It did for me. Both my wife and I worked casual additional jobs and made more money for the same timeframe than I got on first year pay. First year I dropped almost everything green because It was far far better both financially and personally to not work at first year pay rate.

Opportunity cost of my most limited resource, my time.

Different story at second year and it will be completely different if the TA passes, but 2010 contract first year pay rates were not enough to get me off the couch (speaking figuratively). We made more money consignment selling random stuff around the house.