Do your mates know how much you earn?

[DodgyAgent]

I have quite a few mates who go back to University days. A few of us have struck lucky and are making good money, others haven't, and are earning "normal" salaries.

Have any of you hit the problem where, as your contacting millions roll in, those who aren't earning as much start treating you differently (i.e. negatively?) I now have to be really circumspect about where I go on holiday, what car I'm interested in, what house I'm looking at, etc.

I guess it's just common tact really, but it's a shame to have to be *quite* so wary around people you're supposed to be able to be open with.

This is a "miss thread" because no one here has any friends

[expat]

I've never understood why anyone would hate a contractor, its just jealousy surely?

Jealous that contractors earn more? Jealous because they haven't got the balls to do it themselves?....

I'd guess jealous that contractors earn more, and failing to think that they could do it themselves if they thought it was really that great.

OTOH the same argument would apply to contractors who complain about public sector pensions.

[Mich the Tester]

I'd guess jealous that contractors earn more, and failing to think that they could do it themselves if they thought it was really that great.

OTOH the same argument would apply to contractors who complain about public sector pensions.

Most people in Western Europe have grown up with free education, good healthcare, good food, cheap training opportunities as adults etc. Given all this, they ca make choices as to what to do with it. If someone earns more, it’s because of the choices he or she made. My mate’s a dentist. He’s rolling in money. Burps 100 euro notes. He’s reputed to tulip gold bullion. He’ll retire before he’s 50. However he spend all day with his face above other people’s stinky gobs. That was his choice and I’m not at all jealous. Another mate of mine gave up as an insurance agent to retrain as a tree surgeon. He earns about average salary and is jolly happy with his life. To anyone who’s jealous; you’ve had and probably still have the chances to do something else, so shut up and get your own life under control.

[leeperry]

Nah, even when I had a permie IT Job I was earning more than they were so I just keep schtum.

[NickNick]

I've told some and not others.

The first group are old mates from 20 odd years or more and when I landed my first contracting gig, I told em what it was on and we all went out and celebrated. They were, and continue to be, genuinely pleased that I'm doing well. None of em have any money, none of em have ever asked for any from me and none of em have ever expected me to pay more than them towards a meal/hotel/round etc. I do make sure I get at least every other round though. These mates are probably the happiest people I know.

Another bundch of mates and one in particular are ones I met after uni and they are a lot more hung up about money. The one guy spends faaar more than he earns and having the best holidays and gadgets is a big thing to him. So much so that his job has recently stopped paying OT bonuses which he previously used to get the gadgets etc, and now he's just running up a line of credit. He's been asking for ages now what I earn and I snapped the other night and told him. Didn't make him any happier and did make him ask If I'd pay off his cc bill.

[Drewster]

.......... He's been asking for ages now what I earn and I snapped the other night and told him. Didn't make him any happier and did make him ask If I'd pay off his cc bill.

presumably the answer ended "koff!!!"

[realityhack]

When asked directly (very rude) - I answer "enough"

WHS

Isn't it quite vulgar to talk about money like that? I even find myself playing down the cost of things (i.e. a camera when they ask how much that was, etc).

Once, one of my best mates and I were having a drink and we got onto the subject of salaries - he'd been slaving away at the same permie job for a decade and said he'd reached quite a high position within the company. When he told me he had gone over £30k my eyes widened. So I bluffed that I reacted that way because 'it was great', and blustered something about minimum wage, divis and the cost of running the business.

[contractor79]

a "mate" of mine since uni kept on emailing me asking me how much I earnt. He kept on lying that he was getting huge pay increases every 3 months in... accountancy. All lies.
so one day he demanded to know my rate, I told him. This was followed by months and months of rather nasty and personal emails and text messages sometimes in the middle of the night attacking me. Blocked all communicaitons with him now. Some people just can't handle this sort of thing, which is why I don't talk about earnings with people, it would seriously upset some.

[NickNick]

presumably the answer ended "koff!!!"

Yes indeed. However as I'm a passive aggressive sort [1] I just waited till the next time he popped outside for a smoke and left the pub.


[1] (and poor speller)

[EternalOptimist]

a "mate" of mine since uni kept on emailing me asking me how much I earnt. He kept on lying that he was getting huge pay increases every 3 months in... accountancy. All lies.
so one day he demanded to know my rate, I told him. This was followed by months and months of rather nasty and personal emails and text messages sometimes in the middle of the night attacking me. Blocked all communicaitons with him now. Some people just can't handle this sort of thing, which is why I don't talk about earnings with people, it would seriously upset some.

Some sad people equate money with success and happiness.

<cough>

must go and feel my wad in the bogs