Tired of people commenting on my salary

[holdensjane]

how do you react to people who always say "nurses make so much money". Or I always get this "you can afford that comeon thats like a day's salary" Seriously i don't know how to respond to these comments or remarks. People don't seem to realize that I too have bills to pay and can barely save alittle per month. I am a recent new grad and very young. I mean I am single so automatically i get 30% taken out. I take home 3,000 net a month. I pay a thousand towards rent (to live at home to help out my parents), one thousand in student loans (have 70K total). That only leaves me with a thousand. That has to include bills, insurance, and savings towards a downpayment towards a car because our family car is breaking down. Really I can honestly say I don't save at all per month unless you count the savings towards the car, which isn't even very much you can do the math i'm sure. People don't understand that i've had to work my way to where i am now and even now i earn every freakin cent i get, very little of which is actually spent on myself for leisure. How do you guys deal with this, I always feel like an ******* for saying things like "oh I'll have to say up for that" because i feel like people look at me and are like "what does she know about a tight budget". Advice on how to graciously offset these comments or situations?

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

I have been on the rude side myself..."Why is it your business...Who cares what you think... I don't have to live for you, but for myself...I deal with what I am comfortable with dealing with" are my usual adrupt responses to nosey people.

I don't know that I'd say your responses are any more rude than the initial questions or comments. Some people won't take a hint unless you apply it to the side of their head with a 2x4!

[wildmountainchild]

I have another perspective...I don't mind, and never have minded, talking about money. I guess this comes in opposition to my upbringing where money was NEVER discussed, to the detriment of my brother and I who didn't know the first thing about finance when we left home. Hence, despite many years of making decent money I squandered most of it, got in debt and had to dig myself out. Financial independence has been many years overdue in my family precisely becasue of the taboo against speaking about money--what you do with it, how much is enough, interest rates, budgeting, etc.

Sometimes I think that if discussion about finances was more open--heck, maybe even classes in budgeting and investment in high school (and living within your means)--that there would be more realistic expectations by everyone.

Just yesterday I calculated how much my yearly income is going to be from my hourly rate.....I was so excited I was telling absolute strangers. I couldn't help myself. Money to me means security, safety, not having to rely on others, and the ability to help those in need as well. I feel my income is a major stepping stone in my life...I feel as if I've finally "made it." I also don't get the comments that some of you get. Most of my friends are professionals themselves and make the same as, or a bit more than me...so to them $55/hr doesn't really seem like that much. Although I'm relatively sure that my brother is going to be asking me for money at some point.

[mdfog10]

I agree with the sarcastic replies and the idea to change the subject. My first reaction though, tends to be that fire, police and nurses lives are at risk everyday on the job. I have the ability to kill you due to neglect or mistakes. I should be rewarded for my education and responsibility.

Develop a thicker skin because most people that make stupid comments have no freakin' idea of what we do! Years ago I had a college aquaintance follow a nurse for half a shift. The first thing she said to me was "I did not know you had to know so much".

:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe

[grammyr]

I usually respond with "If you think the money is so great, go to school and become a nurse and you will find out just how great the money is"

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

When I think about my mother and father, both of whom are currently caught in the vortex of low-paying retail jobs, I feel immensely fortunate to have chosen this career pathway.

My dear mother recently resigned from a cashier job at a retail giant. Her pay was a whopping $8 hourly, and she was typically scheduled to work only 15 to 25 hours per week. Her medications cost over $1,000 per month, and she is quickly depleting her retirement savings to simply cover her essential bills.

As much as I can complain about my pay, there are many people out there who have a financial situation that is a million times worse. So, I choose to thank my lucky stars for now.

[Fiona59]

I asked a pt. how much he thought I made. He quite happily told me that the public KNEW nurses made $40/hour in our province. I then pointed out, "no, that's a Charge RN on top pay grade with shift a shift premium" then I asked him if he knew what level nurse I was? No, clue, even though I was wearing my ID. I then explained LPNs max out at $23/hour and we were working without a contract and would he like to contact my union negotiator to discuss the issue? I also pointed out would he like his wife or daughter to do my job with the patients I deal with.

He stopped talking and never did report me.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

i don't know that i'd say your responses are any more rude than the initial questions or comments. some people won't take a hint unless you apply it to the side of their head with a 2x4!

i love it! and you're right -- some folks don't take a hint unless you apply it to the side of their head with a 2 x 4!

[Jules A, MSN]

I wonder if it isn't largely because the OP is young and his/her "friends" are probably young also and haven't established themselves yet? My family and friends all make far more money than a nurse so thats not a problem, lol.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I don't know that I'd say your responses are any more rude than the initial questions or comments. Some people won't take a hint unless you apply it to the side of their head with a 2x4!

I have no personal issues using a well utilized bat:D, except being seperated from society for a few years...but what I have noticed is that the tone that I used has successfully shut them up thus far. People have a great deal of nerve, don't they??

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I asked a pt. how much he thought I made. He quite happily told me that the public KNEW nurses made $40/hour in our province. I then pointed out, "no, that's a Charge RN on top pay grade with shift a shift premium" then I asked him if he knew what level nurse I was? No, clue, even though I was wearing my ID. I then explained LPNs max out at $23/hour and we were working without a contract and would he like to contact my union negotiator to discuss the issue? I also pointed out would he like his wife or daughter to do my job with the patients I deal with.

He stopped talking and never did report me.

The average hourly pay for a unionized RN in my hospital is about that. After union dues, health insurance and other deductions, it only amounts to a couple of hundred dollars more than I bring home, now.

Nurses are not rich. I wish people would open their eyes!! Almost every nurse I know hustles with at least two or three extra side gigs to make ends meet.

[Goofball]

How about, "Hey, the more you make, the more they take! (as in taxes)"

Or sometimes I just say, "I never discuss my salary" and cut the subject off abruptly.

If they persist, I may say, "It's none of anyone else's business". Or if I am trying to be nicer about it, I say, "I make a decent salary, but it has been at great sacrifice to my family and myself to get to this point, and I put my personal health and safety at risk every time I work."

[Dental Hygienist]

Mostly the public has no idea that dental hygienists make good money, which is fine with me...but it seems like those that do know feel compelled to comment on it.

Yeah, it bugs me. It doesn't exactly make me mad or offend me but more like makes me want to roll my eyes at them and say: "If it's so great why don't YOU do it then? You have NO idea what I had to accomplish to get this license, what I have to put up with daily to keep my job; and quite frankly it isn't enough money for what I do"

I never feel like I have enough money...with a $1,600 mortgage (for an average to below average home) $450 a month in student loans, car payment, insurance, malpractice insurance, scrubs, CE, gas, groceries, utilities....I'll admit I do save a lot for retirement but after all that is said and done my bank account hovers around $300-500 all the time with no savings to speak of other than retirement.

But...I can sort of see where people are coming from when they've never made more than $12-$15 an hour...when I was in hygiene school I thought that I would be borderline wealthy when I was out....I thought that $70,000 a year was a king's ransom...I thought that my money worries would be over.

I mentioned to my boss that I needed to be able to count on my paycheck coming by a certain day every month and mentioned that I live paycheck to paycheck...he literally sighed and rolled his eyes like he didn't believe me. Whatever, it's true. It's a sad day when you have to choose to purposely overdraft your checking account to pay your mortgage because the overdraft charge is only $27 and the mortgage late fee is $63. That trick also works for credit card late fees...which are usually $35-$39. :wink2:

Fact is....life is just more complicated with more money...I think Biggy said it best "Mo money Mo problems" truth be told... life was never easier and I was never happier than when I made $9 an hour at Starbucks with benefits and tips....sure I lived paycheck to paycheck...but I still do.