Why Most Passive Income Advice Feels Useless
I’ll be honest — I don’t browse this space very often.
But when I do, I usually walk away feeling “meh.” Most posts fall into one of two categories:
- People looking for a quick buck
- People unwilling to put in any upfront work, yet still calling it “passive”
That’s why I wanted to write this post a bit differently.
The Truth About Passive Income (It’s Not Easy)
Real passive income is hard to build.
Anyone who thinks otherwise would probably be better off focusing on active income first. Over the past four years, I’ve spent a lot of time building income streams that don’t rely on constant daily effort.
This month, those efforts added up to $2,510 from three different passive income streams.
Some of them earn more. Some earn less. But together, they compound.
Thinking Long-Term While Working a 9–5
Most days — especially while working my 9–5 — I’m thinking about how to grow these streams further.
Not because I hate my job. I actually don’t.
It’s just the entrepreneur itch. I can’t help thinking about what life would look like if I didn’t have to trade time for money anymore.
That’s the mindset behind everything below.
Passive Income Stream #1: Digital Products ($1,500 This Month)
Digital products are one of the easiest entry points into passive income.
You don’t need expensive software or complex tools. In my case, I run a faceless Instagram account, posting 3–4 second reels, entirely from my phone.
This month, that stream brought in $1,500.
I started about two years ago, and while it’s not “easy,” it’s flexible — and I genuinely enjoy it.
Passive Income Stream #2: Website Flipping ($535 This Month)
Another stream I’ve been building is website flipping.
I build websites, grow them, and sell them for profit. This month, I sold one site and made $535 in profit.
It’s surprisingly fun and rewarding — and a lot of people in tech are doing it quietly on the side.
Passive Income Stream #3: Affiliate Marketing on Medium ($475 This Month)
This month, I also made $475 through affiliate marketing, mainly by including referral links in articles I publish on Medium.
These articles focus on tools and services I genuinely use in my daily life or work.
How One Article Keeps Paying Me
For example, I recently wrote an article titled:
“5 Tools That Changed the Way I Work as a Freelancer”
In that article, I mentioned Todoist, a task management app I’ve used for years. I included a referral link simply because it’s a tool I actually rely on.
When someone clicks the link and signs up for a paid plan, I earn a small commission.
Those commissions add up slowly — but consistently.
The best part?
I write the article once, and it can generate income for months or even years.
That’s what makes this stream almost passive.
My August Passive Income Breakdown
Here’s how it added up this month:
- Digital products: $1,500
- Website flipping: $535
- Affiliate marketing: $475
Total: $2,510
Final Thoughts on Real Passive Income
Hopefully this helps someone.
I personally get frustrated reading posts like “20 Ways to Earn Passive Income!” only to see the same recycled ideas over and over again.
I think it’s more useful to hear from people who are actually doing it — not just listing ideas.
If you have questions, feel free to ask.
And I’d genuinely love to hear from others too:
What websites paid you this month?