and even child care. With all of this in mind, however, restaurant workers are typically tipped employees. Not only does tipping have a dark history in the U.S., but tips can also leave restaurant workers earning less than minimum wage, so make sure to research what your state's policy is.

While restaurant workers take advantage of food and drinks at their specific restaurant or chain, grocery store employees can take unique advantage of discounts on some of life's most important necessities. However, not all grocery stores offer their employees the same perks as others so it can be worth researching employee benefits before applying to or considering an offer from a specific grocery retailer. For instance, Trader Joe's offers a competitive 20% off on all products in its stores, while Whole Foods offers a similar 20% off in-store products with an added bonus of discounted gym memberships and cooking classes.