Working up the courage to ask for a raise can be difficult. And if your boss rejects your request, you might be tempted to back down immediately and forget the whole thing ever happened. A better idea: prepare yourself with a backup plan so you can score other perks, if not a pay increase.

GOBankingRates suggests:

Think of other elements outside of the bottom dollar. Maybe you can negotiate extra personal days or vacation time in the coming year. Perhaps a work-from-home arrangement one or two days a week would really help your budget when it comes to your commute.

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