There was a time when I had exactly one source of income: my 9-to-5 job.
Today, I have built 13 different income streams.
I definitely didn’t create all of them at once. Some took years to build.
Some started because I already had a skill I could turn into income.
Others came from looking at something I was already doing or already owned and asking, “Is there a way this could make money for me?”
Over time, those small decisions added up.
I feel like that’s important to note because when you hear someone say they have 10, 12, or 13 income streams, it can sound completely unrealistic if you’re currently relying on one paycheck.
But you don’t need 13 income streams tomorrow (nor may you ever need 13 income streams).
Just starting with the income stream you have, learning how to manage it well, and then looking for opportunities to build the next one is the best route.
Here are the 13 income streams I’ve built over the years, how they work, and some ideas that may help you start thinking differently about where your own money could come from.
I’ve learned I don’t necessarily want to work more hours to make more money.
I’d rather create assets, build skills, and find ways to make money from work I’ve already done.
That idea shows up again and again in the income streams I’ve built.
13 Income Streams I’ve Built Over the Years
1. Interest From a High-Yield Savings Account
Let’s start with probably the easiest income stream on this list: interest.
If you have an emergency fund or other savings sitting in a traditional savings account earning very little interest, simply moving that money to a high-yield savings account will allow your money to earn more without you doing additional work.
This is one of my favorite examples because you aren’t necessarily saving more money or working more hours.
You’re making a better decision with the money you already have.
Interest rates change, so I wouldn’t get too attached to a particular percentage. Instead, compare what your current account is paying with competitive high-yield savings accounts.
If your money needs to sit somewhere anyway, make sure it’s working for you while it’s just sitting there, here’s my high yield savings account recommendations.
2. Roommate Income
This is one of the income streams that made a much bigger difference for me earlier in my financial journey.
I’ve had roommates for years.
At one point, I had two roommates. Then I increased that to three because I was focused on generating more income.
These days, I’ve cut back to one roommate, which feels ideal for where I am in life now.
And honestly? I actually like having a roommate.
I don’t particularly like living alone, and some of my roommates have become some of my best friends. We’ve traveled together and had experiences together that I probably never would have had if we hadn’t lived together.
Financially, of course, there was another huge benefit.
My home would normally be an expense. But, by renting out rooms, I was able to make my home generate income.
You don’t necessarily need to do this forever, either.
You are in control – you pick and choose who lives with you and who doesn’t.
There may be seasons of your life when you’re willing to sacrifice a little privacy because of what that extra income could help you accomplish financially.
3. Rental Property Income
Over the years, I’ve purchased rental properties.
This one did not happen overnight.
I bought my first place at age 25 and didn’t purchase my first rental until about 10 years later.
After my first rental, I knew I needed another and bought that one about 2 years later, then another 2 years after that.
Those properties have generated thousands of dollars in rental income while also increasing in value over time.
One of the biggest benefits, though, has been having tenants help pay down the mortgages.
Today, I actually no longer have any mortgages on any of my properties.
That didn’t happen because rental property is some magical passive-income strategy where you buy a house and never think about it again.
Sometimes a dryer breaks and I have to replace it. Sometimes a tenant moves out and I have to find someone new.
I’ve dealt with plenty of less-than-fun landlord situations over the years, too. BUT, it has been 100% worth it for me.
I would call rental property semi-passive, not passive.
But I’m incredibly grateful I bought those properties when I did.
They gave me monthly cash flow while tenants helped pay down the debt, and I now own assets that have appreciated over time.
4. Stock Market Investments
My stock market strategy is pretty boring.
And I like it that way.
I’m not sitting at my computer day trading or trying to guess what the market will do tomorrow. I prefer buying investments and holding them for the long term.
Most of the time, I leave that money invested so it can continue growing.
But those investments have also given me options.
For example, when I purchased one of my properties, I was able to sell some investments and use that money toward the down payment.
That’s one reason building wealth has given me so much freedom.
The money I invested years ago can create opportunities for me today.
5. Book Royalties
I’ve written a couple of books over the years, and they created another type of income I really like: royalties.
Writing a book takes work upfront.
But I don’t have to rewrite the book every time someone buys it.
I create the asset once, and multiple people can purchase it.
I may still need to promote it if I want more people to find it, but the actual product already exists.
You’ll notice this idea come up several times on this list:
Do the work once, then find ways for that work to continue creating an income for you.
That has become a major part of how I think about making money.
6. YouTube Ad Revenue
My YouTube videos work similarly.
I can spend hours researching, filming, and editing one video. But once I publish it, that video can continue getting views and generate revenue.
Someone might watch it the day I publish it.
Someone else might discover it a month later.
And someone could potentially find it several years later.
As long as people continue watching monetized content, older videos can continue generating ad revenue.
That’s very different from getting paid only for the hour I’m currently working.
Instead, I’m building a library of content that has the potential to keep working for me.
Not to mention, the hundreds or even thousands of people I am able to help along the way through my free and paid content.
7. Amazon Influencer Income
The Amazon Influencer Program became one of my biggest income streams.
After I was accepted into the program, I started creating short product review style videos and uploading them to Amazon.
If someone watches an eligible video and purchases the product, I can potentially earn a commission.
What’s interesting about this income stream is that I already had many of the skills I needed.
I knew how to create videos because I had been creating YouTube content.
Instead of starting completely from scratch, I took an existing skill and used it in a different way.
Eventually, this became large enough to generate a full-time income for me in a year—even though I wasn’t working a traditional full-time schedule on it.
That experience taught me something I think is incredibly valuable when you’re trying to create another income stream:
Before learning an entirely new skill, look at the skills you already have. Find a new way to monetize them.
8. Affiliate Income
I also earn money through affiliate links.
My approach to affiliate marketing is pretty simple.
If I actually use something, like it, or think it would be helpful to the people reading or watching my content, I could share an affiliate link for it.
Then, if someone purchases through my link, I can earn a commission at no additional cost to them.
Affiliate income works particularly well with content because I’m already talking about products, software, tools, or services I use.
Instead of thinking, “What can I promote so I can make money?” I prefer starting with:
“What would actually be helpful to the person reading this?”
If something I genuinely use solves that problem, recommending it makes sense.
9. Brand Deals and Sponsorships
Another income stream I’ve built through content creation is brand sponsorships.
This is a little different from affiliate income.
With affiliate income, my earnings usually depend on whether someone purchases.
With a brand deal, a company may pay me an agreed-upon amount upfront to create content.
There’s something I really like about knowing exactly what I’ll be paid for the work I’m doing rather than creating something and hoping it eventually generates commissions.
Brand deals aren’t completely passive because I’m actively creating content for a company, but they can be a great way to monetize an audience and the content-creation skills you’ve already developed.
10. Selling Products I Receive
This might be one of the more unusual income streams on my list.
Through the Amazon Influencer Program and content creation, I’ve received a lot of products from sellers.
But I don’t want my house filled with things I don’t need or want.
I’ve donated some products, but I’ve also sold a lot of them.
I’ve held three large yard sales, and each one generated thousands of dollars.
That’s thousands of dollars from items that otherwise could have ended up sitting around my house creating clutter.
This fits into my overall philosophy about money and stuff: I don’t want to keep things simply because I already own them.
If I don’t need something and I’m able to sell it, I would much rather turn that unused item into money.
11. Meta Monetization
I also earn money from content through Meta platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
This is currently a smaller income stream for me, but I see potential in it.
And there’s another theme here that I really like:
Getting more value out of something I’ve already created.
If I create an idea for YouTube or my blog, there may be a way to adapt that idea for Facebook or another platform.
I don’t necessarily have to reinvent the wheel every single time.
If one piece of content can be useful in multiple places—and potentially earn money in multiple places—I want to take advantage of that.
12. Financial Coaching
Not every income stream needs to be passive.
I’ve done financial coaching for years, and this is definitely more of a time-for-money income stream.
But it’s also one of the most rewarding.
When I’m working directly with someone, I get to see what they’re struggling with, help them figure out their next steps, and often hear firsthand about the progress they’re making.
That immediate feedback is something you don’t necessarily get from an investment account or an old YouTube video.
I’ve learned that I like having a combination.
Some income streams give me freedom because they require very little ongoing time.
Others are fulfilling because I get to work directly with people and receive immediate feedback.
13. Online Courses
My courses aren’t currently active, but I’m including them because they played a role in building my wealth.
Courses have the same characteristic I love about books and content.
You can create something once and sell it more than once.
Of course, courses sometimes need updating. Information changes, or you learn how to explain something better.
But you aren’t starting over every time someone purchases.
I was able to take knowledge I already had, organize it into something useful, and help plenty of people with the same resource.
And once again, I had created an asset – something that makes me money, not costs me money.
You Don’t Need 13 Income Streams to Start Building Wealth
This is probably the most important part of this entire post.
I didn’t start with 13 income streams.
I started with one.
I had a regular job and a regular paycheck.
Then I started adding things.
I brought roommates into my home.
I invested.
I bought rental properties.
I wrote books.
I learned how to make videos.
That skill helped me build YouTube income, which later made it easier to create Amazon Influencer videos.
Creating content opened the door to affiliate income and sponsorships.
One thing led to another.
And that’s how I’d encourage you to think about multiple income streams.
You don’t need to look at a list like this and decide you’re going to start five side hustles this weekend.
Instead, ask yourself:
What do I already have that could produce income?
Maybe it’s an extra bedroom.
Maybe it’s money sitting in a low-interest savings account.
Maybe it’s a skill you’ve spent years developing.
Maybe you’ve already created something that could be packaged differently.
Or maybe your first step isn’t another income stream at all. Maybe it’s getting really good at managing and investing the income you already have.
The goal isn’t to have the biggest number of income streams.
For me, the goal has always been freedom.
I like knowing that if one income stream slows down or disappears, it isn’t my only option.
But I also don’t want to spend my entire life obsessing over making more money.
I want to enjoy my life.
That’s why, as I’ve built income streams, I’ve naturally gravitated toward things I enjoy, things I’m already good at, and assets that can continue working after I’ve finished the initial work.
Money is a tool.
And ultimately, I want that tool to help me create a life I actually want to live.
Before You Go, Here Are Some Other Posts You May Love:
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7 Simple Principles That Keep Me Healthy (No Extremes)
8 Simple Habits That Make Your 40s Feel Calm, Confident, and In Control
