- Still figuring it out,
someone who accidentally made money in their sleep once
Let’s not romanticize it: being broke sucks. Like, you're at the grocery store calculating whether you can afford both eggs and detergent. You probably can’t.
I remember sitting in a dorm room once, trying to figure out how to make money while doing... literally nothing. Not because I was lazy (well, maybe a little), but because between classes, commuting, freelancing, emotional breakdowns, and ramen runs - there wasn’t much time left to build an empire.
So, passive income sounded like a dream. Still does. Except now I know it’s not some perfect, automatic machine. It takes some work upfront. But after that? It trickles in. Slowly. Like... molasses, sometimes. But it does come.
Here are 5 slightly offbeat but actually doable passive income ideas that don’t require you to sell your soul or have a trust fund. Just a little brain power, a few tools, and patience. Lots of that.
Create a Resume-Building Business Using a WordPress Plugin
Okay, hear me out - this one’s sneaky good.
People suck at making resumes. Like truly. Even the smart ones. Maybe especially the smart ones. But here’s the twist: you don’t have to make the resumes. You just have to offer a way for people to build their own.
There are WordPress plugins - like WP CV Builder or dedicated resume builder tools - that basically let you turn a regular site into a resume-making machine.
You set up a clean interface, slap on a few templates, maybe write a helpful blog post or two ("Common Bad Resume Mistakes To Avoid In 2025" is chef's kiss SEO gold), and you charge a few bucks for access, premium templates, or downloads.
Initial setup? Kind of a headache. Not gonna lie. You’ll Google stuff like “how to connect Stripe to WordPress” and want to scream into your pillow. But once it’s live? You’re sleeping, and someone in New Jersey is paying $4.99 to download their resume. Magic.
If you're already a bit nerdy or into writing (hi, fellow overthinkers), this one’s a gem.
License Your Class Notes or Study Guides
I know. Sounds like cheating. But it’s not. It’s just... capitalism.
If you’re the type of student who takes clean, organized, color-coded notes (I hate you, but also I admire you), then you’re sitting on a passive income goldmine. Sites like Nexus Notes, Stuvia, or even Etsy (yes, really) let you upload your notes and sell them.
I once sold a summary of Wuthering Heights for like $3 a pop. It was... weird. But it paid for coffee for a week. And all I had to do was summarize a toxic relationship between two ghosts.
Be ethical, obviously. Don’t upload test answers or shady stuff. Just help other people study. And yes, use Canva if you want to make it look cute.
Print-on-Demand Merch for... a Niche No One's Tapping
Please don’t make another "coffee & hustle" t-shirt. We have enough.
But... you know what we don’t have? Merch for oddly specific fandoms, in-jokes, or identities. "Introvert Dungeon Master" hoodies. Stickers for neurodivergent grad students. Sarcastic quotes about linguistics professors.
Sites like Redbubble, TeePublic, or even Gumroad let you upload designs and print them only when someone buys. No inventory. No shipping. Just vibes.
If you're not a designer - guess what? Neither was I. I used free templates, basic fonts, and leaned hard into weird, dry humor. I sold a shirt that said “I Cry in Helvetica” and it actually sold. (To one person. But STILL.)
Start a Niche Newsletter (and Monetize Gently)
This one’s for the writers. The ones who over-explain, rant in DMs, and send 2 a.m. essays to their group chat. (Me. That’s me.)
Pick a niche like “Weird History of Common Phrases” or “Spicy Takes on College Life” or “Mental Health for Burnt-Out Students.” Start an email list (use ConvertKit or Beehiiv if you're fancy, Mailchimp if you’re broke), and write.
Once you get even a tiny list like 200 subscribers, you can add affiliate links. Or charge for bonus posts. Or sell a mini-guide. Or, I don’t know, partner with an oat milk brand. The possibilities aren’t endless, but they’re... interesting.
Plus, it scratches the existential itch to say something. And hey, maybe someone listens.
Create a “Chill” Digital Product and Sell It Forever
The trick with this one is in the word “chill.” Don’t go writing a 300-page eBook. Don’t overthink it. Make something small that solves a tiny problem. A Notion planner for ADHD students. A template for budgeting on food stamps. A 5-page zine on how to stop doomscrolling.
Slap it on Gumroad or Etsy. Price it at $2 or $10 or whatever doesn’t make you cringe. Share it in a few Reddit threads, Discords, or on TikTok if you’ve got the guts.
Then... just let it sit.
Will you become a millionaire? No. Will it pay for takeout once a month? Possibly. And that’s enough, sometimes.
One Last Thing
Passive income isn’t really passive at first. It’s awkward and slow and takes a weird kind of stubborn hope. You build, you wait, you tweak, you overanalyze, you give up, then one day you check your email and someone, somewhere, paid you $6.99 for something you made three months ago.
That’s the magic.
So go make a thing. Or five. And maybe one of them... sticks.
