How do I stop leaving money on the table when I negotiate a job offer?

You can negotiate a little now, which is more than most people manage, and you still leave money and terms on the table. That gap is not greed to feel bad about; it is skill you have not finished building. The good news is negotiation rewards preparation more than nerve, and preparation you can control. Money gets left behind for two reasons: not knowing your real market value, and stopping at the first yes because asking further feels greedy or risky. Both are fixable. When you know the honest range for your role and you treat the negotiation as a normal, expected part of the process, the fear that made you settle early loses most of its grip. So before your next offer, do two things. Learn the actual market range for the role, from real data, and pick your target inside it. Then decide in advance on one thing beyond salary to ask for, like time off, flexibility, or a title. Walking in with a number and one extra ask is how you stop leaving so much on the table.