When I first started trying side hustles, I had nothing. No money, No degree, No coding skills, Nothing. I was just tired of checking my bank account and seeing the same small number over and over again. I had a job, but after paying rent, groceries, and student loans, I barely had anything left. Most months, I ended up using my last two hundred dollars for random emergencies like fixing my car or replacing my laptop charger.
One day, after a long week of working sixty hours and still getting the same paycheck, I realized something big. I was trading my time for money, and time always runs out. That moment changed everything for me. I decided to build income that would work even when I didn’t.
Eighteen months later, my mornings look completely different. My phone doesn’t wake me up with an alarm anymore. It buzzes with new sales, affiliate commissions, and course enrollments. I now make around four thousand two hundred dollars every month, and it’s still growing.
Here’s exactly how I built it all from scratch.
1. Selling Digital Products – $1,650/Month
This was the first stream I started and it’s still my biggest one. Digital products are amazing because you make them once and they keep selling. The profit margin is high and most of the work is done only once.
Here’s what I sell:
- Notion templates and Excel trackers
- Productivity guides and PDF checklists
- Design templates for small business owners
I created one bundle called the “Remote Work Productivity Pack.” It took me one weekend to make, and that single product has now made more than three thousand eight hundred dollars.
I use Gumroad, Etsy, and my own website to sell them. Gumroad gives me the easiest setup, Etsy brings in a lot of search traffic, and my website gives me the most profit. Once the products are uploaded, everything runs automatically — payment, delivery, and emails.
Now, I spend about two hours each week answering questions and creating new templates. The best part is, I keep earning even while I’m asleep or traveling.
Check This Out: 16 Best Digital Products to Create & Sell in 2025.
2. Affiliate Marketing – $980/Month
Affiliate marketing is another great income stream, but you need to do it the right way. Many people think it’s just about adding links everywhere, but that never works.
My secret is simple: help first, sell later.
I promote only the tools I actually use, like Notion, ConvertKit, and Todoist. I write helpful guides showing how to solve real problems, and then I naturally mention the tools that make it easier. For example, in one of my blog posts about organizing a personal CRM, I shared how Notion helps — and that link brings in regular sales.
Most of my affiliate income comes from my email newsletter and blog posts. I don’t even need ads. Notion and ConvertKit alone make up most of my affiliate earnings every month.
If you stay helpful and build trust, affiliate income grows on its own.
Check This Out: 15 Affiliate Programs that Accepts Complete Beginners & Requires No Approval to Join!
3. Online Course – $720/Month
I never planned to make a course, but people kept asking me the same questions about my digital products. So I turned my answers into a small course called “Building Productivity Systems That Actually Work.”
I recorded simple videos using my laptop and created slides that explained everything clearly. It only took me one weekend to make.
I use Teachable to host my course because it has a built-in affiliate system, so students can promote it too. I don’t spend money on ads. Instead, I mention the course in my blog posts, offer free lessons in emails, and share real student stories to build trust.
Once everything was set up, it started running on its own. Every new student brings in new income with almost no extra work.
4. Stock Photography – $485/Month
This one was a surprise. I’m not a professional photographer, but I noticed there’s a big demand for real-looking photos online. Most stock photos look too perfect, so businesses are now searching for more natural ones.
I use my Samsung phone to take photos, edit them using free apps like VSCO and Lightroom, and upload them to websites like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock.
My best-selling images are everyday things — coffee shop setups, home offices, and people working on laptops. I plan themed shoots every few weeks, take around fifty to a hundred photos in one go, and then upload them all together.
Now, those photos earn money for me every month without me doing anything.
Check This Out: Here’s How You Can Get Paid $10 Everytime to Take Photo of Your Food! (Make $1,000/Month)
5. YouTube Channel – $365/Month
I was scared to show my face on camera, so I made a faceless YouTube channel about productivity tools and tutorials. I record my screen, explain how things work, and upload simple videos with clean thumbnails I design on Canva.
Instead of trying to go viral, I make videos people actually search for, like “How to use Notion for beginners” or “Best free tools for freelancers.” These videos get consistent views for months.
I earn from ads, affiliate links in my descriptions, and people who find my course through my videos. I film everything in one day each month, edit during the week, and schedule uploads. One day of work gives me four weeks of content.
Check This Out: How to Start a YouTube Channel & Make Money? (Complete Guide for Beginners)
How It All Came Together?
I didn’t build all five at once. I did it step by step.
- Months 1–3: I started with digital products and affiliate marketing. I made my first hundred dollars.
- Months 4–8: I added an online course and launched my YouTube channel. Income grew to over one thousand dollars a month.
- Months 9–12: I started stock photography and improved my older streams.
- Months 13–18: I optimized everything, raised prices, and built systems to run it all automatically.
Now, every stream supports the other. My email readers buy my courses. My YouTube viewers click affiliate links. My course students buy my templates. It all connects beautifully.
4 Mistakes That Slowed Me Down
1. Trying to be perfect
I wasted three months trying to make my first product perfect. You don’t need perfection. Launch it when it’s good enough and improve later.
2. Starting too many things
At first, I wanted to try every income idea I saw online. That was a mistake. Focus on one or two things until they actually start earning.
3. Pricing too low
I was scared to charge more, but people actually value higher-priced products more. Research others, then price your work confidently.
4. Not tracking results
For months, I didn’t even know which products were making money. Once I started tracking, I could see what to improve. Data always beats guessing.
How You Can Start With $0?
You don’t need money to begin. I started with free tools and platforms:
- Create digital products in Google Docs or Canva and sell on Gumroad.
- Start affiliate marketing with a free WordPress blog and email list.
- Make a free online course using your phone and Thinkific’s free plan.
- Upload stock photos from your phone camera.
- Start a YouTube channel using free editing tools.
When one stream starts earning, reinvest that money into better tools for the next one. You’ll slowly build a system that pays for itself.
Check This Out: How to Start a Profitable Online Business Without Quitting Your Full-time Job? (Complete Step-by-Step Guide)
Your 90-Day Action Plan
Days 1–30: Pick one stream that fits your skills.
If you’re good at creating, start with digital products.
If you enjoy sharing tools, start with affiliate marketing.
Focus only on one and get it running.
Days 31–60: Improve what’s working and add a second stream that connects with the first.
Days 61–90: Automate, track results, and test a third stream only if the first two are stable.
Remember, small progress every day builds real results.
Scaling to $10,000/Month
Now that I make about $4,200 a month, my next goal is ten thousand. I’m doing that by improving my top-performing streams — digital products, affiliate marketing, and courses.
I use automation tools like Zapier, ConvertKit, and Buffer to handle most of the work. That means more freedom and less stress.
The best part isn’t just the money. It’s the freedom. I can take time off, travel, or work from anywhere with Wi-Fi. My income doesn’t stop when I do.
Final Thoughts
Building passive income isn’t about getting rich overnight. It’s about creating systems that work even when you’re not working. You just need to start with one idea and build from there.
Don’t wait for the perfect time or perfect idea. Pick one stream today and start building. You’ll thank yourself a year from now when your phone buzzes with income notifications too.
So, which one will you start first?
