Several weeks ago, I was involved in an untimely accident with a bus. It was tragic and I can't help but wonder if I would have looked better for that bus had I enjoyed the little things in life more.

One of them is a that Swingline stapler - I had always wanted one at my desk. But my boss said no... and my keyboard? why did I have to use the clackety-clack Dell keyboard? I wanted to use a nice Apple keyboard which I enjoyed typing.

Would I have been here today had I been able to convince my management to allocate a (relatively) insignificant amount of money to increase my general enjoyment and quality of life? I don't know. But I know I would have loved my job so much more!

All that frustration and annoyance over maybe $50 a year? Or even less? Why... I just don't understand.

Companies will spend easily $100k+ per year in total compensation but not budget small amounts for employees to get nicer keyboards, mice, or other items for work. These items can however significantly affect how employees feel about their workplace.

Assuming a company does not have an official budget/allowance (or precedence) for such things:

• How should I request a non-essential item (which may be impossible to justify financially but may contribute significantly to "job satisfaction" types of things)?

Because... however asinine it is, even $40 for an nice keyboard instead of a cheap keyboard can make a non-trivial difference in overall job satisfaction.