Abby Connolly
It’s always kind of odd and funny at the same time to grow up and watch your friends live different lifestyles and make different amounts of money.
One woman and her good friend argued after he said something about her finances that rubbed her the wrong way.
She’s 28 and is very close to her 29-year-old friend Nathan. They met while working at the same fancy finance firm during their first year after college graduation. The job included long hours, poor management, and was “soul-sucking.” They ended up bonding over how much they hated the job.
“A few years ago, I decided that I just couldn’t take the corporate grind anymore, and I quit my job to move into the nonprofit world,” she explained.
“While I now certainly make less than I would have at my old job, I’m exponentially happier, healthier, and absolutely love the work that I do.”
Meanwhile, Nathan kept climbing the corporate ladder and found happiness, too. Now, he makes around $300,000 a year, while she makes roughly $80,000 a year.
Their life stories leading up to their current careers are very interesting. Nathan grew up in a low-income household, and some of his relatives still struggle financially. On the other hand, she grew up comfortably in a secure, upper-middle-class family that is still financially stable.
She was recently offered her dream job at a nonprofit and is thrilled about the kind of work she’ll be doing. Unfortunately, her salary would be about $5,000 lower than her current one, but she thinks it’s all worth it.
Most people were thrilled when she told everyone in her life about her new job. Nathan, however, had a bit of an attitude. Without saying anything celebratory or congratulatory, Nathan simply said, “I’m glad you have the financial privilege to take a pay cut.”
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