How Office Penny-Pinching Cost My Company a Grand (All Over a $6 Delivery Fee!)
Let’s face it: Office expense policies are rarely written with humanity—or common sense—in mind. If you’ve ever submitted a perfectly reasonable expense claim only for it to be rejected over a technicality, you know the pain. But what happens when you play by the rules exactly as they’re written? Sometimes, the results are deliciously expensive for your employer.
This is the story of how one employee’s $6-a-day delivery fee set off a chain reaction of penny-pinching pettiness, ultimately costing the company a cool thousand bucks. Grab your popcorn and let’s dive into this five-star petty revenge, courtesy of u/Daddy22VA on Reddit’s r/PettyRevenge.
When the “Rules Are Rules” Crowd Gets Schooled
Our protagonist found themselves at a work conference out of state. Like any savvy traveler, they weighed the options: rent a car (expensive, unnecessary, and a hassle) or just Uber to and from the airport, since the hotel and conference center were conveniently connected. Smart move, right?
Breakfast and lunch were covered, but dinner was on them—well, on the company, but only if the expenses were just so. Without a car to zip into town, DoorDash was the hero for five straight nights. Meals: reimbursed. But those pesky $6 delivery fees? Denied. Finance declared with the flourish of a rubber stamp: “Not a qualified expense.” No exceptions. Rules are rules!
The “Petty” Solution: Rule-Following That Hits the Wallet
So, what’s a resourceful employee to do? The next year, facing the same conference, they decided to play by the book—to the letter. Instead of convenient rideshares and DoorDash, they rented a car for the full five days. Add in hotel parking, gas, and all the trimmings. Now, the total expense to the company? A whopping $1,000.
But hey, not a single dollar went to delivery fees! Instead, the finance office got exactly what they asked for: no “unqualified” expenses, just a big, beautiful invoice for 5 days of rental car freedom, all so our hero could personally hunt down their own dinners. “Rules are rules,” indeed.
Penny Wise, Pound Foolish: When Corporate Policy Bites Back
This story is peak “penny wise, pound foolish.” Companies often focus on trimming little expenses—like delivery fees—while ignoring the costly ripple effects of their policies. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds of what’s “allowed,” forgetting that the goal is to make business travel work for employees, not create a bureaucratic obstacle course.
Let’s do the math. Last year: $60 in Uber rides, $30 in DoorDash delivery fees, plus the actual meals. This year? $1,000 for a car, parking, and gas, plus whatever meals were consumed—just to avoid reimbursing $30 in delivery charges. The finance office might have saved on those “unqualified” fees, but the real cost was a lesson in what happens when policy trumps practicality.
The Sweet Taste of Petty Revenge
There’s something deeply satisfying about this kind of revenge. It’s not malicious. It’s not even confrontational. It’s just… following the rules, exactly as written, and letting the consequences land where they may. Sometimes, the best way to highlight a bad policy is to obey it to the letter and watch the absurdity unfold.
And let’s be real: If you’re the finance person who denied those $6 delivery charges, how does it feel to sign off on a $1,000 car rental bill for the exact same trip? That’s a lesson in “be careful what you wish for”—and maybe, just maybe, a prompt to revisit those rigid policies.
What’s the Moral Here?
The takeaway? Rigid rules rarely beat common sense. When companies refuse to trust their employees with small, reasonable expenses, they often pay a much bigger price in the end. The next time you’re tempted to reject a $6 fee, remember: petty revenge is just a car rental away.
Have you ever gotten creative with company policies to prove a point? Or maybe you have your own expense horror story? Share your thoughts (and best petty revenge tales!) in the comments—because sometimes, the only way to survive corporate nonsense is with a little humor and a lot of creativity.
Got a favorite petty revenge story of your own? Drop it in the comments below! We all need a reminder that sometimes, following the rules is the pettiest revenge of all.
Original Reddit Post: Don’t want to pay delivery…okay then