To think my friend shouldn't be researching what I earn?

[conniedescending]

I work in the public sector where salaries are declared publicly. I've recently been promoted and during a group conversation my friend not only announced my salary to everyone but also made a 'jokey' comment about why I was moaning about all the school contribution requests when I was earning such an enormous amount of money. We've had a bit of an argument as I suggested she was a bit sad to go looking for how much I earn when I have never ever mentioned it to her. Now I'm being branded as 'tight'

In which case, having this information publicly available should help, no? I've done stints in local government and would have been happy to defend my salary to all comers.

Used to be public sector. In my first job my boss who was on probably 4x as much as me pointed out that my disposable income was way higher than his. Given he had 4 kids at private school, he was right. I drove a newish MX5 and he had a knackered old Peugeot 205.

Your "friend" is very rude.

On one hand, she could be a jealous cow. On the other hand, she could be sick of hearing you moan about having no money all the time.

Definition of disposable income: Disposable income is total personal income minus personal current taxes.

So your boss was talking crap.

I am pissed off the more I think about this. She didn't just declare my salary to the group she added in how much more I was earning now so declared my old salary too. Whilst salary levels are public knowledge should you wish to look it up I didn't expect her to be so blatant about it.

I am proud of being promoted and have worked hard in an extremely stressful job where people's safety depends on the decisions we make. I am very good at my job and make no apologies for this. I am now in a middle mgt role where the responsibility has grown and am earning more to reflect the additional demands. Certainly not the levels mentioned here!

I mentioned having 4 kids because this obv means a greater expenditure and my friend doesn't work at all so obviously our family income is going to be higher as we have 2 wage earners in our household. I made a throwaway comment about more money requests from school. We've just paid for swimming lessons, end of year trips and donations for this and that. Yesterday there was another letter about us having to buy tickets for the school show which has always been free before so I commented about the never ending expenditure.

My friend has always been a bit 'status' obsessed. We dint live in a great area and I've mentioned before about us saving to move but I started my eldest at the secondary in the area where we hope to move repay her than local where here daughter went and she's been a bit odd about this ever since.

I think it's about time all salaries were public knowledge. There's nothing worse than people earning £80k then moaning about money.

Surely that's a good argument for salaries being kept private. If you didn't know they were earning £80K/year, then when they moan about money, wouldn't bother you!

I didn't moan about having no money...I never moan about this. I moaned about yet another request for money as in 'when's it gonna stop!" Like most other people in our group including this person has.

I think that your friend is either someone like knowsaymuhfuh, who has a real bee in their bonnet about public sector workers or you do earn a decent wage and moan disproportionately about how much the four children you have cost you so you are, like Radiatorvalve's old boss someone that doesn't quite grasp that having a little money isn't the same as spending all of what you earn on private school fees

Though going by your latest posts I'd say it's the former.

My DW is a surgeon (NHS) and earns nearly £200k.

You're brave. I wouldn't post that, MNetters do not like other people's financial success. Next you'll be telling us that she has a car worth over £9K, another hanging offence on here!

I don't have a problem with a surgeon in the NHS making £200k. It's a highly skilled job that required a lot of training and is a high pressure job. If her £9k car reliably gets her to the hospital to do that surgery that can save lives, then again I don't have a problem with that. Not sure why anyone would.

I'd rather see good salaries going to medical professionals (and I certainly wish nurses and other medical professionals were paid more!!) than to footballers and such. Yes, I know that's apples and oranges, but there it is.

Some people are just nosy bastards.

I have a friend who often talks about how much various people earn and keeps trying to get my salary out of me. She never asks "how much do you earn?", but asks in a more sideways way: "so are you earning much more that your last job?". I keep it vague and never tell her figures.

I know how much she earns, how much her partner earns (who I've met once), how much her dad used to earn, how much her partner's flat cost, and various other acquaintances' salaries.

I find it awkward tbh. We don't work in the same sector so nothing is gained by her knowing my salary.

Don't worry, other people there will have found her very rude!