30 Ways to Make Money While You Sleep in 2024

What are the highest paying passive income streams?

Have you ever wanted to earn money with little work? Here are 30 of the best ways to make money and ways to make passive income without much work on your part.

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The best ideas for passive income

You can make money in two main ways: The first is the old-fashioned way, which is to get up early and go to work. But the second way, using the best passive income streams, is much more fun because you can make money while you sleep, read a book, kayak on a lake, or do anything else.

Once you’ve set up the best passive income ideas, you don’t have to do much to keep them going. Most of these require some money to get started, so your first step will be to save up and create a budget. Then prepare for your money to begin making money!

It’s harder and gives you fewer options to figure out how to make passive income without any money. But you can still make passive income and increase your cash flow in a number of ways.

Top 30 best sources of passive income

Let’s jump right into 30 of the best ways to make money while you sleep! (Don’t forget to look at our list of great books on passive income!)

1. Invest

One of the most common ways to make money while you sleep is to invest. Even though it goes up and down in the short term, the stock market has always given steady returns over the long term.

Dividend stocks

Stocks can be used in a few ways to make money. You could buy high-dividend stocks that would give you regular cash payments based on how much the company made. Or, you could hold on to regular stocks with low dividends and let their value grow until you’re ready to sell them for a profit.

REITs

Investing in stocks is one way to avoid having to work to make money because your money will grow and your portfolio will grow.

You can also buy shares of real estate investment trusts (REITs) and get a cut of the money they make from their real estate projects.

You can start investing with as little as $100 either way.

Annuities

With an annuity, you can make money without having to do anything. An insurance company is where you can buy an annuity. It’s a way to get money in the future in exchange for money you pay for now.

Annuities are not the easiest way to make money while you sleep, so you should learn more about them. Visit this page from annuity.org to learn more about annuities.

There are other ways to invest.

You can also keep putting money into mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and index funds so that you can make a lot of money in the future. Robo-advisors or an investment advisor can help you get started with any of these.

2. Use crowdfunding to buy real estate

As we’ve already said, REITs are an easy way to get a share of the income from real estate, but you can’t choose which properties to invest in. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, the next step is to put money into crowdfunded real estate.

With programs like Fundrise and RealtyMogul, you can invest in real estate projects from the comfort of your couch and get a cut of the profits.

But most platforms require at least $1,000 and sometimes more as a minimum investment.

3. Own places to rent out

One of the best ways to make money while you sleep is to rent out your home. But if you don’t want to screen tenants and be a landlord, you can turn this into a way to make money without doing much work by hiring property managers. Property managers are an extra cost, but they do a lot of the work for you.

There are risks that come with having rental properties. For example, the property could sit empty for too long or repairs could be very expensive. Even so, if you are careful and do your research, owning real estate can be a very profitable business.

Find out more about how you can start investing in real estate.

4. Invest in bonds or CDs.

Bonds and CDs (certificates of deposit) are two of the best ways to make money without having to do much work. In exchange for this safety, you usually get low returns and have to commit your money for a certain period of time.

Most of the time, there is a fee if you need to get your money out early, so make sure you won’t need it soon.

When it comes to bonds, how much they pay depends mostly on how stable the bond issuer is. The government backs U.S. savings bonds, so they are very safe. The risk level and interest rate of corporate bonds depend on a number of factors.

5. Make eBooks and Sell them to the public

If you want to know how to make passive income without money, you’ll have to put in work first. The best sources of passive income, like this one and the next few, don’t become passive until a long time has passed.

Self-publishing books on Kindle is a common way for writers of fiction or nonfiction to make money from their work. In fact, writing the book will take the most time and work, but it’s also one of the best ways to make money without doing anything. You might also want to look into some marketing strategies to get the word out about your book.

Then you can kick back and make sales! Even if you only charge a couple of dollars, that can add up over the years if people keep buying copies.

6. Make an affiliate site in a specific niche

Building a website is a great way to make money while you sleep. Finding a niche to write about, making an attractive website, researching keywords that will bring people to you, and joining affiliate programs are all things you have to do before you can start making money with this method. Once it’s set up, any affiliate sales that your content brings in will give you a steady stream of income.

You might want to update the site every so often to keep it active and keep the keywords up-to-date. Think small and specialized when it comes to sites like these. Websites that review a certain type of product can be popular and easy to make money from.

7. Make and sell apps or software

If you already know how to use technology, come up with a program that would help people or be fun to use. Simple apps can still do well.

For example, look at the story of Flappy Bird, which was a very simple but addicting game that went viral and made its creator $50,000 a day from ads.

The story of Flappy Bird is more of an exception than a rule, but it shows that you don’t have to make the most complicated or fancy apps to make money.

Once your app is for sale, you don’t have to do much more than make any necessary updates. You can learn how to build a money-making app from a lot of different places.

8. Sell stock photos

Selling stock photos is one of the best and easiest ways to start making money while you sleep. Even though this isn’t usually a good way to make a lot of money on the side, it is easy.

Once you’ve taken photos and put them on a stock photography site like Shutterstock, they can make you a little extra money for years to come.

Most smartphone cameras can take pictures with good quality these days. So you might not even need to upgrade your equipment (unless you already take photos as a hobby and have a DSLR).

Think about the kinds of photos companies might want to use for their websites, articles, etc. Even if the topic isn’t always the most interesting, getting paid is always exciting, right?

9. Own a vending or ATM machine

This is one of the more unusual ideas that not as many people know is possible. Vending machines and ATMs are all over the place, but you might not think about who owns them. And it’s a great source of passive income.

When you buy or rent an ATM, you can put it somewhere you own or work out a deal with someone whose property is in a better spot to split the profits.

You make money from the ATM fees that people pay every time they use it. You have to keep the cash machine stocked, but you can turn this into a source of passive income by hiring a trusted third party to do this work.

The same thing goes for a vending machine business. You’ll want to put it somewhere with a lot of foot traffic, and you can hire someone else to fill the machine with snacks or drinks. When you buy in bulk, the cost of your inventory can be very low, giving you a chance to make a good profit.

10. Flip domain names

Domain names are like real estate on the internet: everyone wants a good one, but there are only so many to go around. Most people want a “.com” domain that is easy to remember and not too long, so it is simple to type.

If you’re creative and have some business sense, a good way to make money on the side is to buy domain names that you think will be profitable and in demand and then sell them.

You can usually do this for a low price, but it’s not risk-free because you could end up paying for a domain name that won’t sell.

11. Give the roommates the lease

If you already own a house or apartment or are looking for one, renting to roommates is a great way to make a lot more money while you sleep.

You can add hundreds of dollars to your monthly income for the cost of sharing a spare room. Which is a type of “house hacking,” which means making enough money from rentals to pay off your mortgage.

If you live in a busy area and don’t want a full-time roommate, you can list a room on Airbnb for short-term travelers. You’ll just have to clean up after each stay.

One of the best ways to make money while you sleep is to rent out your room on Airbnb. In fact, you might be able to make more money if you rent by the week instead of by the month.

12. Rent your car or your parking spot

Why not let your car make money for you when you’re not using it? You can let travelers rent your car for a short time through a service like Turo.

Or, you can help someone else get started with their own side business by making your car available on HyreCar. There, drivers for services like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Instacart can connect with your car. Because these services come with insurance, it’s less likely that a stranger will drive off with your car.

And if you live in a place with a lot of traffic, like a city or beach town, you can even rent out your driveway or a spot on the curb. It’s a great idea if you have a two-car driveway, a guest parking spot you rarely use, or a space but no car!

13. Install money-saving apps

There are a lot of apps out there that let you find coupons, get cash back, etc. Most of them require work, so they aren’t passive. But Dosh is an example of a cash-back app that doesn’t require you to do anything.

Just link a card in the app, and if you spend money at a store or restaurant that is eligible, you’ll automatically get money back.

In the same way, Paribus will scan your email for online shopping receipts and give you a partial refund if the price drops soon after you buy something.

14. Get perks from your credit card

Who wouldn’t want to make money by doing things they already do? Many credit cards offer sign-up bonuses and a certain percentage of cash back for different types of purchases.

It’s one of the best ways to make extra money or save up credit card points for travel without doing much work.

One thing to watch out for with this method of passive income is that you have to be careful and disciplined about how you spend your money.

Use it like a debit card, and don’t spend more than you have in your bank account. So, you’ll be able to pay off your credit card balance in full every month and avoid getting into credit card debt with high interest rates.

15. Put your tools up for rent

Renting out your tools is an unusual way to make money on the side, but it can be a great way to make money. When it comes to renting, you can look beyond your house and driveway and into your shed.

Renting out lawnmowers, power tools, and other big-ticket items to the community can be a great idea on more than one level.

It makes it easier for everyone in your neighborhood to get things done without each of you having to spend thousands of dollars on equipment that you only use once in a while.

You could try to put something like this together in your own town (as long as you trust your neighbors, of course!). or try an app that lets people rent from each other.

You could also list camping gear, kayaks, furniture in college towns, etc., in addition to tools. Just think about the legal consequences if you rent something that could hurt someone.

16. House Sitting

Housesitting is another way to make some money without doing much work, since it isn’t just sitting around. Depending on the arrangement, you might have to live at the property while the owner is away, or you might just have to stop by to get the mail, water plants, feed a cat, etc.

The great thing about this is that if you have online work you could do, you can do it at the same time as house-sitting. This means you can make money from two sources at once. House sitting is another way to travel for free.

Making a profile and getting verified on a site like TrustedHousesitters can help you start getting jobs all over the world if you have references.

17. Get money back when you shop online

Online cash-back portals let you save a lot of money with just one click if you do a lot of shopping online. Rakuten, which used to be called Ebates, is the biggest player in this area.

Install their cash-back button on your browser, and you’ll know when you’re on a site that offers cashback. It’s one of the best ways to make money without having to do much work.

Thousands of retailers, including clothing stores like Macy’s, travel booking sites like Priceline, and electronics stores like Microsoft, take part in Rakuten’s program.

18. Loan money to your peers

You can get a loan for a car or a house and pay interest on it, but you can also charge interest as a lender. If you have some liquid funds that you can let go of for a while, this is another way for your money to make money.

There are many P2P (peer-to-peer) lending websites where this can be done. Contracts and personal verification methods help make sure that both borrowers and lenders are real.

But there is still a chance that a borrower won’t pay back a loan, so don’t put all of your eggs in this one basket.

Also, it’s usually not a good idea to do this with close friends and family unless you’re willing to think of it as a gift. A lot of relationships end because of money that was borrowed.

19. Put your savings in an account with a high interest rate.

The best place to keep your money safe is in a high-yield savings account. On the other hand, you won’t usually make a lot of money from passive interest income.

At credit unions or other special accounts like Netspend, you can sometimes get up to 5% on small amounts.

If not, standard online savings accounts typically pay 1-2% interest. The target interest rate of the Federal Reserve has some effect on these rates, so they can go up and down.

20. Buy a blog

You might not have to start a blog from scratch if you buy one that is already making money. Then, you can turn it into passive income by hiring writers and digital assistants to do the work for you.

Especially as you try to grow, you might need to manage and talk to people more actively. But if you focus on making content that will always be relevant and use affiliate marketing to make money, this can be a very lucrative way to make money while you sleep.

It can take a couple of years of hard work to start making a significant amount of passive income each month. If the best ways to make money without doing anything were easy, everyone would do them. But if you work hard and think outside the box, you can set yourself up for a life of relaxation while the money comes in.

21. Sell a course

Did you know that you can make and sell your own online course? You can make and sell a course if you know how to make great cakes, get rid of clutter, organize like nobody’s business, or play an instrument.

One of the best ways to make money without doing anything is to sell courses. Once you’ve made your course, you can make as much money as you want from it.

Platforms to use for a course

You can get started in a lot of ways, but Udemy and Teachable are two of the most popular.

Depending on the type of plan you choose, you will have to pay some money each month. But Teachable has a free basic plan that you can try out first to see if you like it.

22. Start a video blog

Vlogging is another great way to make money while you sleep. But this one takes a bit more work than the others, but it also has a good chance of paying off.

Many YouTubers make more than $60,000 a year. There are numerous ways to make money from a vlog and earn money while sleeping. For example, with advertising, affiliate links, sponsorships, and more.

You will always be making new content, but you can still make money from videos you have already made. Since 1 billion hours of videos are watched every day on YouTube, there’s a good chance you can make money with your vlog.

23. Sell printables

Who doesn’t like to print things out? Printables are those cute things you can download and print out to use for almost anything.

You can make and sell anything, like a health tracker or a planner. You can use sites like Canva and PicMonkey to make your digital products.

When you’re done making your printables, you can sell them on a site like Etsy or on your own website.

Printables are one of the easiest and best ways to make money without having to do much work.

24. Rent out your designer items

Do you love fashion and have a closet full of designer clothes and handbags? Then rent out those beautiful things to make some money! You can keep making money on them by renting them out instead of selling them for a one-time price.

Also, if you still love that Chanel bag in your closet and don’t want to get rid of it, this is a great way to keep it and make money at the same time.

Start making extra money with sites like Rent My Wardrobe and Designer Wardrobe! It’s one of the best ways to make money while you sleep, and it can help you save money and buy clothes.

25. Use print on demand to sell custom items

With print-on-demand platforms, you can set up your own store without even having to carry inventory. Sites like Printify and Printful can help you sell coffee mugs, shirts, or notebooks.

You make your design and upload it to any product you want to sell in your shop. Then you start making money.

You can link your print-on-demand products to sites like Etsy, Shopify, Printify, or your own website store. You can make anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a month, making it one of the best ways to start making money while you sleep.

26. Rent out space to store things

Do you need extra money and have some space in your basement or garage that you’re not using? You can charge other people to store their things here.

Your unused space can even help pay your mortgage, or at least part of it. Neighbor.com has information on how to get started.

27. License some music

Are you good with music? If you spend hours making new music, it doesn’t have to be just a hobby; it can actually make you money.

You can make money by letting other people use your music. In exchange for royalties or commissions, you let other people use your work.

28. Use your car to advertise

You might be able to make money just by driving around town or to and from work. There are companies that let you make money by putting an ad on your car.

Getting your car wrapped is a good way to make passive income because it doesn’t take much thought or maintenance once it’s done.

But it’s important to work with a reputable company because there are many scams in the car advertising business.

29. Sleep studies or surveys

This changes what it means to “make money while you sleep.”

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