Lately I’ve been thinking about a question: why do so many people earn ten years’ worth of wages and still can’t save much money? I’ve realized the key is that many people only know how to “trade labor for money,” but never think about “making money work on its own.” That’s the core idea behind passive income.

To be honest, passive income isn’t exclusive to the wealthy. People around me—office workers, small investors, and even students who are still studying—have the opportunity to build their own “money making money” system. It’s just that most people don’t know where to start.

Let me clarify two things first. First, passive income doesn’t mean getting something for nothing—it requires upfront investment of time or money, and only then can it generate returns steadily. Second, passive income usually won’t make you rich overnight, but if you stick with it for five or ten years, the accumulated amount can be quite substantial.

So what exactly is passive income? Simply put, it’s money that comes in without you having to work every day. Unlike employees who stop earning as soon as they resign, passive income can keep flowing in until one day it fully covers your daily expenses—at that point, you’ve achieved the financial freedom everyone envies.

Now let me list some passive income options ordinary people can do.

The simplest is a bank fixed deposit. If you have some spare money, put it into a fixed deposit for three to five years, and the annual interest can be used as spending money. Using the current 2–3 year fixed deposit rate of 1.625% as an example, if you deposit 4 million, you’ll get more than 5,000 in interest per month. For small investors, this is effortless passive income. Students can also start early by building the habit: save a little each month and put it into fixed deposits, laying the groundwork for your future “money making money.”

The second is regularly clearing out idle items at home. Clothes, appliances, books, phones—everything can be listed and sold on second-hand platforms. Even though the amounts may not be large, you can recover your costs and free up space at the same time—two birds with one stone.

If you have a particular skill, you can record online courses. For example, PS for beginners, photography techniques, language teaching—once you record it, you can sell it repeatedly, saving time while continuing to generate profit.

For anime fans, collecting limited-edition figures is also an option. If you manage to get limited authentic items, reselling them at auctions could fetch several times the original price. But that requires both good judgment and luck.

If you have spare cameras, bags, or even luxury cars, you can entrust them to rental companies to rent out. Professional damage compensation clauses can protect you, making it safer than renting the items out yourself.

Many people keep pets. When they travel for business, many are willing to ask neighbors to take care of their pets rather than using unfamiliar pet stores. By helping to walk the dog, feed the pets, and handle other daily tasks, you can earn some extra money—provided you don’t dislike small animals.

One level up from that is buying financial products. Stocks, funds, and bonds all come with different levels of risk and returns. If you think stock research is too complicated, you can consider ETFs or money market funds—lower barriers and more convenient.

Being a landlord is an even bigger investment. Buy a property to rent out, and rent comes in every month. But the rent must cover your monthly mortgage payments and still leave some surplus—otherwise, it’s meaningless.

There’s also dropshipping for online stores. Find a supplier, set the price and product descriptions. Once customers place orders, the supplier ships directly to the customers, and you only need to answer questions online. This model suits low-margin, high-volume products, such as small home items and storage bags.

Finally, there’s cryptocurrency mining, but this comes with very high risk and requires in-depth knowledge of the market.

The issue now is that each of these methods has its own pros and cons. Fixed bank deposits are the safest but offer lower returns; financial products may offer higher returns but carry higher risk; being a landlord requires a large amount of capital; dropshipping needs ongoing operations.

I want to remind you that passive income is not completely risk-free. Financial products may lose value, tenants may damage the property, and collectibles may depreciate. So don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Also, until passive income can fully support your life, never quit your job. It should be a “nice-to-have,” not a “lifeline.” Especially for students—while passive income is still in its early stage—you should focus mainly on your day job.

One last mindset issue: many people give up after a few months without seeing big money. But look at it from another angle—if a student earns 20,000 yuan in passive income in a year, then after four or five years it adds up to 100,000 yuan, which is enough to buy a decent Apple computer. Time turns small numbers into big ones.

In short, there are far more than these ten ways to earn passive income, and there is no absolute “best plan.” The right one for you is simply a legal, stable method of generating income that doesn’t take too much time. Having something is better than having nothing—the key is to take action and start.