'My dad used to pay my sister and I $1 an hour to be quiet': 30+ Silly ways people made some quick cash

Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor

Feb 1, 2024 11:00 AM EST

According to these people, you don't always have to work hard for your money. On a rare occasion, the money will come right to you.

Every now and then, you might stumble across a job that seems just too good to be true. It's good to have a healthy dose of skepticism for things of that nature, but sometimes it really is the real deal.

For some jobs, having an employee on standby is the only thing that's required. There's one industry where this is endemic: film and TV. For actors and crew alike, there's a "hurry up and wait" type of system in place. A few people with experience in the film industry told their stories below, and they sound like so much fun! It seems like a lot of the time, directors will plan to film maybe two or three scenes in a day. But they don't know how long each scene will take, and there are often issues with lighting, sound, actors, or needing a dozen takes from different angles, as well as other factors that can cause the shoot time to run long. So if you're an actor who isn't needed until that third scene, you might show up to set for 12 hours and never need to act at all. It's just important that you're there, hair and makeup done, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.

Other people got paid for less professional reasons, like parents who need technical help. It's always sweet when parents try to pay you for no reason!

Check out these great stories below. Then, read about one coworker who got so fed up with their supervisor's poor trip planning that they decided to sabotage all future travel plans.