Hmm...Lets assume you got 10K free options.10.000 x $0.045 =...

Hmm...

Lets assume you got 10K free options.

10.000 x $0.045 = $450 for 10.000 AGE shares

You choose:

10.000 x $0.04 = $400 + 10.000x $0.015 = $150 for a total of $550 for 10.000 AGE shares

Now you are right you would have saved an initial $50 on your options. But if you had choose to convert your free bonus options first and used the profits to buy more options the following would have applied.

$450 to convert 10.000 bonus option to 10.000 AGE shares. Considering the price you paid for your options I will assume the share price was around $0.055 at the time.
So you could have sold your shares for $550 for an instant $100 profit.
You could have then used that $550 to buy 13750 $0.04 options. Instead of 11250 options you would have gotten for the original $450.

So you cheated yourself out of a fair few extra options or dollars by your flawed logic.

But all good. Just trying to help. I'll leave you to it.