The green eyed monster

[louie]

Those who have it never talk about money

Yeah, no one who has every had money in the history of money has ever talked about.

[ChimpMaster]

So let me get this straight, you go to a new place of work, which may only last three to six months and in conversation you tell them your hourly rate, throw in a mention of your BTL properties, discuss your own residence including how small or big it may be and then you wonder why they are being a tad green eyed?

The only topics left to mention are the low annual ISA allowance, the low level of interest on one year fixed rate bonds, oh, forgot to mention the pitiful £85k FSA protection per financial institution and finally how one has the unenvious task of juggling a war chest between numerous institutions to keep it safe.

On a serious note, I think it's best for contractors to stay off these topics if we do not want to become hate figures for the financially prolifigate. IBs are full of folks who thought they had a right to earn the sums of the last decade because they were some how 'gifted', failing to realise that we all enjoyed the lifestyle thanks to the Brown bubble and it perhaps had very little to do with our ability.

No not at work - sheeesh do you think I've only been contracting 6 months or something?

I'm talking about some of my 'friends' who were fine until they realised that as a contractor I could be making more than they were. And even though some of them are in senior positions they're clearly not educated on taxation because they don't even realise we pay corporation tax, VAT etc etc. The thing is, they tell me what they earn, for example £110k, and fleetingly another day I mention my rate - and from that they deduce that I'm a millionaire - I mean really, what's up with that?

The point which seemed to go by completely missed was that I only have a very short while left in this game. Perhaps just a year at most, so it's not like I can earn £100k+ forever like they can and be on a career path to even more riches.

Even then, yes the mistake was mine: I should not have told them my rate. Good thing I didn't tell them it's actually 20% higher than that due to overtime and on-call work!

[SupremeSpod]

I hate it when people have a dig at me for 'being loaded' (even though I'm not particularly 'loaded').

"Oh he'll be OK he's got 5 houses" (what?!)
"And he earns £xxx per day"
"Why don't you just get that Porsche"
"It's alright for him, he's got a big house" (F**ks sake it's only a house and it isn't that big)

etc etc

F**king bedwetters: these are people who as permies earn > £100k a year (one of them £250k), but largely they just don't have a clue on how to manage their money. And then one of them tells me that someone offerred him to contract at £1,000 a day (believable, he's a senior manager) and yet he won't do it. I guess they might as well keep wetting their beds.

Largely they have half of their income removed by the tax man.

Just thought I'd fix that for you.

Also, I bet they say worse behind your back, stuff like "Why the **** does he keep rattling on about how many houses he owns and how much money he earns, what a w*nker."

[sasguru]

Just ask Sas.

I don't have that much cash.

HTH, BIDI

[Scrag Meister]

Pay VAT?

How is that a problem on flat rate? as you don't pay out as much as you take in.

[insur]

So let me get this straight, you go to a new place of work, which may only last three to six months and in conversation you tell them your hourly rate, throw in a mention of your BTL properties, discuss your own residence including how small or big it may be and then you wonder why they are being a tad green eyed?

The only topics left to mention are the low annual ISA allowance, the low level of interest on one year fixed rate bonds, oh, forgot to mention the pitiful £85k FSA protection per financial institution and finally how one has the unenvious task of juggling a war chest between numerous institutions to keep it safe.

On a serious note, I think it's best for contractors to stay off these topics if we do not want to become hate figures for the financially prolifigate. IBs are full of folks who thought they had a right to earn the sums of the last decade because they were some how 'gifted', failing to realise that we all enjoyed the lifestyle thanks to the Brown bubble and it perhaps had very little to do with our ability.

Envy, jealousy, the green eyed monster call it what you like, but it can even rear its ugly head amongst friends one has had from childhood.

Grew up with a a couple of guys from a very similar humble background. We all had similar life opportunities and in fairness made the best of it. We were lucky enough to be of the right age to make the most of the Brown credit boom. However, some of them just went on some kind of spending craze as though the good times would never end.

I always appreciated that I was in this position due to the generosity of others and human nature is not forever generous.