AIBU to feel embarrassed after colleague’s comment about payday?

[Malteaser197]

My colleague said ‘’oh my wage slip has come through’’ I said ‘’oh yeah, payday has come round quick I think, thankfully’’ (pay day tomorrow). She said ‘’oh, I never think like that. I don’t even think about it, just stick my wages into an account, save it, spend it if I need too’’ felt embarrassed by this. As I live pay check to pay check, and obviously she was stating that she doesn’t and being paid makes no difference to her.

It's March. February's a short month so it has come round more quickly.
You are overthinking.

28% of UK workers have completely run out of money before pay day. 61% have less than £100 left by payday. 52% have had to use savings to get them through to payday.

You are presuming that she is telling the truth.

Good Ne Scottish username.👍

I live like your colleague and would never think to bring it up. She was extremely rude and thoughtless, but I tend to take the Hanlon's Razor approach and assume stupidity rather than malice. Shame her extra cash can't buy her manners.

There's no need to be embarrassed. Plenty of people are in your situation, plenty are in your colleagues situation. Those living pay cheque to pay cheque aren't less than.

@Malteaser197
You had no need to be embarrassed, but neither has she.
In England the only acceptable way to talk about money is to say you don’t have enough, because it is seen as rude to imply that you have no money worries in front of someone who may be worried about money.
This however does not realistically reflect reality.
There are families who organise their finances differently from what is the considered norm, and therefore yes, they don’t need to think about pay day in the slightest.

Not sure if you are directing that at me. Having lots of money doesn’t make someone a wanker

She's a bit of a thoughtless twat.

For the record, I have a good salary and work in a law firm where lots of us are paid well. Everyone is happy when payday comes!!!

Nothing to be embarrassed about.

Your colleague’s outlook is really weird- I don’t know anyone who doesn’t rely on their wages to actually live.

It does sound very insensitive but I can be similar some months.

All of my payments go out by direct debit and I know I've worked the month so I'll be paid so it's sort of doesn't need a second thought as all my bills are done if that makes sense. I only have to think about it if I need to purchase something but I'm trying to be good this year and really watch what I buy.

Obviously the comment she made was very strange as you'd still know when payday is.

She didn’t say someone is a wanker just because they have loads of money. She said they’re a wanker if they boast about having loads of money. There’s a difference.

Who was boasting about it? The OPs colleague wasn’t boasting, she was just stating her situation

Then she doesn’t have to worry about being called a wanker then, does she?

I wonder if you now work with my ex.colleague 😆 She said the same to me , something along the lines of 'I never spend my wages , my husband pays for everything so I just use mine for buying myself things. Most of it gets saved away'I was about to get married and buy a house and was so jealous. She was in her 40s, I was 30. I did remember wondering if she was just saying it to be spiteful though.

I don't think your colleague meant any harm but it is a bit tactless. "Thank God it's payday" is something everyone says, it's just chat, even if you were a CEO you'd still be expected to say something along those lines if it came up in conversation. Colleague is just a bit oblivious.

I don’t know, ask the person who actually wrote the post 🤷🏻‍♀️. I was just clarifying that the poster didn’t say anyone who has loads of money is a wanker, she was saying that someone who boasts about having money is a wanker!

What does living payday to payday actually mean? Surely everyone with a job lives payday to pay? I don't get it

Think it generally implies lack of savings / emergency fund etc, not having a buffer to get you by.

It was crass of her whether intentional or not. I have a friend like that at work and her wages made little difference to their family income and they were never short. She learned in time that many of us rely on it and consider it a good salary, and doesn’t make insensitive comments now.

I agree most people count down to pay day, even if they’re not skint or bad with money - it’s still a thrill / relief to be paid!

Op if she doesn’t need the money maybe she has a partner paying her bills & home etc. at the end of the day most people only go to work for the wages so no embarrassment it’s just her showing off bragging whatever ignore her just be glad you have a wage and you work for it. Next time just say oh lucky you.

I have plenty of savings but they aren’t sitting in my current account, they’re in ISAs and investments, so I still need payday to come around to pay my mortgage and bills!

You are obviously in a privileged position too if you don't know the meaning 😉 😆 basically it means you are down to a few quid every week/fortnight/month until your pay comes through.

Sure, but that's not what living 'paycheck to paycheck' means. It's similar to the phrase living 'hand to mouth', covering your expenses and having little to fall back on.