<prompt> Human: Ive worked for a small company for 9 years. I received 5 raises performance, cost of living, and promotion in the first 4 years. Then I stepped down from a great position to have a few kids while still working part-time from home. Ive been back full-time in the office again for a couple years, with an excellent performance review under my belt, but no raise in sight. Im of the frugal mind-set which definitely has its place. But personal finance taught me 2 important things regarding raises: 1. Earning more money is at least as important as being more frugal. 2. Phrase your request based on your value to the company and not your personal level of need. Oh how badly I wanted to point out that Im feeding 3 kids now, and that my cars keep breaking down, etc...but those things are not my companys decision, concern, or responsibilityThankfully I work for great people who not only gave me the requested 13.5 raise based on 5 years of inflation in addition to a small performance bump, but also apologized for not putting it through for me on their own. Now Ill get to start practicing my 3rd bit of advice learned from PF. Dont let a raise lead to lifestyle creep!And now Ill get back to work, but I am so surprised and excited I had to share!  <response>: Excellent! 13.5 definitely shows youre valued; thats quite a raise. 