Phoebe has one of the lowest incomes among the friends, but her attitude to money and her outlook on life are fascinating. She works as a massage therapist and sings at the Central Perk café. Phoebe never sees money as the key to happiness, and money doesn't rank very high among the things she needs in life. Once, a bank system error put money into her account, but instead of spending it, she reported it to the bank.
What we can learn from Phoebe:
Managing money well doesn't have to mean earning a lot
As a teenager Phoebe had a hard life and even lived on the street, and it made her tough. For most of her career Phoebe was "self-employed", and although her income was never high, she paid all her bills on time and handled everything pretty well.
She knows the value of money well but never made it the key to her life.
In the episode "The One That Could Have Been", Phoebe is a successful investment firm employee who lives almost entirely for money and work. Unfortunately, right after losing a large sum of money she has a heart attack. Because of the big loss, Phoebe gets fired and has another heart attack. In the end, this alternate-universe Phoebe chooses a happy, peaceful life.
There are actually plenty of ways to earn extra income
Phoebe takes every chance to earn extra money. When her brother needs money, she decides to sell knives. When her roommate Denise goes on vacation, she invites Rachel to live with her, and they split the rent. When Monica is out of work, Phoebe starts a business with her. She also takes a telemarketing job and even plays a supporting role on Joey's show.
Money may not matter that much for a happy life.
