13 Best Ways To Make Money on Autopilot in 2024

Are you looking for ways to make money on autopilot? No one doesn’t want to make money without having to lift a finger. It’s one of the best ways to create a passive income stream. 

The idea of making money while you sleep or going about your normal activities is great. But it may seem complicated and scary.

However, it’s a noble venture that allows you to earn extra cash and supplement your main income. 

In this article, I’ll go over the 13 best options, and you’ll be on your way to making autopilot cash!

What Does It Mean to Make Money on Autopilot?

Making money on autopilot simply means investing funds or resources in ventures that give you returns with little to zero effort. 

For example, if you put a portion of your paycheck in a savings account, you’ll earn interest on autopilot.

Can You Really Make Money on Autopilot?

Yes, several autopilot money-making ideas are realistic and achievable. Some will give you returns within months or weeks. 

Most ways to earn an income on autopilot involve starting a passive side hustle or a side hustle that needs upfront work before it becomes passive. 

Other methods of making money on autopilot involve investing in assets that pay you without having to put in any effort.

15 Best Ways to Make Money on Autopilot

There are two sure ways to earn an income on autopilot. You can start a side job that won’t need your presence after a while. The other one is investing in income-generating assets that don’t need your presence.

The 15 ways I’m going to cover below use these two approaches.  

1. Invest in Real Estate

Owning rental properties is one of the most popular methods to make money on autopilot. 

You don’t need thousands of dollars to invest in real estate. Thanks to online experts, investing in real estate is now easier and more convenient with real estate crowdfunding companies like Fundrise. 

To earn money through real estate crowdfunding companies, you contribute funds and become a shareholder in a given property. As an investor, you don’t need to buy the entire building.

You will have a share of the income generated from the property.  

Some companies run online platforms where stakeholders can review real estate asset options and decide on the best ones. 

This is a perfect way to earn passive income if you can’t afford to buy properties alone. You can join Fundrise and contribute the little you have to become a shareholder.   

2. Invest in Dividend Stocks and ETFs

While they may appear old school, investing in dividend stocks and ETFs is an excellent way to make money on autopilot. 

With stocks and ETFs, you can get annual or quarterly returns depending on your investment.

How and where you invest your money is very important. You must be keen to choose stocks and ETFs with a proven track record to perform.

Also, consider your risk tolerance. Speaking to a finance professional before making any investment decisions may be worth it. 

You need to open a brokerage account to invest in stocks and ETFs. However, brokerage accounts come with high commissions. 

The best way is to use financial technologies companies like SoFi and M1 Finance. Most of these companies allow you to invest in stocks and ETFs commission-free, making them  

3. Open High-Yield Savings Accounts

Opening high-yielding savings accounts gives you cash flow without breaking a sweat. 

There are many reputable online money apps and banks where you can open high-yield savings accounts. The good thing with these financial institutions is that you can access your funds on the go. 

Most mobile money apps offer attractive annual percentage yields (APY) to grow your savings.

For example, with Current’s Savings Pods, you can earn up to 4% APY on your savings if you set up and maintain a qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more.

While high-yield savings accounts offer competitive interest rates, you must meet specific requirements, such as:

• Initial deposit
• Setting up a direct deposit
• Maintaining a minimum account balance
• Monthly fees

4. Start a Blog

Starting a blog is an incredible way to generate a stable passive income. Some bloggers are making more than six figures through blogging.

Blogs have huge income potential. All you need to do is choose a niche or topic you’re interested in, create high-quality content, and build traffic over time.

The best part of blogging is that there are several monetization options, including:

• Affiliate marketing
• Sponsored posts
• Running ads with companies like Adsense, AdThrive, and Mediavine.
• Selling your own products and services

To make this an autopilot gig, you’ll need funds to outsource content writing and editing, wait for your blog to drive massive traffic, and ultimately monetize.

It’ll take time for this autopilot money-making idea to bring in some income. But if you’re patient enough, you can make a killing off blogging.

5. Start a YouTube Channel

Like starting a blog, YouTube channels are new autopilot money-making strategies. 

You may have to wait for a while to monetize your channel as you build the subscriber base and enough following. YouTube pays content creators based on the number of likes, views, and subscribers. 

Since the platform has stiff competition, choose a niche with viral potential. For example, you can create top 10 style, animation videos, or how-to” tutorials. 

Most people don’t view YouTube as a way to earn income on autopilot because you must put in the effort upfront.

To make money on autopilot with a youtube channel, you can create the videos and outsource script writing and editing. 

Just like starting a blog, earning passive income from a YouTube channel will take time. But if you understand YouTube SEO, the entire process will be easier.

6. Use Cash Back Apps

Cash back apps let you earn a percentage of the money you spend on everyday purchases, such as groceries and gas. 

When you make a purchase on qualifying items at a retail store that partners with the app, you earn cash back in the form of a percentage. 

Once your rewards reach a certain redemption threshold, you can redeem them for various prizes, including gift cards or PayPal cash.

Rakuten is my favorite cash back app. If you’ve used apps like Fetch Rewards, you’re probably familiar with Rakuten. 

With Rakuten, you can shop at popular retail stores on the app and earn back a small percentage of what you spend. Watch your rewards grow the get paid via PayPal or check. Rakuten currently has a $10 sign up bonus. 

Other popular cash-back apps include:

• Upside
• Drop
• Ibotta
• Pogo
• Coupons.com
• Receipt Hog
• Coinout
• Honey

7. Rent Out Assets You Own

Renting out your assets is another great way to make money on autopilot. 

Some of the things you can rent out for money include:

• Your car with companies like Turo and Avis
• A spare room or a holiday home
• Electronics
• Storage space with Neighbor

Renting out the assets you’re not using can become an excellent way to make passive income, especially if they’re in top condition. 

To reap big from your assets, ensure they’re well secured, offer quality customer services, and make the environment conducive for clients. 

Leverage social media platforms to market your assets and reach more customers. 

8. Create an Online Course

Creating an online course for people to watch or download is an excellent way to earn money when sleeping. 

If you can teach people how to cook, digital marketing, or design, create a video tutorial, audio, or pdf course and sell it online.  

There’s a lot of free information on creating online courses on the internet. So, you don’t need anyone to teach you. Pick an area you’re most comfortable with and create an engaging and informative course. 

Once your course is ready, market it on different channels, including online course platforms, social media, and your website if you have one. 

9. Affiliate Marketing

One of the easiest ways to make money on autopilot is being an affiliate marketer. 

With affiliate marketing, you’re the salesperson for a product you want to promote. Rather than knocking on the doors, affiliate marketing allows you to do that online.

The advantage of this method over the analog option is that you can reach more customers worldwide.

By monetizing the product links on your website or YoutTube, you get paid when someone signs up or purchases through the link. 

The more customers who click the link or purchase the product, the more money you make. To make the most out of affiliate marketing, be honest with your product reviews.

10. Open a Rewards Checking Account

If you’re a frequent debit card user, a rewards checking account can help you earn several perks, such as cashback each time you make purchases using the card. 

Most rewards checking accounts don’t charge an annual fee, as with most credit cards that give cash back. So you don’t have to worry about extra charges.  

For example, SoFi Checking and Savings is a no-fee online bank account that lets you earn up to 3.75% APY on your deposits.

What I like about the checking and savings account from SoFi is that you can earn up to 15% cash back when you shop at local retailers and use your SoFi debit card.

If debit cards aren’t your thing, choosing a high-yield savings account is the best option. You’ll earn higher interest on your idle cash.

11. Start a Print on Demand Business

Print-on-demand business model lets you make money by uploading product designs online. 

Whether you’re an artist, writer, or designer, selling physical products can be a great way to monetize your creativity.

All you need to do is create a storefront on marketplaces like Etsy, upload your designs, and market them. You only need to print the products upon request.

That means there are no upfront expenses until a customer expresses interest in paying for the product. 

Grandview Research projected that the PoD industry will grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.1% between 2022 and 2030.

With such a promising future, you can tap into this industry if you have artistic talent. 

12. Utilize Micro Investing Apps

Micro-investing apps make it possible to save and earn without any effort. As such, it’s one of the best ways to make money on autopilot.

These apps make it possible to save your spare change. In the process, you end up building an extensive portfolio while creating a constant saving pattern. 

Acorns is one of the common micro-investing apps, and it’s suitable for starters. It has a round-up feature that automatically invests your spare change. Let’s say you purchase an item for $3.25; Acorns would round up that purchase to $4 and invests the $0.75 on your behalf.

You can also earn cash back rewards for shopping at various popular retailers. Besides, Acorns has a chrome extension, where you can earn investments while browsing your computer or phone.

Other great micro-investing apps include:

• Betterment 
• SoFi
• M1 Finance
• Plynk
• Stash

13. Open Crypto Interest Accounts

There are several ways you can earn passive income on digital currencies. You can earn interest on your crypto holding through staking and lending. 

Staking in interest-bearing accounts is a sure way to earn extra money on autopilot. You can earn up to 15% APY, depending on the crypto exchange.

Some of the most popular crypto exchanges to earn interest in crypto include:

• Gemini
• Kraken
• KuCoin
• Coinbase

Carefully research the cryptocurrencies you want to invest in before staking your hard-earned cash. While it’s a lucrative autopilot gig, don’t invest more than you can’t afford to lose.

Tips For Making Money on Autopilot

Even with all these options, creating a stable passive income-generating venture can be challenging. Utilize the tips below to boost your chances of success:

• Broaden your options: Be flexible in your autopilot idea. Combining several ideas with similar strategies is a great way to boost income. For example, if you’re a blogger, you can combine blogging with affiliate marketing. The two will have higher returns than concentrating on one. 
• Increase your investment: Consider reinvesting the cash you collect from your autopilot money-making method. Find a way to inject the proceeds back to make it more thriving. You can add more stock, advertise or hire someone to manage the venture. 
• Have a target: Setting an income target helps you select the best and most paying autopilot money idea. Doing that will help you to remain focused until you achieve the desired results. 

Final Thoughts

Having explored the various ways to make money on autopilot, it’s time to pick the best ones based on your needs. And you’ll be on your way to earning passive income. 

Consider your time, experience, talent, and the amount you want to invest in your side hustle. These should guide you to pick the most desirable method for you and start generating passive income. 

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