Ask HN: No work at job, not paid enough to quit, can't start a side business

I’m stuck in a frustrating situation and would appreciate advices or shared experiences.

I’m a full-time employee (permanent contract), but I’ve had almost nothing to do at work for weeks—sometimes months. I spend most of my days waiting for my manager giving me work, and it’s becoming demoralizing.

The problem is, I’m not paid enough to comfortably quit and bootstrap a startup. I have ideas and energy, but not the financial runway to go solo.

To make matters worse, my contract explicitly prohibits me from having any kind of second job or running a business on the side—even on my own time.

So I’m stuck: bored at work, unable to grow something on the side, and not in a position to quit.

Has anyone here faced something similar? How did you navigate it? Are there any creative, ethical (or gray area) paths forward?

Thanks for any insights.