---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were a zillion bad jobs. That…"
description: "\"There were a zillion bad jobs. That doesn't exist any more. I mean, I could wake up one afternoon with zero money and know that by the end of the day, ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/fran-lebowitz-690_afternoon_there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn_683216.png"
---

#  There were a zillion bad jobs. That doesn't exist any…

![“There were a zillion bad jobs. That doesn't exist any more. I mean, I could wake up one afternoon with zero money and know that by the end of the day, I would have money.” quote by Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/fran-lebowitz-690_afternoon_there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn_683216.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/fran-lebowitz-690_afternoon_there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn_683216.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/fran-lebowitz-690_afternoon_there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn_683216.png)

> “There were a zillion bad jobs. That doesn't exist any more. I mean, I could wake up one afternoon with zero money and know that by the end of the day, I would have money.”

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Economic opportunities have shifted; low‑pay jobs are scarce, yet personal initiative can generate income quickly.

**In simple terms:** Jobs changed, but hustle still works.

Key Takeaway

Leverage skills and networks for rapid earnings.

Themes

economics self‑reliance adaptation

Mood

reflective optimistic

Type

advice commentary

When to use this quote

- freelancing
- gig work
- emergency budgeting
- career pivots

Key Concepts

market dynamics entrepreneurship

Questions to Reflect On

- What skills can you develop to create quick income streams?
- How do societal safety nets affect this mindset?

A Different Perspective

Not all contexts allow immediate income generation; systemic barriers exist.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Afternoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon/) [Bad jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-jobs/) [Day Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-money-764243/) [End of the day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-day/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [The end of the day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-end-of-the-day/) [Wake up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake-up/) [Zero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zero/) [Zero Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zero-money-2994823/) [Zillion Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zillion-bad-5402271/)

## Related quotes

> [At the end of the day, it's all about money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/at-the-end-of-the-day-it-s-all-about-money/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [Election' made zero money at the box office, but it started my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-klein/election-made-zero-money-at-the-box-office-but-it-started-my-career/)

[Chris Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-klein/)

> [While NASA talks about 'Are we alone?' as a number one question, they are putting zero money into searching for intelligent life. There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-drake/while-nasa-talks-about-are-we-alone-as-a-number-one-question-they-are/)

[Frank Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-drake/)

> [It is not true that there is dignity in all work. Some jobs are definitely better than others… People who have good jobs are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/it-is-not-true-that-there-is-dignity-in-all-work-some-jobs-are/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [It's funny because I grew up with the T.V. on 24 hours a day. And the more money I made, the more T.V.s we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/it-s-funny-because-i-grew-up-with-the-t-v-on-24-hours-a-day-and-the/)

[Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/)

> [The most important thing to understand about your pension is it only really counts on the day you put money in and the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-lewis/the-most-important-thing-to-understand-about-your-pension-is-it-only/)

[Martin Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-lewis/)

> [“You will realize one day that all the money in the world cannot buy you happiness. Nor can it make you a person of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/you-will-realize-one-day-that-all-the-money-in-the-world-cannot-buy/)

[Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/)

> [I think men and women will both agree that one of the perks of being single on Valentine's Day is that you get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sevyn-streeter/i-think-men-and-women-will-both-agree-that-one-of-the-perks-of-being/)

[Sevyn Streeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sevyn-streeter/)

> [Someone who works only for the money will give you trouble one day because of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jin-sun-mi/someone-who-works-only-for-the-money-will-give-you-trouble-one-day/)

[Jin Sun Mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jin-sun-mi/)

> [At the end of the day, the less money you have, the easier it is to make a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/at-the-end-of-the-day-the-less-money-you-have-the-easier-it-is-to/)

[Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/)

> [“Between taxes and liability insurance and this and that, we ain’t in it for the money, man … we’re out there for one guitar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-earl-hardy/between-taxes-and-liability-insurance-and-this-and-that-we-ain-t-in/)

[Robert Earl Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-earl-hardy/)

> [Once you're a saver, you're always a saver. At the end of the day, it's more money in your pocket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-gosselin/once-you-re-a-saver-you-re-always-a-saver-at-the-end-of-the-day-it-s/)

[Kate Gosselin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-gosselin/)

> [I never have to this day, because my money is the money I earn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-hefner/i-never-have-to-this-day-because-my-money-is-the-money-i-earn/)

[Christie Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-hefner/)

> [If a woman waits 10 years to invest, "I'm busy", "I've got to do this", "I can put it off", "I gotta find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sallie-krawcheck/if-a-woman-waits-10-years-to-invest-i-m-busy-i-ve-got-to-do-this-i/)

[Sallie Krawcheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallie-krawcheck/)

> [“If you're picturing Farmer Juan and his family gratefully wiping sweat from their brows when you buy that Ecuadorian banana, picture this instead: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-l-hopp/if-you-re-picturing-farmer-juan-and-his-family-gratefully-wiping/)

[Steven L. Hopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-l-hopp/)

## More by Fran Lebowitz

> [Why not have your first baby at sixty, when your husband is already dead and your career is over? Then you can really devote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/why-not-have-your-first-baby-at-sixty-when-your-husband-is-already/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [I've never had the experience of being edited and never will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-ve-never-had-the-experience-of-being-edited-and-never-will/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [I think humor is warmer, and wit is colder. Wit is judgment, whereas humor invites some sort of response.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-think-humor-is-warmer-and-wit-is-colder-wit-is-judgment-whereas/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [Communists all seem to wear small caps, a look I consider better suited to tubes of toothpaste than to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/communists-all-seem-to-wear-small-caps-a-look-i-consider-better/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [“lack, or loutish and crass kollective is a program dedicated to the proposition that vulgarity and bad taste are an inalienable right. the lackies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/lack-or-loutish-and-crass-kollective-is-a-program-dedicated-to-the/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [I figure you have the same chance of winning the lottery whether you play or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-figure-you-have-the-same-chance-of-winning-the-lottery-whether-you/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [ \[Friendships\] are easy to get out of compared to love affairs, but they are not easy to get out of compared to, say, jail. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/friendships-are-easy-to-get-out-of-compared-to-love-affairs-but-they/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [Smoking is, as far as I'm concerned, the entire point of being an adult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/smoking-is-as-far-as-i-m-concerned-the-entire-point-of-being-an-adult/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [If you want to get ahead in this world get a lawyer -- not a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/if-you-want-to-get-ahead-in-this-world-get-a-lawyer-not-a-book/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [When it comes to sports I am not particularly interested. Generally speaking, I look upon them as dangerous and tiring activities performed by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/when-it-comes-to-sports-i-am-not-particularly-interested-generally/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [The first time I ever saw platform shoes in the '70s, I knew they'd been revived from the '40s, and I felt sickened. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/the-first-time-i-ever-saw-platform-shoes-in-the-70s-i-knew-they-d/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [Children ask better questions than adults. "May I have a cookie?" "Why is the sky blue?" and "What does a cow say?" are far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/children-ask-better-questions-than-adults-may-i-have-a-cookie-why-is/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [ I do not think everyone is created equal. In fact, I know they're not. \[The Constitution\] means that everyone should have the same laws… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-do-not-think-everyone-is-created-equal-in-fact-i-know-they-re-not/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [When I fly, I'm never afraid the plane is going to crash. But there have often been times when I was afraid it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/when-i-fly-i-m-never-afraid-the-plane-is-going-to-crash-but-there/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [Smoking is, if not my life, then at least my hobby. I love to smoke. Smoking is fun. Smoking is cool. Smoking is, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/smoking-is-if-not-my-life-then-at-least-my-hobby-i-love-to-smoke/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

[Explore all 408 Fran Lebowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

## More Afternoon quotes

> [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [My dental hygienist is cute. Every time I visit, I eat a whole package of Oreo cookies while waiting in the lobby. Sometimes she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/my-dental-hygienist-is-cute-every-time-i-visit-i-eat-a-whole-package/)

[Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/)

> [Honestly, I'm living my fantasy. It's being with my family, preferably on a snowy afternoon with a fire going, cuddled up in blankets, playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-vieira/honestly-i-m-living-my-fantasy-it-s-being-with-my-family-preferably/)

[Meredith Vieira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-vieira/)

> [It was a very intense and stressful situation. There was playing in the Johnny-pump (an opened fire hydrant) and the ice-cream man coming around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/it-was-a-very-intense-and-stressful-situation-there-was-playing-in/)

[Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/)

> [Sunday afternoon is for papers and writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-haslam/sunday-afternoon-is-for-papers-and-writing/)

[Nicholas Haslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-haslam/)

> [I think that if most guys in America could somehow get their fave-rave poster girl in bed and have total license to do whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/i-think-that-if-most-guys-in-america-could-somehow-get-their-fave/)

[Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/)

> [“If you come at four in the afternoon, I'll begin to be happy by three.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-come-at-four-in-the-afternoon-i-ll-begin-to-be-happy-by-three/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [At five in the afternoon. It was exactly five in the afternoon. A boy brought the white sheet at five in the afternoon. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-five-in-the-afternoon-it-was-exactly-five-in-the-afternoon-a-boy/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The shadows in the early morning don't tell much. The shadows rest at that time. So it's useless to gaze very early in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-shadows-in-the-early-morning-don-t-tell-much-the-shadows-rest-at/)

[Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/)

> [“I discovered windows one afternoon and after that, nothing was ever the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-spollen/i-discovered-windows-one-afternoon-and-after-that-nothing-was-ever/)

[Anne Spollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-spollen/)

> [Look, science is hard, it has a reputation of being hard, and the facts are, it is hard, and that's the result of 400…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/look-science-is-hard-it-has-a-reputation-of-being-hard-and-the-facts/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

> [What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon? And the day after that, and the next thirty years?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-ll-we-do-with-ourselves-this-afternoon-and-the-day-after-that/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [Imagine you are walking down a leafy path…The sun is receding, and you are walking alone, caressed by the breezy light of the late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/imagine-you-are-walking-down-a-leafy-path-the-sun-is-receding-and-you/)

[Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/)

> [A good umpire is the umpire you don't even notice. He's there all afternoon but when the game is over, you don't even remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-johnson/a-good-umpire-is-the-umpire-you-don-t-even-notice-he-s-there-all/)

[Ban Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-johnson/)

> [Sometimes in the afternoon sky the moon would pass white as a cloud, furtive, lusterless, like an actress who does not have to perform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/sometimes-in-the-afternoon-sky-the-moon-would-pass-white-as-a-cloud/)

[Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/)

[Browse all 1,085 Afternoon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There were a zillion bad jobs. That doesn't exist any more. I mean, I could wake up one afternoon with zero money and know that by the end of the day, I would have money.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Fran Lebowitz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn-t-exist-any-more-i-mean-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Afternoon"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn-t-exist-any-more-i-mean-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/fran-lebowitz-690_afternoon_there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn_683216.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/fran-lebowitz-690_afternoon_there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn_683216.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/fran-lebowitz-690_afternoon_there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn_683216.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There were a zillion bad jobs. That doesn't exist any more. I mean, I could wake up one afternoon with zero…” — Fran Lebowitz",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Fran Lebowitz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There were a zillion bad jobs....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn-t-exist-any-more-i-mean-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/there-were-a-zillion-bad-jobs-that-doesn-t-exist-any-more-i-mean-i/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
