Why do people make these types of comment? Is it purely to show off?

[dissertationhell]

I have a friend who will say things like:

'We just bought a new tv - guess how much it cost?' Then will go on to tell me a really expensive amount and wait for my reaction.

'We just renewed our life insurance so if anything happen to partner I will get £1 million' awaits my reaction.

'I made this amount this week' awaits my reaction.

'Guess how much is in my everyday account? Guess how much is in my savings' no idea, she tells me, awaits response.

'Do you like my bag/hair/jacket etc.?' As soon as I enter the door.

If I speak about doing anything, she has to do it too. For instance, I say I'm taking daughter to the cinema, well her son is going with his gran. I'm getting my nails done, so is she. I've gutted the house out, well she's been productive too.

It's actually getting really annoying to the point I am avoiding her more and more.

Would you find these comments odd/annoying/boastful or AIBU?

What’s an elevenrifer??? How do you even pronounce it? I was brought up that talking about money is the height of rudeness, how much you earn, what things are worth etc. I would just ignore and not bite back.

YANBU. I couldn't salvage a friendship from this though. It would suggest that we had very different values in life.

I always think it's insecurity. My reaction if she told me she had some expensive shoes or whatever would be "Oh wow! You must be soooo rich" said in a deeply sarcastic and bored voice.

@Trixiefirecracker

What’s an elevenrifer??? How do you even pronounce it? I was brought up that talking about money is the height of rudeness, how much you earn, what things are worth etc. I would just ignore and not bite back.

A one-upper. If you've been to Tenerife, they've been to...

Reminds me of the brother's girlfriend in Mum. My favourite character.

…but why eleven? We call it ‘two dogs!’ As in if you say you’ve got one dog they always up the anti to two!

That's so classless. Just embarrass her. "Do you know it's very bad manners to talk about how much things are?" I can't believe she's bumbled through life with no one telling her this.

Sounds like someone I work with who i shit you not once bragged about her ‘husband buying her an expensive washing line’

@Trixiefirecracker

…but why eleven? We call it ‘two dogs!’ As in if you say you’ve got one dog they always up the anti to two!

It's a joke on the "ten" in the word Tenerife.

At our wedding, my friends extremely obnoxious husband stood around telling our guests (who he’d never met before) how much he earns. It’s a decent amount but (a) what a cock and (b) I don’t think he realised that quite a few of our guests were making 4 or 5 times his salary.

Urghhhh, he’s SO obnoxious, thankfully we’ve not seen him since and hopefully never will again. Nasty little man

@Trixiefirecracker -yep, if you’ve been to Tenerife they’ve been to elevenerife

@SpringHasSprungYay

Wtf is an elevenerifer?

Your "friend" sounds nuts.
Why are you even considering spending time with them?

It’s someone who, if you told them you’d been to Tenerife, would respond ‘well I’ve been to Elevenerife!’ In a ridiculous display of oneupmanship.

Cross posted with approximately eleven other people

My Nan does this with illnesses bless her, I had an accident and became disabled many years back so every time she sees me she tells me how poorly she is and how her bad knee is playing up. I don't think she likes other people being ill so when I became permanently damaged it got her back a bit

My favourite ever stealth boast that I saw on Facebook came from a woman I used to work with. She posted something along the line of “Oh my goodness, kids can be so embarrassing! I was at a National Trust Barbados house with the boys today and George piped up with “why did you pay for us to come here mummy? It looks just like our house in Dorset”.

Everyone who knew her knew she was fabulously wealthy, I don’t know who she was always trying to show off to. It was a bit sad really (but also absolutely fascinating and I’m a nosy cow so I keep her as my friend on FB).

Ah the Catherine Tate annoying office worker type!!!

My ex used to call people like this Billy Two Shits as if you’d said you’d just had a shit they’d still try to outdo you.

“Guess how much this cost.”

“Knowing you, far too much.”

@TracyMosby...."sounds like motive" 🤣

Guess how much? .....Why?

I couldn’t be doing with that. What adult would ask questions like that? Your friend sounds very immature and insecure.

I’d signal my total lack of interest by confidently and excitedly giving daft answers:

“How much do you think I paid for my new TV?”
Three pigs and a small ferret!
“How much do you think I earn?”
Half a pound of tuppenny rice!

You either dump her as a friend or make it clear you’re not interested in her silly oneupmanship.

I don’t mind the paragraph about going to the cinema too, getting nails done, etc. they’re just everyday stuff, aren’t they?

Why would they be asking you to guess the price of their recent purchases? The only time I’d ask ( i would only ask my husband or sisters) is if I’d grabbed a brilliant bargain.

Maybe you need new friends. That sounds so boring. I'm genuinely happy if friend has something great happen to them and they aren't generally braggers. But I have one colleague who acts like hyacinth bucket. Everything is about her and what she has marvellously done. Doesn't then ask how you are doing. Makes me roll my eyes.

@lurker69

i always respond to these type of things with ' one millions dollars' (even though we are in the uk) they soon get the hint

I hope you say it in the style of Dr Evil from Austin Powers

Similar to “ if I’ve got a black cat, she’s got a blacker one”. I worked with someone like that, if someone said they’d been on holiday she’d been there and helped to build a school there for poor children with her bare hands sort of thing.
Very tiresome and I avoided having any conversations with her as they always went the same irritating way.