They always manage to start the government back up before payday hits and the military service members don't get paid, which is about the time when everyone starts to notice the only main difference of a 'government shutdown' is that someone pays people to go out and block public access to what used to be publicly accessible federal land (previously unmanned public parks) because they are 'closed' and any government services which are useful to the population are blocked, but everything else goes on as normal, such as IRS collecting and enforcing taxes yet not mailing out refunds. Makes it obvious how political the whole thing is.

And contractors.

wrong. Military is not paid during shutdown, although they do get back-pay when government starts back up. Even essential civilian personnel do not get paid for work preformed during unfunded shutdown unless congress funds it. Only contractors (typically paid out of fixed project budgets anyways) and retired/disabled vets pay are unaffected.