Wouldn’t we all like more money to spend on vacations, luxury items, a new car and everything else our heart desires?
Unfortunately, unless you win the lottery or have the funds to invest into projects with a fast and high return, your dreams will always stay just that. Dreams.
Most of us will have to keep slaving away, following the 9 to 5 grind, in the hope that one day we will have enough savings to get at least a little step closer to those dreams.
However, here is the good news. You can create one or several passive income streams that over time will help increase your assets. You invest a little time and money in the beginning, then sit back and relax while you watch your returns come back.
There are several ways to create a passive income on a tight budget. Not everything might be right for you, but there’s bound to be something on the list we compiled that suits you and will help you achieve your financial goals.
Get writing
You don’t have to be Shakespeare or John Grisham to make money from writing. Since electronic self-publishing on platforms such as Amazon has become a thing, thousands of writers have been able to make their work available to a broader audience and earn a living on the side.
Forget being rejected by gigantic publishing houses. Kindle is the future - and it can certainly enhance yours. There are an estimated 700,000 authors publishing e-books worldwide. All you need to do is find something that you’re passionate about and that others might want to read.
It’s a good idea to browse through Kindle categories and see what’s most popular. Once you have decided on your genre and topic, get writing. It might pay to hire someone for proof-reading and designing your cover, and once you’re happy simply upload your book and decide what you want to charge for the download. Depending on the price Amazon will pay you royalties for each download.
Our tip: Keep the price cheap. It might mean less royalties, but your book will likely be downloaded more often which in turn means more money.
Start saving
Yes, this one is very obvious, but we are not talking about hiding each dollar that you can spare in a money tin. Rather, get a little cash together and put it into a high-yielding savings account or a certificate of deposit. Both offer much higher interest rates than your standard everyday bank account, so you can watch your money grow right in front of you.
High-yielding savings accounts are a great way to park your money. They usually have fixed interest rates that will help you increase your funds as long as you don’t touch them. Some accounts may have fees attached to them, while others require a minimum amount in order for you to get your interest. So it pays to shop around and see what suits you best.
While savings accounts are great for long-term investments, certificates of deposits can help you work towards short term goals. The way they work is simple. You deposit a small amount of cash for a fixed term and receive higher interest on your money. It’s a great way to save up for a new car, an overseas holiday or other higher expenses you know are coming.
Our tip: Make sure you choose the right term for your certificates of deposit. If you decide to dip into your funds early, you will most likely have to pay a penalty fee and end up making a loss.
Go shopping
Are we crazy? Maybe a little. But it would definitely be crazy to miss out on free money! We all shop, so why not use apps like Ebates to receive cash back on items you need anyway? The rewards might seem small, but it all adds up. And since these sites are free to join, there is no upfront investment needed.
Cash back websites earn their money through commissions every time you make a purchase via the direct link to a retailer they supply. A portion of these earnings then gets passed on to you either in the form of cash or via points that can later be redeemed in gift vouchers. The choice is yours.
If you’d rather earn money without spending anything, try Shopkick. You do get points (or kicks) for shopping, but also for simply walking into a store or scanning bar codes. Once you have enough kicks you can grab yourself a gift card and start shopping for real.
Our tip: Don’t get sucked in and go on a spending spree. Stick to your everyday purchases, but make them using the direct links so you get money back.
Do more shopping
If you love shopping and have a bit of time on your hands, you could become a mystery shopper and get paid for what you love plus get some freebies as you go. More and more retail companies employ mystery shoppers to ensure their stores meet and exceed customers’ expectations. You will be given an assignment, act as a customer in a department store and write about your experience afterwards.
If you want to sign up as a mystery shopper you need social and communication skills, be computer savvy and know how to write a basic report. Depending on the task and the company, payments might not be great. But it doesn’t cost you anything to get started and the rewards will accumulate over time. The Mobee App let’s you find missions nearby using the GPS on your smartphone. You don’t get paid cash, but collect points that you can trade in for gift cards.
Trade pounds for money
No, we’re not talking drugs and we’re not telling you to sell off your organs. However, you can actually shed some pounds and earn money while you’re working toward your health goals! Exercising regularly is easy for some. Others start out with a bang and a roar, but sooner or later bad habits kick back in and the motivation dwindles. This is where Apps such as DietBet, HealthyWage and GymPact provide the perfect incentive to keep going. Why? Because they actually pay you for losing weight.
They each work similar. You set a goal, maybe you want to lose 20 pounds over 6 months. You then place a bet how much that goal is worth for you. Some Apps have set amounts, others let you choose freely. If you meet your goal, you get your money back plus any additional winnings depending on the program you signed up with.
So potentially you’re gaining a much healthier lifestyle and filling your pockets with some extra cash. Winning on all sides!
Answer questions
Surveys are not just a great way to pass the time. You can also get paid by giving your opinion on everyday topics such as your favourite food and drink, your last holiday and your furry friends. Each survey gives you a certain amount of points which can be cashed out, mostly via PayPal, or redeemed in vouchers. Some sites also offer points for playing games or watching videos.
So forget wasting your time on social media or watching funny YouTube videos. Marketing research websites are becoming more and more popular, and there’s nothing wrong with signing up to as many as you like to increase your cash flow. However, be aware that there are black sheep out there, so choose the ones that have a reputation for paying out.
Our top 3 survey websites are
Make your change count
How often do you pay for something that costs $1.99 or $23.95 or $70.94 and so forth? If you were to round that up to the nearest dollar each time, would you miss a few cents here and there? Probably not. So why not put them aside and let them build up to something bigger? With Acorns you can do that automatically every time you swipe your card. The money you save this way is invested for you either in portfolios or towards retirement schemes. It costs as little as $1 per month depending on the services you want to use.
Make some room
Have you got a spare room you’re not really using? Or a sleepout that’s been empty for a while? Why not put it on Airbnb? Depending on where you live, accommodation might be scarce, so potentially you have a goldmine right in front of your nose.
You decide whom you let in and for how long. The shorter the stay, the more money you can potentially make as people are usually willing to pay more bucks for a couple of nights than a whole week. All you have to do is keep the place neat and tidy and your guests happy. According to surveys the average Airbnb host in the US makes around $20,619 profit per year.
Airbnb does charge fees in order for you to advertise your room, but it’s usually only a percentage of the rent you’re asking for. It doesn’t get any easier, does it?
Our tip: If you’re renting yourself, but have a room to spare, check with your landlord first before advertising. Sub-letting without consent can be reason to terminate your rental agreement.
Invest
You don’t have to be a millionaire to invest into properties, stocks or even loans and maximise your profits with interests and returns. If you have a little bit of cash you could join a peer-to-peer lending platform such as Lending Club and earn interest rates of 10 % and more. You can invest as little as $25 and buy into a single loan, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. The more often you place small investments, the less you have to worry about one going wrong.
If you’d rather get into real estate try Fundrise. Rather than investing into big projects, you buy shares into a trust which in turn uses your money to develop real estate projects. Every time one of your projects makes a profit, your wallet will get bigger. You can start investing as little as $500 compared to hundreds of thousands to get started in the “real” real estate market.
Start blogging
This might not be the fastest way to earn a passive income, but writing a blog can potentially earn you the big bucks if you have a passion for it and a bit of time to spare. Patience, consistency and a good game plan are the key to success. Find a topic that you’re fond of, do your research to find the best way to present it online, and build your audience as well as your networks. Over time you can generate money through marketing and advertising, but also through sponsoring and guest posts.
Market your blog
Once your blog attracts a steady number of viewers, it’s time to up the game. Promoting services or products on your blog can create a nice source of income without you having to do anything. Affiliate marketing is not as complicated as it sounds, and you get paid either by sales or a flat rate.
If you’re unsure what products would suit your blog most or which vendors to contact, try ClickBank. The website offers tens of thousands of digital products that you can dip into to advertise and sell online. Commissions are as high as 75% of the retail price and you choose when and how often you want to get paid. Because most products are based on subscriptions, recurring income from happy customers is guaranteed.
Google AdSense is another free way of making money through your blog. You decide how the ads will look like to ensure they match the style of your blog, and Google places targeted ads without you having to do anything.
Note: This article was meant to be published on an external website. Unfortunately I happened to run into a black sheep that never intended to pay for the work I did. So if you find this article anywhere else on the web… it’s MINE!