One of the perks of being an IC I can think of right now is if my performance is exemplary, I don't get to have a special dinner with a boss I am not too crazy about or have a luxury trip in the Mediterranean or abroad, spending my whole week with the same, accepting awards away from my family. I enjoyed the trips only because I met my colleagues from all over the world. But to spend majority of the time with the same people I worked with daily, who I saw more often than my family, was not my idea of a reward.
As an IC, If my month is extra special, I treat myself or my family to VIP movies or fine dining or a trip or something in kind. Or I hang out with people I really, really enjoy being with and vice versa. No more of the plastic environment. Freedom is an IC perk. I can celebrate and enjoy my own company once in a while or just hibernate, if I want to.