Do you want to learn how you can make money while you sleep? Today, you’re going to see some passive income ideas so you can get paid while you sleep.
The best part?
It's not that difficult to make money while you sleep with passive income.
And in this article, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process so that you can make passive income and can make money while you sleep.
How to Make Money While You Sleep (With Investments)
Yes, you've probably heard the phrase before. Let your money make you money.
You can find ways to generate residual income by using your money in your bank account.
How?
1. Do research on dividend-paying stocks
It’s been said that the average millionaire has seven streams of income, and investing is almost always one of them. With SoFi Invest, you can easily build a portfolio that works for you, whether you’re into dividend-paying stocks, ETFs, or automated investing.
SoFi makes it simple to get started, even if you’re brand new to investing. You can buy fractional shares of your favorite companies with as little as $5, automate your portfolio, and track your progress right from the app.
💰 Bonus: New users can get up to $1,000 in free stock when they sign up and fund an account.
Start investing with SoFi Invest and take the first step toward building wealth while you sleep.
- Trade stocks, ETFs, and options with zero commissions
- Start investing with just a few dollars and no minimum deposit
- Earn up to a $1,000 bonus when you fund your account
- Track live market data and trade instantly from your phone
2. Get free money to invest
Yup, it’s true! There are several brokerages out there that will give you free money to invest in stocks. The best offer currently is:
Acorns: CNBC calls it “the new millennial investing strategy.” Once you connect the app to a debit or credit card, it rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and funnels your digital change into an investment account.
Sign up to try it risk-free with a $20 sign up bonus to start investing and make money while you sleep!
- Acorns rounds up spare change from purchases and invests it for you
- Get a $20 bonus when you invest just $5 and start a recurring deposit
- Start building long-term wealth with just $3/month—free if you're under 24 and in school
3. Invest in real estate with only $10
Wouldn’t it be great if you could invest in commercial real estate and apartments without dealing with all the hassle of buying, improving, and re-selling real estate?
You don’t have to be a millionaire to invest in these types of properties. You can now invest in large-scale real estate for as little as $10 with Fundrise.
Through its real estate investing app, investors earned an average of 8 – 11 percent on their money last year, and all without painting a wall or dealing with unruly tenants.
- Earn passive income with real estate investing starting at just $10
- Easy-to-use app for seamless access to crowd-funded real estate deals
- Perfect for those who want their money to work for them
How to Make Money in Your Sleep (If You Have Time)
You need to put in the time to get that passive income.
Passive income doesn't come easy or else everyone would be doing it.
Of course, there are ways to make money while you sleep. The trick is putting in the time, and then you will be able to reap the benefits of getting hundreds and even thousands of dollars a month of passive income.
Let's explore your options:
4. Get paid to watch videos
The next thing you can do is sign up for InboxDollars which pays you, in cash, to watch fun videos & take surveys and they’ll also give you a $5 free bonus just to give it a try. By spending just 5-10 minutes per day on this (either on your lunch break or during TV commercial breaks) you can earn an extra $150/month.
- InboxDollars is a legitimate way to make extra money online
- Been around for 20 years
- Paid its members more than $59 million since 2000
- Free $5 welcome bonus
More people should be doing this as you can make passive income with no money. If you are interested in taking surveys online, here are our other favorites:
- Survey Junkie: Makeup to $3 per survey in your spare time from home to take online surveys, participating in focus groups and trying new products.
- Swagbucks: Watch videos, take surveys, shop and more to earn real money.
5. Make money blogging
Starting a blog takes less than 15 minutes and it can change your life. You don’t need experience or tech skills, just consistency and curiosity.
Buy hosting, register your domain, install WordPress, and start writing. Share your posts on social media to grow traffic, then turn it into income with ads and affiliate links.
Pro tip: Start your blog with Bluehost and WordPress for only $3.95 per month (includes a free domain) get started here.
You can start a blog for as cheap as $2.95 per month when you choose to host your blog on Bluehost which is the best web hosting provider if you want to start a self-hosted WordPress blog or site. Bluehost is one of the few web hosting companies recommended by WordPress.org to host self-hosted WordPress blogs.
6. Sell your old textbooks, DVDs, or phones on Amazon
This one is simple. Do you have old textbooks from college lying around?
You would be surprised how much you can get for your unwanted items. Just list your items for sale and you'll start generating sales and making some passive income.
If you love Amazon, I also recommend checking out our recent post on how to earn free Amazon gift cards.
7. Score cash by taking surveys
So, let me preface by saying I’m not a fan of wasting my time taking boring surveys.
But taking online surveys to make extra money is one of the easiest ways to make money on your phone, fast.
Survey Junkie lets you get paid for taking online surveys from brands you use every day.
You can also participate in focus groups, try new products (free stuff, yay!) and get paid to listen to new music.
This is one legit survey company, and you can get started with a registration bonus here.
- Share your opinion to help brands deliver better products and services
- Fast payouts, legit, and our favorite survey site
- Has paid out more than $25 million to its members
8. Join a top rewards site
Swagbucks is another survey site that can help you earn money just for taking surveys. The cool thing about Swagbucks is that you can earn money in a bunch of different ways (other than just boring surveys).
Your options include watching videos, playing fun games, and even trying new products and listening to music. If you wanted to try it out, be sure to claim a $10 welcome bonus.
- Earn points by taking surveys, playing games, and shopping online
- Redeem rewards like PayPal cash or gift cards to top brands
- Join millions who’ve earned over $800 million with Swagbucks and get a $10 welcome bonus
9. Start your own podcast
If you can build an audience for your podcast, then you can make some money through sponsorships, affiliate advertising, and other offerings. Companies regularly pay $250 to $500 for a 30-second advertisement on podcasts.
With modern podcast recording software, starting your own show is easier than ever. You won’t even need to invest in expensive equipment and can record straight from your home with handy AI-powered tools at your disposal. Even the interview episodes can be done online.
Pro-Tip: We also have a guide to starting your podcast. There is money to be made in your sleep with this side hustle.
10. Dropshipping can make you money in your sleep
Did you know that Oberlo allows you to easily import products from AliExpress directly into your Shopify store and ship directly to your customers – in only a few clicks?
It’s very simple to open a shop on Shopify and drop ship items in order to create a business without too much risk. You can literally start and set up a dropshipping business without any type of product in one afternoon with minimal risk as Shopify has a 3-day free trial and Oberlo is completely free!
- Over 5.1 million businesses trust Shopify to power their online stores.
- Built for beginners & pros—easy-to-use tools with powerful eCommerce features.
- Try it risk-free with a 3-day free trial + $1/month for 3 months.
11. Hustle on Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the best sites in the world. The basic premise is “what would you do for $5?” You’ll find everything from hilariously weird and useless gags to legitimate and genuinely helpful micro-business tasks.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting as a seller on Fiverr, and have found it a pretty successful avenue for selling website optimization services, article writing, and proofreading services.
Fiverr can work for you as both a seller and a buyer. It is a great way to make money and also you can find millions of services. Best $5 you can spend is using a Resume Revision service so you can receive more employer callbacks and get paid more.
12. Ebook publishing
Are you a good writer? You could write an eBook on your topic of choice and sell it on Amazon, Payhip, Lulu, Smashwords, Kobo Writing Life, PubIt! and many other websites that start you out in your side hustle as a published eBook author.
Great way to make make money in your sleep.
13. Start a resume writing service
Learning to write an effective resume is not difficult; it just takes a little bit of time to master what keywords and phrases that appeal to each industry.
Once you learn it then you can repeat the same process for each individual resume your write. Then you can start charging for your Resume & Cover Letter writing services on freelancing sites like Fiverr or Upwork.
14. Download apps that make money while you sleep
You’re not going to get rich by downloading mobile apps that pay you, but you can use these to earn a passive income every month. Money-making apps can be a simple way to pad your bank account in your free time.
You probably know these apps aren’t my favorite way to make extra money, but I make an exception for it when you’re just hanging out — e.g. watching T.V., riding the metro, during your break at work, or in the back of an Uber. Might as well click a few buttons and make some money while you’re at it.
Here is a list of the best money making apps if you wanted to give them a shot.
Make Passive Income by Doing Things You Already Do
15. Get paid for playing games
We all heard the old saying “Time is money” right?
Instead of playing games on your phone like everyone else and feeling bad for wasting your time — now you can get paid for it.
Getting paid for playing games sounds like a dream. But if you download a free new app, and then download games from it and play, you earn money.
As you level up you can earn more money for cash rewards or gift cards.
This is a great opportunity for those looking to get paid for something they enjoy, like winning free gift cards and cash for playing games. I use it and it is legit and has over 35,404 positive reviews in the Google Play store.
If you’re interested, I recommend you download the app from the Google Play store for free by clicking here.
The Verdict:
- Earn free gift cards just for playing new mobile games
- 100% free to use, no deposits or hidden fees required
- Discover and play games while earning rewards effortlessly
16. Get paid for your online searches
When you google make money from home, you probably won’t find this option. The self-proclaimed king of the internet, Google, can now be found on almost every device whether it’s a PC or a phone. This is why Swagbucks is now offering you the big bucks – relatively speaking – to use their own search engine: Search with Swagbucks.
How does it work? Simply ditch Google, sign up to Swagbucks, and earn as much as $5-$10 every month as you search which can then be cashed in for gift cards for big sites like Amazon.
- Earn points by taking surveys, playing games, and shopping online
- Redeem rewards like PayPal cash or gift cards to top brands
- Join millions who’ve earned over $800 million with Swagbucks and get a $10 welcome bonus
17. Win real money with Blitz Win Cash
Blitz Win Cash turns your phone into a money-making game zone. Play classic favorites like Solitaire, Bingo, and more while competing for real cash prizes.
You’ll get matched with players of similar skill, so every game feels fair and exciting. Win rounds, climb leaderboards, and cash out instantly through PayPal.
It’s free to download and simple to start. Enter tournaments, play a few rounds, and you could be earning real money today.
Play Blitz Win Cash here and see how fast the wins add up.
The Verdict:
- Play popular games like Bingo, Solitaire, Match3, and Pool for real cash prizes
- Win daily rewards with free wheel spins, giveaways, and bonuses
- Warm up in practice modes before competing in real-money tournaments
18. Download the Nielsen app and claim $60 this year
By using the internet as you do every day, Nielsen invites you to make a difference – and you can make a passive income too. I downloaded this app and make around $60-100 passively… it’s a legit app. You don’t really have to do anything other than initially registering your computer or phone.
This company will pay you $60 a year to keep their app on your favorite internet browsing device and they also give away $10,000 each month. So you can possibly make more than $100. Sign up through here for a registration bonus.
- Collects anonymous phone and internet usage data to help Nielsen study consumer trends
- Runs quietly in the background after you install the app on your phone
- Pays users in gift cards or cash-equivalent rewards, usually around $60 per year
19. Unlock $100 rewards by exploring new apps!
With KashKick, your everyday online activities are rewarded. From answering intriguing surveys to downloading exciting game apps, you could earn up to $100 per app.
Not just that, there are opportunities to earn while playing games, watching videos, and even simply reading emails. Although surveys remain a major earnings avenue, the sky's the limit with the variety of tasks available.
The best part? As soon as your balance hits $10, you can swiftly cash out through Paypal. Picture this: making some extra cash while lounging comfortably, phone or computer in hand.
Ready to dive in? Signing up is a breeze, and as a warm welcome, you'll instantly receive $1 just for completing your profile. One step closer to your rewards!
- Earn cash by playing games, taking surveys, and completing offers
- Get paid directly to your PayPal with no hassle
- Join over 2 million users and start earning today
Use Your Things to Make You Money While You Sleep
If you don't want to invest any money and don't really have the time to invest either…what do you do? Well, you can take a good look at your possessions and see if you can use any of them to make passive income. Here's how:
If you have a car and some spare time, then this service gives you the flexibility to earn some extra cash when and where you want.
Lyft has revolutionized the transport industry. Taxis? Those are so last decade. Ride-sharing is the new face of transport, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
A lot of people drive full time for Lyft so you can imagine that’s it definitely possible to do this on the side and make extra money and be able to save it.
Once you’re a driver you can choose to turn the app on or off and drive whenever you have some time to spare.
20. Drive for Lyft
They also have a feature that allows you to select your destination, so if you are leaving work (or any other long commute), you could pick up a ride that was going in the same direction.
You can do this 3-4 times a week on your commute and can easily make $1,500+ each month and save it all. They are also conveniently offering a $1,000 sign up bonus for new drivers, so act fast.
21. Turn your car into a second paycheck
Let your car pay for itself! Similar to Turo, Getaround lets you turn your car into a second paycheck with no driving necessary. You’re paid monthly. Earn $10,000 per year actively sharing your parked car.
It’s great and you can set up your own schedule. Listing your car is free and managing rentals is easy. You can choose how and when to rent your car. Rentals are managed through the app and smart car technology. Don’t worry, every trip includes $1,000,000 insurance and 24/7 roadside assistance. Drivers are screened to ensure they have a safe driving record.
22. List your spare room on Airbnb
If you have extra room in your house, you can make passive income hosting guests on Airbnb.com. By becoming an Airbnb Host, you can start having their own weekend side hustle listing your home and open bedrooms to travelers looking to book through Airbnb. With a little bit of traction, you can easily earn extra money that can go towards your rent or mortgage by hosting guests on Airbnb.
23. Deliver food with DoorDash
If you’re free on nights and weekends, you can earn extra money delivering food for fellow citizens around your city. It’s easy to deliver food with DoorDash – if you have a car, it’s a perfect way to make a good amount of extra cash whenever it’s convenient for you. A lot of people do this full time, so you can imagine that it’s definitely possible to do this on the side and make extra money by delivering food with DoorDash, and be on your own schedule.
- Work whenever you want, no set shifts
- Cash out earnings daily with Fast Pay
- Unlike rideshare, no dealing with riders
- Keep 100% of customer tips
More Resources to Make Money While You Sleep
Making passive income is possible while you sleep, but it will take time and effort.
How much effort? There are countless ways to earn money online, but they all boil down to two things: time and hustle.
You can find success through passive income strategies that you invest your time into once but benefit from for years or even decades. This often means investing in the stock market, real estate, or any of the ideas in this article — basically, something that requires a little elbow grease upfront but pays off later.
