Jodie Sweetin says being a familiar face on "Full House" didn't spare her from struggling to pay her bills.
The actress reflected on working at a treatment center while raising her two children during the Nov. 4 episode of the "We're Still Here, Babe" podcast. Sweetin, who played Stephanie Tanner on the beloved sitcom, told host Natanya Ross she found fulfillment as the director of operations at a treatment center even while money was tight.
"I was making like $2,200 a month, and my parents were paying half my rent. And I was just trying to get by," she said.
Sweetin recalled sharing a small apartment with her children, who slept in a half-bedroom off the living room. After her car
was totaled in an accident, she said she couldn't afford to buy another and accepted an older hand-me-down vehicle from her then-partner's family.
"And not like I was ever like a materialistic person," Sweetin said. "But you learn humility when you are at Target, and you got to turn around and put some [things] back because you don't have the money on your debit card."
"I didn't have ego about it," she said of working outside entertainment. "I didn't care that I was quote unquote working a normal job."
Her priority was covering her family's expenses: "Kids don't pay for themselves."
The job also helped Sweetin discover skills in logistics and scheduling, she said. Learning to appreciate that life, rather than dwelling on what she thought her career should look like, ultimately helped her enjoy returning to acting, she added.
"I learned to be really happy. And I loved my life," she said.
Sweetin later reprised her role in Netflix's "Fuller House," which ran from 2016 to 2020. But the financial transition wasn't immediate: She told Ross she borrowed money during her first week working on the revival and had about $190 in her bank account before her first paycheck arrived.
Her work has since included comedy performances. In a September interview with USA TODAY, Sweetin credited former costars Bob Sagetand Dave Coulierwith helping shape her sense of humor.
"Bob and Dave, their brains were always going, and there was always a joke. There was always a sarcastic comment, and that is exactly how my brain works. So even as a kid, I was watching because I was like, 'Oh, I like this. You guys are always laughing, and it's funny,'" Sweetin said.
Jodie Sweetin previously revealed a 1-cent 'Full House' residual check
Sweetin has also discussed the limits of the income she receives from her best-known role.
During an April appearance on "The McBride Rewind," she revealed she had received a "Full House" residual check for 1 cent. She said those payments had been unpredictable even earlier in her career.
Residuals compensate performers for uses of their work beyond those covered by their original pay, including certain reruns, according to SAG-AFTRA.
Other former child stars have recently shared their experiences. Dylan Sprouse said his only "Suite Life" residual check was for 5 cents, from a crossover with "Hannah Montana."
David Henrie described occasional small payments from his Disney work, contrasting them with more substantial residuals from "How I Met Your Mother." Drake Bell said he receives no residuals from "Drake & Josh."
For Sweetin, experiencing life with and without money changed her perspective.
"I have had and I have definitely not had," she told Ross. "And I've learned to exist in both."
Contributing: Kalia Richardson and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Full House' star Jodie Sweetin says parents helped pay rent amid money woes
