Tired of people commenting on my salary

Jules A, MSN · May 26, 2008

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.

Hi,

I had no idea dental hygienists made $70,000 a year but good for you! You deserve it I can't imagine having to be in someone's nasty mouth all day long, lol. It is a shame that you are having to live paycheck to paycheck though. I hope you find a way out of that soon because I'm sure it wears on you.

PMHNP10 · May 26, 2008

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?

if you don't like the person, you could say something like...

you see...I have to save up all of my money because unlike your job, my mistakes could cost someone their life, which could cost my license, which would mean I could never ever work as a nurse again, and I'd have to get a [crappy, lame, brainless, or whatever insult] job like yours.

If you like the person you could say the same thing except leave out the job comparison detail

Or you could say...I'm in too high of a tax bracket to respond to your questions, so let me cosult with my financial advisor and have him get with my personal assistant and they will call you by the end of the week with an answer...Is tha too over the top????

AnnemRN · May 27, 2008

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"

That's so funny- I say the very same thing. It makes me mad how inflated my wages become in someone else's head. I found out a few months ago that my daughter-in-law,her mother and my son were estimating that I make $80.00/hr - not even close in actuality I'm making about $5.00 more an hour than my DIL. Sad fact is, she has been a teacher for only about 2 years and I have been a nurse for 18 years.

Skeletor · May 27, 2008

Saying to someone "mind your own business" seems to work for me

It is simple and to the point, just like the question they asked you

Dental Hygienist · May 27, 2008

Hi,
I had no idea dental hygienists made $70,000 a year but good for you! You deserve it I can't imagine having to be in someone's nasty mouth all day long, lol. It is a shame that you are having to live paycheck to paycheck though. I hope you find a way out of that soon because I'm sure it wears on you.

Not quite $70K...I was about $500 shy last year...but the point is that it's still NOT a lot of money for an american adult trying to live an adult life in a big city with student loans, a mortgage, health insurance, saving for retirement, etc.... It sounds like a lot of money...even to me it sounds like a lot, but after you pay taxes and run a household it's just barely enough.

I honestly don't know how people in the city raise a family on less than $80K...I mean I'd like to start a family but I seriously don't know how I could afford it....I guess you just go into debt for a few years until they are out of daycare....then you go back into debt when it's time to send them to college...other than that I don't see how it's possible.

holdensjane · May 27, 2008

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.

I'm 22 and yes most of these comments come from people who are in grad school or people who are making less than I. I don't mind talking about my salary, I just get frustrated when people think that a comfortable salary means luxury. I have a friend that makes half of what I do and lives more "luxuriously". She makes $xxxx.xx a month but has no one to spend it on other than herself with only a few minor bills, thats still $xxxx.xx more than I'm saving due to my obligations despite the fact that i make more. My accountant who did my taxes said to me "If I didn't know you I'd say you make a alot and that you should put away for retirement, but I know if you did that you would have no money in your bank account" which is true and I appreciated her comment because alot of times I feel like I carry alot of weight financially and most people write it off as money just falls out of trees for me because i'm a nurse.

Jules A, MSN · May 27, 2008

I'm 22 and yes most of these comments come from people who are in grad school or people who are making less than I. I don't mind talking about my salary, I just get frustrated when people think that a comfortable salary means luxury. I have a friend that makes half of what I do and lives more "luxuriously". She makes $xxxx.xx a month but has no one to spend it on other than herself with only a few minor bills, thats still $xxxx.xx more than I'm saving due to my obligations despite the fact that i make more. My accountant who did my taxes said to me "If I didn't know you I'd say you make a alot and that you should put away for retirement, but I know if you did that you would have no money in your bank account" which is true and I appreciated her comment because alot of times I feel like I carry alot of weight financially and most people write it off as money just falls out of trees for me because i'm a nurse.

I am always amazed at the maturity and direction in you younger nurses! Kudos.

:yeah:

pattycakeRN · May 27, 2008

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.

Sometimes I miss my Starbucks days too! Get up early, drink some coffee, no chance anyone's gonna die, and if they do- it's not on me! I have to get on my fiances insurance because it's better than mine at the hospital. Isn't that a shame! And not only that, Starbucks has domestic partner benefits, which my hospital doesn't. They always say, "aren't you glad you're gone!" when I come in to visit at Starbucks... but I can't honestly say yes after a bad night at work! :heartbeat

Jules A, MSN · May 27, 2008

Not quite $70K...I was about $500 shy last year...but the point is that it's still NOT a lot of money for an american adult trying to live an adult life in a big city with student loans, a mortgage, health insurance, saving for retirement, etc.... It sounds like a lot of money...even to me it sounds like a lot, but after you pay taxes and run a household it's just barely enough.
I honestly don't know how people in the city raise a family on less than $80K...I mean I'd like to start a family but I seriously don't know how I could afford it....I guess you just go into debt for a few years until they are out of daycare....then you go back into debt when it's time to send them to college...other than that I don't see how it's possible.

Thanks for the clarification but $65,500 is close enough and well deserved, lol. :wink2:

I have lived in a moderately priced urban area since I was in my 20s making only between $30,000 and $40,000. As my income increased I did not increase my standard of living and I think that is the key. My houses aren't fancy but are paid in full, my cars get driven until they fall apart, I pack my lunches etc.

I know most people truly aren't interested in changing their standard of living but if anyone is there are a couple of good books that made a big difference in my life. Wake Up and Smell the Money by Ginger Applegarth is old but a really good book, imo. I also liked Suze Ormond's stuff from early on.

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · May 27, 2008

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.

I haven't had too many comments like this, but the couple I have experienced.....

I looked at them with an 'i dunno' :uhoh3: look and said, "I don't know how much nurses make, I do this for free."

They chuckled, I smiled and then bee-bopped away.

Never mentioned again.

Maybe not a fool proof response, but worked for me x2.

Sue Damonas, BSN · May 28, 2008

Being single, many people have assumed that I'm loaded with money. What they don't know is that I've helped out my parents and brothers a lot over the years plus paid my student loans(didn't have a car for several years cause I couldn't afford a car payment with doing all that) and now every spare penny I save to get work done on my house, mortgage, etc.