It’s definitely a surprise to hear how insanely little much money the cast of Jersey Shore made during their first season.
In a candid interview with InStyle, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi revealed she and the rest of the cast would get paid $200 in gift cards. “We would get $200 a week from the Shore Store,” she said. “I had never gotten that much in a week, like, every single week, because you usually get paid every two weeks. That was crazy for me.”
Since then, Polizzi has come a long way in terms of money—she’s also gotten better about managing it.
“My main goal is to always try and save, and I invest in properties,” she told InStyle. “Me and my husband have a lot of shore houses that we buy, make amazing, and rent out. We’re trying to build on that to have a lot of income.”
Snooki even stated that she only owns two credit cards, her main being United, to collect miles, and her Etsy credit card. She also said she does her own taxes, along with husband Jionni LaValle. While the cash appears to be rolling in, it doesn’t mean she’ll ever stop working.
“I have a retirement account. As far as when I’m going to stop working, I never want to stop, because I love what I do,” the reality star shared. “I love reality. I love having my own brand and my own business. I like keeping busy. If I’m not doing anything, I feel like I’m wasting my time. I definitely don’t want to stop, ever. I’ll work until I stop breathing.”
Though she’s now married with two kids, the party will seemingly continue: MTV recently brought back the OG cast members for Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, which airs Thursdays at 8/7c.