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I think he means that they might as well be included in the salary, unless there's a tax or bulk buying discount.

I find that relying on my employer for everyday stuff isn't conducive to building future proof systems: am I alone in finding it hard to budget for expenses when my employer is providing a large chunk of my expenses?

Whenever possible, I prefer taking a cash equivalent and buying my own. Insurance, food, living quarters, public transportation..whatever.

Well employers get discounts for getting a large amount of these expensive. Food might not be true, but if an employer would give you the exact amount of money he pays for insurance, you would get an insurance a lot crappier, simply because the employer gets discounts.

I am currently paying insurance out of the pocket, it sucks. When I'll reach 30 (no more catastrophic plans), I'll definitely will find another employer with health insurance.

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