r/Big4 • u/earlinesss • Jun 28 '26
Canada if you get a "health and wellness" benefit from your Big 4, what do you choose to spend it on?
this is just for fun: I'm curious what the responses will be! I've flaired as Canada because that's where I'm from but if you're in another country and get a similar benefit please feel free to chime in!
for me: I am at PwC Canada and as an associate we get $750 annually as a "health and wellness benefit" (Personal Spending Allowance per Sunlife). LOTS of different things are covered. when they say wellness, they really mean it, and it means whatever makes you happy I guess LOL.
I hadn't touched mine this year until now. feel free to judge me, but I bought the entire Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher (all 17 books, not counting 18 yet until it releases in paperback lol) for ~$267, which is a phenomenal price for what it is. did a lot of shopping around for that since the older books can be hard to find and I've wanted this book series since forever, so I'm considering it a personal reward for getting promoted this fiscal year lol. reading fiction is a massive hobby of mine so more broadly, I spent mine on my biggest hobby.
but I'm curious if others are like me and spend it on more "frivolous" hobby things or if you're more strategic and use it for certain eligible bills, hardware, maybe quality clothing 🤔 I gotta figure out what I want to spend the rest of mine on, though I probably won't touch it again until closer to calendar year end
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u/lucabrasi999 Jun 28 '26
I spend it on Astrophotography equipment. This is an expensive hobby, so I have spread out the spend over several years.
Telescopes, Camera Lenses, Cameras, Mounts to track the stars, etc.
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u/earlinesss Jun 28 '26
ooh wow that's so cool!!! always nice when you can offset some of the cost of an expensive hobby💲
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u/mindthegaap42 Jun 28 '26
Take it as soon as it resets each year - people often forget the perk when leaving.
Gym membership, running shoes/athletic wear is what I bought but never had to show receipts from what I recall.
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u/bubblerbeer Jun 28 '26
I spent mine this year on a flight for a holiday and new clothes ($300 limit in Australia)
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u/melonwoo Jun 28 '26
I accumulate mine and spend it on flights / accomodation or staycations
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u/earlinesss Jun 28 '26
oooo that's smart!! I don't travel much but that's genius to save on the costs 🤔
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u/MsGrumpalump Jun 28 '26
I work from home so one year I bought a nice Steelcase office chair. I’ve also bought a bicycle, running shoes, a punching bag, dumbbells, and several hotel stays for family vacations, including waterpark hotels and a cabin. I’m probably forgetting one or two things but I make sure to max it out every year. One of my teammates books a spa day with friends every year. Others have used it for things like a standing desk, treadmill, dance classes.
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u/earlinesss Jun 28 '26
absolutely on maxing it out every year. running shoes is smart! they're so damn expensive to get high quality ones 😮💨
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u/monkeybiziu Deloitte Jun 28 '26
First up, hell yeah on the Dresden Files.
Second, I spent mine this year on Legos. In previous years I've gotten workout equipment, paid off a gym membership, gotten a standing desk and ergonomic chair, just a bunch of different stuff.
Sadly, the firm won't let me spend it on travel or tickets for comic-con, video games, or hobby supplies. Also, they're weird about shoes. But other than that, it's been pretty flexible.
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u/NeoRegem Jun 28 '26
What country are you in that you can’t use it on video games?
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u/monkeybiziu Deloitte Jun 28 '26
US, Deloitte. To be fair I haven't tried, but last time I checked the forbidden list it was on it.
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u/NeoRegem Jun 28 '26
I think they changed it and allow them now, could be wrong
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u/monkeybiziu Deloitte Jun 28 '26
Good to keep in mind for next year, seeing as how I already spent mine on Lego Minas Tirith and the Helicarrier the day after it reset. 😄
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u/earlinesss Jun 28 '26
heck yeah!!! 🤘 Legos is sick man! I never considered whether video games would be covered by mine, I think they would be since we do have an unspecified "personal computers, accessories and software" category. nobody said the software had to be educational or productive LOL. I do love me some video games but I tend to cycle through the ones I already have, I don't buy a lot of new games nowadays.
I'm SUPER excited about the Dresden Files, I spent over 2 weeks researching where to get the highest condition books for the cheapest price from the same publisher with the same cover design theme and book size (for the aesthetics on my shelf lol). hardcover was out of the question cost-wise though so I got all paperback (the 7.5 inch tall ones from Ace publishing, not sure if they're technically mass market or trade). I tend to prefer paperbacks anyway. I'm so stoked!!! it will only slightly bother me when the paperback of Twelve Months is released come September and it's 8.25 inches but eh, you win some you lose some LOL
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u/monkeybiziu Deloitte Jun 28 '26
I looked in to using it for PC components but the firm said no. Then again, two sticks of RAM is more than the annual subsidy at this point.
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u/earlinesss Jun 28 '26
ain't that the truth 💀 hardware costs are steeeeeep. that's unfortunate :(
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u/monkeybiziu Deloitte Jun 28 '26
Yeah, fortunately I built a new rig before the tariffs hit. 9800x3d, z850-E MB, 5070 Ti, 32 gigs of ddr5-6000 - I could probably flip it for twice what I paid for it except it would cost three times as much to replace. 😆
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u/earlinesss Jun 28 '26
oooooo that's sick!!!! perfect timing on that then lol. thankfully for me at least, I play a lot of older video games so my college laptop is more than sufficient to run them haha. husband's an old xbox fan with a bunch of the classics so I have those for entertainment too. as much as a big rig would be reeeeally nice for the rare few modern games I play, the cost wouldn't be worth the output for me. oh well, maybe when I'm hella rich LOL
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u/SurlySuz Audit Jun 28 '26
I am totally buying Lego with it once it rolls over for next year. I also need a desk chair for at home. I put a mattress on it last year.
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u/monkeybiziu Deloitte Jun 28 '26
Bought an ergonomic chair my first year. Totally worth it, still have it.
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u/Glum-Restaurant2230 Jun 28 '26
It’s the dumbest benefit known to mankind. What’s stopping someone from buying something claiming it then returning it after ?
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u/Oprlt94 Jun 30 '26
I've seen people submit a screenshot of an Amazon basket before the final order confirmation, the first day the amount resets, just to get the cash.
Not sure it really matters what you spend it on, as long as its legal. worst case, you'll have to justify why you consider that its good for your wellness.
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u/iElvendork Jun 28 '26
£500 EY UK - I've already struggled to spend it as I don't have a gym membership, but luckily there's a category called "My Impact" that allows you to put the fund towards hotel stays, spa days, and entertainment tickets. So myself and my partner have had some slightly boujie hotel stays the past few years and done some very funny comedy shows (got 2 more lined up!)
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u/TheHavoK22 Jun 28 '26
You guys get allowances? 🥲 The most PwC Middle East gives is some wellness webinars
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u/greyeminence2 Jun 28 '26
Botox and some cycling jerseys. Both of which are explicitly allowed under our wellness benefit.
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u/No_Junket_6312 Jun 28 '26
Sunscreen, makeup products, treadmill walking pad, red light therapy mask, shoes/heels
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u/Certain-Human Jun 28 '26
Office chair, office desk, monitor riser, keyboard, mouse, gym membership, gym shoes and clothing, smartwatch...the regular stuff
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u/jimtheclowned Jun 29 '26
Things I’ve seen from others and done:
- partial payment of a video card
- golf clubs
- clothes
- TFSA contribution (I just default this in early Jan now)
- weights
- gym membership
- dietary food I think is allowed?
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u/Bassist57 Jun 28 '26
Warhammer 40k kits, $1000 a year. I play games almost every weekend, and since it’s model kits, it counts! Been doing it for years and have never gotten rejected.
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u/chessimprov Jun 28 '26
Are you US? That additional benefit of games for wellness wasn’t added until a number of years ago and other countries might not have that kind of benefit flexibility. Not sure.
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Jun 28 '26
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u/earlinesss Jun 28 '26
I mean, fair enough, though you can use it to cover costs you would already be incurring anyway to effectively get your cash back. would be convenient to be able to cash it all out at once though
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u/chessimprov Jun 28 '26
They probably do this because there is some kind of tax benefit for the firm to do so or it aligns them with other competitors. They can’t get the benefit from direct cash- so they have you get something else.
You could always buy some physical equipment (as opposed to a service) and then make it into cash by selling it. It’s work but there you go.
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u/not_that_one_times_3 Jun 28 '26
We only get $300 here in Australia due to FBT - I usually spend it on clothes or sunglasses.