Passive income sometimes seems to be an oxymoron. After all, you have to work to earn money, right?
Well, kind of. You can’t earn money by doing nothing at all, but it is possible to earn money while you sleep. Passive income is a steady flow of money that’s generated by something that you set in motion, then leave alone. It usually involves an investment of money, but some ventures cost initial time and effort instead.
Why It Matters
Why bother with passive income? The obvious answer is that more money can help you to attain financial security. It may seem that passive income is only an option for someone who is already doing well for themselves, but you don’t need a lot of money to get started.
Passive income also provides a security blanket that savings can’t always achieve. Inflation devalues money and, unfortunately, saving isn’t as effective as it once was. Interest rates are at an all-time low, which means that savings accounts don’t earn enough to counteract inflation.
However, if you’re constantly earning even a trickle of passive income, then your money is working for you. If you develop your passive income enough, then it can also help you in the present day.
Some people earn enough passive income that they can spend less time working, and more time living. Time is the most precious commodity that there is, and more free time provides more opportunities. You can use it to earn more money or take up a hobby, or simply relax.
How You Can Earn Passive Income
Passive income isn’t something relegated to the rich and financial gurus. Ordinary people can get involved and improve their financial health. One of the most popular ways to earn money passively is to get into the real estate market.
If you have some capital, you can invest in real estate. This involves purchasing a property, then renting it out for passive income. There is more to it than that, as you still have to manage the property and make sure it’s suitable for habitation, but most of your income will be passive. Eventually, you can sell the property for a profit.
Another option is to set up a side hustle, such as blogging. Again, this requires putting in some initial time and effort. But you will start to earn money over time. Something that you wrote years ago can continue to earn you money.
The traditional way to earn a passive income is to invest your money. Investment is a risky prospect, which puts many amateurs off. After all, it is possible to lose the money that you’ve invested and to be left worse off. However, there are ways to reduce this risk.
Final Remarks
AI investing allows you to invest your money without being a wall street expert. It’s easy and, as the name suggests, uses AI to decide on how to use your money. If you want to invest yourself, then focus on a diverse and stable investment portfolio.
If you’re interested in finding ways to build real passive income, we have an article dedicated to building 25 different income streams.
