The colleagues of cleaner Linda Morrison can now afford to put tyres on the car or take their kids to the movies.
But what is far more important than cash in the pocket is they finally feel respected.
Ms Morrison, 63, is one of around 150 cleaners at Canberra Hospital rewarded with a bonus after having their pay frozen for almost five years.
"The cleaners haven't had a pay rise since June 2012," the union delegate said.
"There's been a lot of pressure on the workers as the cost of living rises.
"But to be given this bonus is like winning the lottery. It's like we have been respected."
Ms Morrison has worked at the hospital for close to eight years and was one of the union delegates who negotiated the bonus with ACT Health.
They have agreed to pay the cleaners, currently earning around $21 an hour, a 5.5 per cent bonus based on their yearly income between 2013 and 2016.
The national minimum wage is currently pegged at $17.70 an hour.
Many of the staff would use the bonus to pay for living essentials or small treats for their children, Ms Morrison said.
"We've been struggling with a low income for a long time
"We've had people making comments like, 'Now I can finally pay my car's registration'," she said.
"Or people talking about how they can finally take their children to the movies."
It was easy to forget just how important cleaners were in the running of a hospital, she said.
"Cleaning is hard work. But it needs to be done. And we are dealing with a lot of nasty things," she said.
"We are not just cleaners. We are cleaning a hospital."
Cleaning staff at the hospital now have their eyes on negotiating a permanent pay rise through collective bargaining with ACT Health, Ms Morrison said.
She added that the bonus would never have come about if not for the help of the ACT's United Voice union.
United Voice's ACT branch secretary Lyndal Ryan said staff should feel proud of their bargaining efforts.
"We are really happy the cleaners have managed to get a bit of a bonus and some respect as well," she said.
"They are obviously grateful as well. And they achieved it for themselves."
ACT Health have been approached for comment.