Passive Income: 5 Ways to Make Your Money Work So You Don't Have To

Passive income is the Holy Grail of financial freedom. It's like having a faithful pet that fetches money instead of sticks. You put in the work upfront, then sit back and watch the fruits of your labor grow exponentially, all without lifting another finger. Imagine planting a tree, and then that tree grows dollar bills, Pounds, Euros, yen, or Bitcoin.

Let's talk specifics. Dividend stocks and ETFs are not just any assets; they're the gift that keeps (you hope) on giving. Consider companies like Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Procter & Gamble (PG), which are known for their long history of paying and increasing dividends.

Let's take a small break here because you might be thinking, 'Johnson & Johnson? Procter & Gamble? omg boring.' You're right. The things these two megacorps deal in are tampons, razors, paper towels, Tylenol, and Band-Aids - things people will need even when the economy sucks. Because they sell the stuff people need.

And are they 'safe' plays? That's up to you. But a world where Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble can't sell their products is probably a world not far removed from The Walking Dead.

ETFs like the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) and the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) offer diversification and reduce the risk of putting all your eggs in one basket.

Moving on to the digital realm, affiliate marketing lets you earn commissions by promoting products or services. You don't need to create a product; you need to be persuasive. Companies like Amazon Associates, ClickBank, and ShareASale offer platforms where you can find products to match your audience's needs. Think of yourself as a matchmaker, where every successful match puts money in your pocket.

This is probably the form of passive income that, at first, sounds daunting, but it is really one of the easiest methods. Staking cryptocurrency is a bit like earning dividends, but you're paid for helping maintain a blockchain network—you're really getting paid for work. Coinbase makes staking easy—you just buy the crypto you want, and they have a button for staking—extremely easy. You give up a bit for the convenience, so do your research.

Where to stake crypto

In the tangible world, vending machines and ATMs represent an opportunity to earn passive income through everyday transactions. Companies like Coca-Cola or various ATM franchise opportunities allow for direct investment in these machines. Imagine having a fleet of robotic salespeople, tirelessly working day and night, dispensing snacks, drinks, or cash to the masses.

But check your local, regional, and state markets - some areas are controlled like the mafia with how locked-up and good-ole-boy they are. Depending on where you'd wanna set up shop, getting even a toe in the door might be impossible.

Lastly, solar panel leasing shines bright in the passive income universe. Companies like Sunrun or Tesla's SolarCity offer programs where they install solar panels on your property at no upfront cost (dear God, check the fine print, though) in exchange for a lease payment or a power purchase agreement - more on that shortly.

And if you live in the US, many states offer tax credits or other methods to incentivize setting up solar panels on your property. Oh, and if you live in, say, Michigan, a place with a metric crap ton of trees, those solar salespeople are going to assure you up and down that you'll have enough exposure to the sun, that it'll be all good, and bla bla bla.

And remember, they're salespeople. It's their job to butter you up and make you see all the green that could come in instead of all the green you might have to pay upfront. But it is cool to say you sell your power to the energy company.

Passive income isn’t a fast way to riches, but it’s a stable way and the way to a future where your money does the heavy lifting, leaving you more time for the things you love. Whether it's through dividend stocks and ETFs, affiliate marketing, crypto staking, vending machines, or solar panel leasing, the possibilities are as vast as they are varied.