This was about 8 years ago now, I was younger and naive and would have reacted much differently if it had happened today.
I was due an annual pay review at my previous job and I had convinced myself I deserved one. My ask? £2 more an hour. I was one if the not most productive members of staff with the most technical knowledge so I felt it was deserved.
During the meeting, my boss mentioned that getting paid more an hour wouldn't mean I'd have more money each month. I was thinking this was due to changing tax bracket or something. Again, I was naive.
I asked why that would be, and she said that if I had more money, I would spend more money and I wouldn't necessarily have more money at the end of the month, because I would find more things to spend money on.
I genuinely did not know how to react to this and doubled down on the pay rise being deserved and fair. I got the pay rise, but had to agree to lots of targets and agree to work even harder to achieve these. I agreed, and got my pay rise. Again, I would have reacted differently having this conversation today.
Not long after this, my ex-boss diagnosed me with Asbergers syndrome because she “had a family member that had it”. This was in a meeting with HR who was actually one of my bosses friends outside of work.
That place was toxic and I'm so glad I've moved on. If this post gets traction I'd love to share more posts about my crazy ex boss, such as when she told my Sikh colleague we can all use his turban to escape out of windows in the event of a fire or when she threw all of the staff members drinking mugs away as they didn't pass health and safety requirements.
TLDR – ex boss told me I shouldn't get a pay rise. More money means I spend more money and so wouldn't actually have more money at the end of the month and in fact have the same.