How to Make Money Doing Nothing In 2024: 29 Simple Ideas

Have you ever wondered if making money online or at home while doing virtually nothing is possible?

Life can get hectic, and earning extra income without investing significant time and effort sounds appealing.

In this article, You'll learn how to make money doing nothing and explore various ways to generate income, using resources you may already have quickly.

I'll also throw in a few million-dollar business ideas that can lead to passive income.

As you read on, you'll discover simple and effective methods to put your idle time or resources to work, supplementing your income without disrupting your daily routine.

The strategies mentioned in this article range from passive income streams like using cashback apps to more unusual options such as testing mattresses.

Whatever your preferences, there's likely an option here that suits your needs and lifestyle.

Embrace the possibilities and start making money while doing nothing today.

Considering the tips and suggestions outlined in the article, you'll be well-equipped to decide which opportunities to pursue.

Remember that while the amounts you earn may vary, these hassle-free methods can provide extra financial support without demanding much of your time or effort.

Can You Make Money Doing Nothing?

Yes, it is possible to make money doing nothing by leveraging passive income, achieving financial independence, and generating extra income.

This section discusses these strategies and how they can help you achieve your financial goals.

Leveraging Passive Income

Passive income refers to money earned with little to no effort. Some common ways to make easy money on auto-pilot include:

• Investing in dividend-paying stocks: These stocks regularly pay a portion of their profits to shareholders. Investing in them allows you to earn money without actively managing your investments.
• Renting out property: If you have a property you can rent out, it can provide a steady source of income with minimal effort.
• Using passive income apps: Some apps pay you gift cards or cash for your data, allowing you to make money with minimal effort.

Financial Independence

Financial independence is the concept of having enough passive income or investments to cover your living expenses without needing to work.

Achieving financial independence requires planning, saving, and investing in income-generating assets.

Some ways to work towards financial independence include:

• Saving aggressively: By cutting back on non-essential expenses, you can save more money to invest in assets that generate residual income.
• Investing in low-cost, diversified portfolios: Low-cost index or exchange-traded funds can help you benefit from market growth without needing active management.
• Taking advantage of tax-advantaged accounts: Utilize retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs to maximize long-term growth and minimize taxes.

Extra Income

In addition to passive revenue and financial independence, you can make money doing nothing through extra income opportunities.

Here are a few examples and methods to consider:

• Referral programs: Many apps and services offer referral bonuses for inviting new users. Promote these to your friends and family to earn some extra cash.
• Welcome bonuses: Some platforms like Acorns offer welcome bonuses when you sign up. You can make money simply by joining and trying out their services.
• Cashback and rewards programs: Utilize cashback and rewards programs, such as credit card points or apps like Swagbucks, to earn money on purchases you would make anyway.

By exploring passive income, financial independence, and extra income opportunities, you can work towards making money doing nothing.

Remember that these methods may require an upfront investment of time or money, but they can help you achieve your financial goals with the right approach.

What Are The Different Ways To Make Money Doing Nothing?

If you have a lot of free time on your hands and want to find the perfect money-making idea while doing nothing, here are a few of the most popular methods:

1. Investing in Real Estate

By investing in real estate properties, you can benefit from a passive stream through rental income or appreciation in property values over time.

This is a great way to invest money into long-term assets and can you lead to multiple income streams without doing any work.

Real estate investing is not the only way to make money while doing nothing, and here are just a few methods you can use with your properties:

• Rent out a spare room
• Rent individual rental properties on AIRBNB
• Turn the rental into a co-working space for small businesses or individuals
• Turn it into a content house for podcasts or studios
• Fix and flip the investment home

You can also consider investing in real estate investment trusts (REITs) or purchasing rental properties to earn money doing nothing.

You can find these opportunities using real estate wholesaling software like Dealmachine.

2. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make extra money while doing nothing.

Once you build your affiliate marketing funnel, you can automate most of the process from home.

You can start a blog and make money from it using the affiliate marketing model.

Join affiliate programs to promote products or services on your website or social media channels.

You'll earn commissions for each sale or lead generated through your referral links.

Once a visitor clicks on an affiliate link, you can earn a commission on that sale, and you won't need to handle customer service or worry about shipping orders.

You can also leverage the power of influencers or affiliate marketing tools to help spread the word about your affiliate offers and potentially increase your earnings.

Start by choosing a niche and the perfect affiliate program that offers high commission rates or recurring commissions.

This is an easier way to become an affiliate and make money monthly. So, research the competition and read reviews to get the best bang for your buck.

3. Creating and Selling Online Courses

If you know a specific subject, creating and selling online courses is a good money maker for those who want to get paid handsomely.

Online course platforms and mastermind software like Teachable, Skool, or Udemy simplify the package and sell your content to eager learners.

Once the course is built and sales funnels are in place, you can profit passively from this business idea.

You can also include specific affiliate programs or upsells on the backend of your members' area and earn extra cash while doing nothing.

4. Freelance Writing With AI

You might think that freelance writing is hectic work, but with the help of AI copywriting tools, you can automate the process and save time.

There are one-click AI writers that can generate a blog post using a keyword, sentence, or paragraph as input.

Utilizing AI tools like ChatGPT helps generate high-quality content that you can sell and make money doing nothing.

Offer your freelance writing services with the help of AI to make money and gain a competitive edge.

5. Stock Market Investment

Investing in stocks or index funds can create a passive income stream by carefully researching companies and industries.

Once you start investing, tracking your investments and monitoring the stock market is essential.

This is a great way to make money while doing nothing, and you can invest income generated from other passive income sources.

6. Peer-to-Peer Lending

Join platforms like Lenme or Prosper to lend money to individuals or small businesses and earn interest on your investment.

You can earn money passively by allowing others to borrow your money with interest and grow your investments.

There are risks involved with these money-making ideas as customers might need to pay the loan back. This will cause the borrower to fall into collections, and you might not get paid for a while.

7. Online Surveys

Participating in online surveys can provide some extra income at home or when bored. Sign up with sites like Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, or Vindale Research to start earning.

With these surveys, you usually need to watch videos or answer specific questions that can earn you free gift cards or PayPal money.

You will most likely earn a few dollars daily, but it's a free way to earn money while doing nothing, and you can sign up for free.

All you need is an internet connection and a phone to get started with this idea.

8. House Sitter and Property Management

Offer house sitting or property management services to friends or neighbors who need someone to look after their homes and properties.

You'll earn money while sitting back and maintaining their properties, including light-duty tasks such as mowing the grass, raking leaves, taking out the trash, or washing windows.

So start making money house-sitting for others, and you can begin to see your bank account grow.

9. Bed Testing

Did you know you can get paid to test beds, mattresses, and bedding products? There's nothing better than taking a nap and earning money by testing mattresses.

Join a bed testing program and start earning by providing your opinions on comfort and quality.

You can also find bed-testing quality careers on Indeed or other job search websites. Start getting paid to sleep soon.

10. Credit Card Rewards and Welcome Bonuses

Take advantage of credit card rewards programs and welcome bonuses by signing up for cards that offer cash back and other perks.

You can earn rewards and even get cash prizes depending on your chosen credit card.

So, sign up for a credit card that offers the most rewards and start getting rewarded for your purchases.

Some of the most popular credit cards that offer cash back or travel points would be:

• Chase
• Discover
• Any credit union

Just don't go overboard and put yourself into debt with this idea.

11. Being a Friend or Ghost Shopper

Become a friend-for-hire or mystery shopper to earn money to spend time with others or provide business feedback.

Imagine getting paid for being a friend or shopping for others, which you probably already do.

You can easily make a couple of hundred dollars monthly by accepting jobs whenever you want, which makes sense if you are already going to shop for items or do activities.

12. Get refunds on price drops

Use services like Capital One Shopping Tracker or Hiatus to automatically track price drops on your online purchases and get refunds when the price drops after buying an item.

For example, I shop at Costco, which offers refunds on the difference of price drops after purchase.

You can easily make money this way which doesn't have any stressful deadlines or commitments.

13. Apply For Compound Interest

Did you know you make and save money with compound interest without the need to do anything?

Invest your money in compound interest accounts to grow your wealth passively. This is a great way to make money because you don’t have to do anything except wait for the interest and earnings to accumulate.

Some options include a CD, known as a certificate of deposit, or mutual funds and other investments. These can be opened at banks or online brokers like Robinhood or your local bank.

14. High-Yield Savings Accounts

Open a high-yield savings account to earn more interest on your deposits than traditional savings accounts.

This is one of the easiest ways to make money doing nothing, and you can track your interest earned within your online account.

You can join millions of people who use high-yield savings accounts to save for retirement, emergency funds, or whatever you’d like.

15. Rent Out Your Car

If you have a car you don't need all the time, consider renting it out on platforms like Turo or Getaround.

This is an easy way to get paid while renting out your car, and you don't need to do anything other than your regular maintenance.

If you want to flip your money online, you can also place advertisements on your car while it's being rented out, and you can earn extra money with minimal effort.

16. Watch Ads For Money

Did you know you can earn money by watching tv ads? Websites like InboxDollars pay you to watch videos, take surveys, and complete other tasks.

With this idea, you can earn free gift cards and PayPal cash, but it will likely be pennies on the dollar.

Still, it's a very low-effort, easy way to profit at home. So, sign up with platforms like InboxDollars to earn money by watching video advertisements.

17. Faceless YouTube Channels

Did you know you can make money on YouTube with little to no work with the power of video creation software?

Create faceless YouTube channels that don’t show faces or identities to start making money online with the following methods:

• YouTube Ads
• Sell merchandise
• Online courses
• Digital products
• Consulting

You can easily set up youtube automation channels without needing to do the work yourself and outsource most of the work to freelancers.

Or, if you know video editing, you can start by recording voiceovers and use a free app or software like veed.io to create intros and outros for your YouTube videos.

18. Self-publish a book With AI Writing

Use AI writing tools to help you create and self-publish your book on platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

You can become a self-publishing author and write compelling stories with AI requiring minimal effort.

Imagine you pair with another idea on this list, such as house sitting or pet sitting.

19. Stand In Line For Others

Offer service as a "line stand-in" for people who don't have time to wait in lines for product releases or events.

You would literally do nothing while getting paid to stand in line for others. This is one of the weirdest ideas, but it can work for almost anyone.

20. Sell content online

One idea to make money doing nothing is by creating and selling digital products online. You only need to develop a digital product idea and solve your audience's problem.

You can do it once and sell it forever on digital product platforms like Sellfy.

Create content like photographs, videos, or writing, and sell it on platforms like Shutterstock, iStock, or Gumroad.

21. Save your change

Use savings apps like Acorns or Digit that help users automatically save their spare change and invest it in the market.

You can also keep your physical change, such as coins and bills, which can be used to treat yourself or as a donation.

22. Join referral programs

Sign up for referral programs incentivizing referring friends or family to a particular service or product.

Any cashback site will work; you don't need to pay anything to sign up.

The best way to do this is by creating videos with AI or hiring a UGC creator to help you. You can also join various groups on social media to maximize your reach.

23. Build Sales Funnels

Building a sales funnel that works on auto-pilot for you would be best if you have a service or product you promote.

A sales funnel with AI can also help you target specific audiences and ensure you reach the right people.

For example, imagine getting free members to a lead magnet with an automated email marketing funnel.

24. Passive Income Apps

Another smart way to make money doing nothing is by signing up for passive income apps.

For example, you can earn cashback instantly if you shop online and download Honey. There are other examples where you need to download the app and start earning.

25. Start A Social Media Growth Agency

If you know how to grow on different social media platforms, you can start a growth agency and help clients increase their followers.

You can also create content for their accounts to keep them engaged with their audiences. This way, you'll get paid while they reap the rewards of your hard work. 

You can also leverage Instagram growth tools like Kicksta, which can help you manage your accounts and campaigns more efficiently.

This will also save you a lot of time so that you can focus on creating amazing content for your clients. 

26. Play Video Games

If you play games at home, you can easily make extra cash by either testing new games or streaming your gameplay.

There are many platforms available that allow you to monetize your time and effort.

Only a few people know by playing video games at home, you can make a full-time living. All while building an audience and doing something you would already be doing.

All you need to do is ensure you have the proper setup, pay your internet bill, and stream to your audience of raging fans.

27. Start An ATM or Vending Machine Business

Starting a machine-based business, such as ATM or vending machine, is a great way to make some extra cash.

This business model is low cost, requires no special skills, and can be done on the side of your regular job.

You can even hire someone to restock and service your machines, freeing up more time to focus on doing nothing.

You will need to spend money first to purchase the necessary equipment, but you can also leverage your credit rewards points to get discounts.

29. Rent Out Extra Space

Another idea to make money doing nothing is by renting out your space. I've noticed many people building their storage space into a podcast setup or studio for others to rent.

This is not only smart, but once you have it set up, you only need to do something other than collect a monthly check.

30. Start A Credit Monitoring Service

Starting a credit monitoring service is a great idea for anyone who wants to generate passive income online.

This model will help consumers monitor their credit scores and allow them to improve their report.

You can either white-label a credit repair app or build your own if you have any coding knowledge.

Or you can use a no-code app builder and set up a credit monitoring app.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know how to make money doing nothing, it's time to choose an idea and go out there and do it! Plenty of opportunities exist, so don't be afraid to risk.

From playing games to house sitting, you can do anything you desire to make money without investing any time or energy.

FAQ.

Can You Get Paid For Walking?

Yes, you can get paid for walking. Some side hustle apps like TaskRabbit and Achievement reward you with points for steps taken or other physical activities.

These points can be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, or cash.

To make the most of this opportunity, download the app, track your steps, and watch your rewards grow over time.

How can I make money fast without paying anything?

You can look into online surveys, freelancing, or ghostwriting jobs to make money fast without investing.

Websites like Survey Junkie or Swagbucks can provide paid surveys or tasks. Freelancing platforms like Fiverr or Upwork connect you with clients seeking various services.

You can also sign up for ride-sharing or food delivery apps like Uber, Lyft, or DoorDash to earn immediately.

What are free money techniques?

Free money techniques are methods of making money without significant investments or effort. Some popular techniques include:

• Referral programs: Many companies reward you for referring new customers to their service. You can earn a bonus for each friend who signs up using your referral link.
• Cash-back apps: Apps like Rakuten or Dosh offer cash rewards for shopping at partner stores. When you shop, you receive a percentage of the purchase in cash or gift cards.
• Passive income apps: You can earn passive income by sharing data through apps like MobileXpression or Honeygain. These apps pay you in exchange for access to your browsing or location data.

Can You Make Money Without A Job?

Yes, it's possible to make money without a traditional job.

Some options include freelancing, running your own business, or investing in assets that generate passive income, like stocks, real estate, or royalties from intellectual property.

You'll need to invest time and effort into creating reliable income streams to do this successfully.

Remember, it's essential to carefully research and consider potential opportunities to find the ones that suit your interests, goals, and limitations.