14 Easy Passive Income Side Hustles [Tested Legit Methods]

Last Updated on October 20, 2023 by John Cirelly

Discover a variety of easy passive income ideas that offer financial freedom with minimal effort. From investing in stocks to leveraging AI, there’s something there’s more opportunities than ever before.

How Passive Income Works

Passive income is money you earn with minimal active effort, essentially allowing you to make money while you sleep. It’s different from active income, where you trade time for money.

Easy passive income ideas aim to set up income streams that require less oversight and maintenance, freeing you to focus on other aspects of life or even setting up more passive income channels.

Keep in mind: passive income typically requires work upfront, or a sizeable investment to get started. While these ideas might be easy, they require some investment in their time or money to get started.

1. Create a Faceless YouTube Channel

Starting a faceless YouTube channel allows you to earn passive income without showing your face or voice. You can focus on content like compilations, how-to guides, or narrations using text-to-speech software. Once you hit a certain number of views and subscribers, you can monetize your channel through ads, sponsorships, and merchandise.

This method can generate from $100 to several thousand dollars a month, depending on your content and audience size. The passive element comes from the ongoing ad revenue generated from your previously uploaded videos.

Tip: AI software like InVideo makes it super simple to automate your editing and creating faceless content.

2. Start a Blog

Starting a profitable blog is one of the most traditional yet effective easy passive income ideas. You can write about anything that interests you, and once you build an audience, you can monetize through advertising, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing.

Thanks to tools AI tools like Jasper, you can outsource much of the writing and research to an artificial intelligence assistant to

Depending on the blog’s niche and traffic, you could earn anywhere from $100 to $10,000 per month or more depending on the amount of traffic you get. The passive income is generated through evergreen content that continues to attract visitors and through automated ad and affiliate revenue.

3. Buy a Successful Blog

If you’d rather skip the initial legwork of starting a blog, buying an already successful one can be a faster route to passive income. Websites like Flippa offer a marketplace for buying and selling blogs, where you can find one that matches your interests.

Earnings can vary greatly but expect to make at least $300 to $5,000 per month depending on the blog’s existing revenue streams. The passive income is generated from the blog’s ongoing operations, which are already set up to earn money through ads, affiliate marketing, or digital products.

4. Invest in Dividend Stocks

Investing in dividend-paying stocks is a classic way to generate passive income. These are shares in companies that pay you a portion of their earnings regularly, typically on a quarterly basis.

The amount you can expect to earn depends on the size of your investment and the dividend yield, but it’s not uncommon for investors to generate a few hundred to several thousand dollars a year in dividends alone. This passive income stream is highly scalable and requires minimal effort once the initial investment is made.

5. Advertise on Your Car

Turning your car into a mobile billboard is one of the most effortless easy passive income ideas. Companies like Wrapify will pay you to wrap your car with advertising material. Depending on the campaign and your location, you can expect to earn between $100 and $400 per month. The passive income is generated as you go about your daily driving routines, requiring no extra effort on your part once the car is wrapped.

6. Use AI To Sell Print-on-Demand Items

Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to sell print-on-demand items is a modern and efficient way to generate passive income. You can use AI tools to design T-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise. Then partner with a provider like Printify who handles all the fulfillment for you.

Once set up, you can sell these items on platforms like Shopify or Etsy. Depending on your marketing and product quality, you could make $200 to $2,000 per month. The passive element comes into play as you make sales through social media, paid ads, and other traffic sources.

Tip: Tools like Vexels give you a ton of winning designs you can plug and play into your business.

7. Start a Freelance Drop Servicing Business

Drop servicing is like dropshipping but for services. Instead of selling physical products, you offer services that are performed by freelancers and sell those services to other businesses for more money. Websites like Fiverr and Upwork make it easy to find freelance talent to perform the services.

Once the system is in place, you could earn from $500 to $5,000 per month or more, depending on the services you offer and your pricing strategy. The passive aspect comes in once you’ve established a solid client and freelancer base, requiring minimal oversight on your part.

8. Invest in REITs

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are companies that own or finance income-generating real estate in various sectors. By investing in REITs, you can earn a share of the income without actually having to buy or manage properties yourself.

Depending on the REIT and the market conditions, you can expect to earn an annual yield ranging from 2% to 10%. This makes for a fairly hands-off passive income source once your investment is made, providing a way to diversify your income streams with little ongoing effort.

9. Invest in Index Funds Long-Term

Index funds are a form of mutual funds that aim to track the performance of a specific market index. They are a popular investment choice for long-term growth and can also provide some level of passive income through dividends.

With a long-term investment strategy, you can expect an annual return of around 11.82% on average, depending on market conditions. Once you’ve invested, the passive income comes from dividends and capital gains that accumulate over time, requiring very little management on your part.

10. Push Traffic to Affiliate Offers

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based business where you earn commissions by promoting other companies’ products or services. By pushing traffic to affiliate offers through social media, SEO, or paid advertising, you can earn a significant income.

Earnings can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month depending on the products and your marketing effectiveness. The passive element comes in as the affiliate links continue to generate income from previously published content or automated marketing campaigns.

11. Use AI To Create and Sell Ebooks

Utilizing artificial intelligence tools like Jasper can make the process of creating and selling ebooks remarkably easier. AI writing tools can help you generate content, while platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing can automate the selling process.

Depending on the subject matter and your marketing strategies, you can expect to earn anywhere from $100 to $1,000 per month or more. The passive income aspect comes from the continued sales of your ebook, especially if it tackles evergreen topics that remain relevant over time.

12. Rent Your Spare Storage Space on Neighbor

If you have extra storage space in your home, such as an empty garage or attic, you can rent it out using platforms like Neighbor. This can be an easy way to generate passive income without much effort. Depending on your location and the amount of space you have, you could earn from $50 to $300 per month.

The passive element is strong here as once you’ve listed your space and found a renter, you’ll continue to earn money each month with minimal ongoing management.

13. Start a Lead Generation Business

Starting a lead generation business can be an effective way to earn passive income. You can use digital marketing techniques to generate leads for other businesses that are willing to pay for them.

Lead generation businesses can make anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 a month or more, depending on the industry and the quality of the leads. The passive income component comes in once you have a system for generating leads automatically, which can involve SEO, paid ads, or automated email campaigns.

14. Sell Your Data

In an increasingly data-driven world, you can actually monetize your own data. Platforms like Datacoup or Wibson allow you to sell your data in a secure and anonymous way. You won’t make a fortune, but you can expect to earn around $10 to $50 per month. The passive nature of this income source lies in the ongoing collection and sale of your data, requiring minimal effort once you’ve signed up and configured your settings.

Wrapping Up

Incorporating easy passive income ideas into your financial strategy can provide extra earnings with minimal work. Whether you’re tech-savvy or prefer traditional investment routes, there’s an easy passive income stream suited for just about anyone.