Struggling with a 15,000 rupee salary? Discover 6 practical passive income ideas for salaried employees to earn extra money and manage family expenses without debt
This post is for those who rush to work at 9:00 AM in the morning, only to find that they aren’t let go promptly at 5:00 PM in the evening. Sometimes it even extends to 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, or even 8:00 PM. For those who think, “To earn this 10,000 or 15,000 rupee salary… at least this is called a monthly salary. But within 10 or 15 days, that salary isn’t enough, and we have to borrow money from neighbors to make ends meet for the rest of the month,” this post is for you.
Passive Income
This post is for those who wish to earn a passive income, in addition to their regular salary, by working a part-time job or using some other idea or their skills, so that they can manage their family better, keep them happy, and save some money starting this year.
This will truly be an eye-opening post for many. Read the post till the end. I’m going to share six passive income ideas.
Types of Income
First, we can divide income into two types:
1.Active Income
2.Passive Income
Active Income
This is the income that comes to us regularly every month. No matter what, when it comes to the monthly salary, whether they pay on the 5th or the 2nd of the month, the money will reach our hands on that date. It’s active every month. There will be no problems with that salary.
Passive Income
This is not the regular income that we receive. The income that comes from our skills, our talent, our efforts, and any other extracurricular activities we engage in using our abilities – that’s what we call passive income.
Most of us, almost 80% of people, rely heavily on active income. We think, “I get a monthly salary, and I can manage my life with that.” But that’s not correct. If we want to progress in life, if we want to earn more money, we can’t plan big things relying solely on active income. We need to start generating passive income as well.
If we want to live a good life, a good lifestyle – I mean, a life where we can live as we like, without borrowing from neighbors, and manage our family well – we definitely need a minimum of 50,000 rupees, right? But when our salary is only 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, or 25,000 rupees, and it’s difficult even to manage the family expenses, how can we live a happy life?
That’s why we absolutely must earn passive income on the side. We’re not going to borrow money, we’re not going to steal, we’re not going to beg anyone. We’re going to explore ways to earn a little more money using the skills we already possess. We’re going to see how to earn money in our free time while still working, by utilizing our skills. I had mentioned I would give you 6 ideas. The first idea is: Rental Services. So, renting things out.
1: Rental Services
When you think of rentals, you probably think of renting out a house, right? But what if you’re already living in a rented house? How can you rent out another house then? If you’re thinking that this won’t work, let me tell you, there are many other ideas. Actually, when we think of rentals, the first thing that comes to mind is renting out a house or a shop, and the income derived from it. Many builders are earning 10 to 15 lakh rupees annually by renting out properties. Just imagine how significant this passive income is!
They work a job elsewhere, earn a salary there, and make lakhs of rupees through that. In addition to that, when they receive 10 to 15 lakh rupees as rental income, imagine how wonderfully they manage their lives. So, we need to think about what we can do to achieve this.
If you don’t own a house, what else can you do? Do you have a bike, a car, a camera, or perhaps a skill like drawing or some kind of handicraft? Or maybe you have a sewing machine at home that’s been lying around for a long time? Because we have one at our house, and I’m thinking of doing something like that. I don’t even know why we have it; it’s just sitting there. We bought it a long time ago, and I don’t have the heart to sell it, nor do I have the time to sew, so it’s just going to waste.
Think about what other items you have at home and how you can make money from them. Why? Because, let’s say you own a bike; you use it for your daily commute. First, make sure you have enough money for petrol and maintenance. Or, if someone asks to borrow your bike to go somewhere, rent it out to them. Tell them it costs a certain amount for the trip. Because bike rental services are booming right now.
Moreover, these services have already started with cabs. Companies like Zoomcar, Ola, Uber, and Rapido are all doing these rental services. Earlier, they were mostly talking about cabs and cars, but now there’s a huge demand for bikes. If you need to book something, bikes are cheaper than autos, and they get you there faster, so many people are choosing bikes. Therefore, you can even rent out your bike. If it’s sitting idle at home for a couple of days, rent it out for those two days. You’ll earn some money, right? You can save that money or use it to manage other expenses. Think like that.
So, if you own a camera, I know that on the website ‘Rentoclick’, they rent out cameras for anywhere from 400 rupees to 13,000 rupees per day. If you rent out your camera, you can get paid a fee ranging from 400 rupees to even 13,000 rupees.
So, let’s say I’m doing a shoot myself, and if I have some free time, and I rent out my camera for someone else’s shoot, the extra money I earn from that is passive income, isn’t it?
My friend’s father is an artist; he does drawings and portraits. So, if you have that kind of skill, why waste it? Many people earn a living, they go to work, a 9 to 5 job, a 9 to 6 job, whatever it may be. But they hide or suppress the talents they possess. Instead, try dusting off those talents and putting them to use. You’ll start earning even more than your monthly salary. Just think about it and take that first step. Wealth creation isn’t about becoming a millionaire overnight. I would say it’s about making gradual efforts towards it. Now, let me tell you the second idea.
2.Social Media
I would say that content is king. Content is everywhere now; oh my, so many creators are booming somehow. They are consistently posting content. We wonder how they speak so knowledgeably. We see a young boy and wonder how he speaks like that. Recently, we’ve been talking about a boy in many places. Many of them might be in different professions; maybe they are makeup artists, or gym trainers, or something like that. But all the content they talk about is based on social issues. I’ve thought a lot about how they manage to pick up and talk about such topics.
There’s a team working behind them. What they do is, they write the content for them, tell them how to speak, edit it, post it at the right time, and correctly handle their Instagram page or other social media pages, helping them grow significantly. When a team is working behind the scenes to push those in front, many people aspire to become prominent on social media, and many are very interested in this. It’s not just this; consider many pages now.
Whether it’s a jewelry shop, a clothing store, a restaurant, or any other kind of shop, promotion, promotion, promotion – and specifically digital marketing – is a booming industry. Whether you consider a small shop or a large business that has been around for 25 or 30 years, those who handle their social media pages correctly are the ones who succeed.
Many others who don’t know how to handle it are struggling. You should go and meet them, talk to them, and explain that you can handle their page, that posting a certain number of posts will increase their page’s reach and audience, and that this audience will then convert into customers and clients. You need to seize that opportunity. We are working on our own projects, but handling social media from the backend provides an extra advantage, doesn’t it? Don’t even think about being afraid to create content or wondering if you’ll do it correctly.
Now there are many AI tools available, be it ChatGPT, Perplexity, or whatever. I use them a lot. Because when we try to do everything ourselves, we tend to overthink whether something is right or wrong. These tools significantly reduce the time we consume. If a task that a human currently performs takes about an hour, and you put the same task online using a script, it can generate an alternative within ten to fifteen minutes, taking into account the idea we have in mind, and design it accordingly. So, there are many platforms available; the key is how we utilize them.
3.Online Tutoring
This is a huge business in the current trend. Why, you ask? Remember I mentioned social media earlier? If you look at why they have so many followers and why they gather so many people on social media, it’s because they are running a business behind the scenes. They are trying to convert all these people into clients or customers for that business. They are using these social media pages as a tool for that purpose.
You see many YouTube channels and many social media pages. For example, we all know that if we want to learn a tailoring course, we would look for courses nearby. My mother, when she was young, used to attend courses conducted by the government. She would get certificates and show them to us; we still have them at home. So, now, if you look at where people are learning these things, why bother going out and searching? There’s no need to go through all that trouble. You can learn from the comfort of your home. That’s why many online tutoring services and YouTube channels have emerged.
After gaining a large number of subscribers, they provide a link to their business, telling people to purchase products there. Until now, we thought of online tutoring as simply giving tuition or teaching children lessons via Google Meet. But there’s an online tutoring trend that’s even bigger than that, and we can do that too. There are weekend classes; if you’re good at math, or if you know Math well, or Social Studies, or Science, whatever it is, whether you’re teaching 12th standard, 10th standard, or even college students, that’s fine. First of all, advertise it, and then students will join you.
That way, we can earn money on the side. You can teach for two hours a day, not continuously, but plan it for three or four days a week. You all know all this, but because no one has taken the initiative, we are all still struggling and bewildered. As far as the education industry is concerned, today, yesterday, and tomorrow – the demand for it will always be there. That’s it, it’s over, and then something else? No. You have to keep learning something; something new keeps coming, and this education industry keeps pushing life forward, always asking, “What’s next? What’s next? What’s next?” Everyone has that desire.
Whether it’s teaching handicrafts or many other things, in the field of education, it’s all about teaching, isn’t it? So, identify what the people need, who your customers are, first of all. Don’t think, “They are doing that; these people are doing this, they have gained so many followers, so I’ll do the same.” Don’t do that. First, identify what you are good at, see how you can strengthen it further, and then present it to your customers. If they like it, they won’t leave you no matter what you do. Through this, you will definitely get a good source of income. We can take Physics Wallah as an example.
They started just like a normal online tutoring service on YouTube, and now their company is listed on the stock market; they have grown so big. When they can do it, we can too. So, the most important thing for all of this is patience. We need to start everything patiently. Don’t think about making money immediately after posting the first video or the second video. First and foremost, your focus should always be on creating valuable content and investing your time wisely.
If someone is watching your video because they trust you, it’s important that the content is genuine and trustworthy. Only after that should you think about money. If you start something just for the sake of money, it won’t be very successful, frankly speaking. So, if you genuinely have a good intention, if you want to teach many people, if you have a talent or a skill that you want to share with others, then this is obviously a good option. Give it a try.
4.Home Kitchen
How many of you work in your hometown? Isn’t working in your hometown a blessing? It’s something many people don’t get. Because we go to other cities for our studies, and then we go to other cities for work. We stay there and work there. Let’s say we can adjust to the accommodation, but the food problem will be a huge issue. Even my family would say, “Oh, poor thing, she’s gone to another city, working and toiling for the family, but she doesn’t eat at the right time, and the food isn’t good either, so her health has deteriorated.” When I visit home, that’s when I feel like I’m having a feast. Eating our sambar, rasam, and side dishes brings so much joy to the heart.
So, the craze for home-cooked food will always be at its peak; it will never diminish. Nowadays, many of us are so conscious about our health, aren’t we? Therefore, think about a Home Kitchen-based business model. Obviously, someone in your family will be a good cook. It could be your mother, or you, or your father—if there’s someone who cooks well, see how you can use that skill and transform it into a business model.
You might wonder if all this is possible, but it is possible, and it’s already happening. I’ve seen many YouTube channels. Initially, they would have done food reviews. By doing food reviews, they would have created a large customer base. After that, they would launch their own brand. So, they would start selling food products. Many people are grinding spices at home and selling them as “homemade spices.” So, all of this is based on the concept of a home kitchen, isn’t it? You don’t necessarily have to cook and serve food; you can even offer spice products.
Many people are currently doing these things correctly and achieving success. That’s why I brought this up as an idea. Because you’re posting videos on YouTube, and if they get a lot of views, you’ll have a separate income from that. At the same time, you’re selling your product, and you’ll get income from that as well. All this is on the side. You’ll also have your regular job that you’re already working. Through this, we can earn anywhere from 60,000 to 1 lakh rupees a month, if we run the business correctly. So, generating passive income is not that difficult. The most important thing is how we generate it and how we execute it.
5.Handmade Crafts
Now, the reason I brought up this point is that when I think about giving a gift to someone, I want it to be unique. If it’s unique, it means no one else should have seen it, it shouldn’t be something everyone has, it should be very original, and it should be customized. And when you give a handmade gift, the soul in it is so beautiful, isn’t it? Personally, I like handmade gifts much more than regular gifts.
That’s when you feel the affection they have for you, how much effort they put into finding and giving you such a gift, right? When you think like that, I’m seriously telling you, there’s so much demand for handmade gifts in the market. If you go to someone and ask for a customized gift, even a small gift costs 2000 or 3000 rupees. But we really like it because it’s handmade and has a lot of heart in it, so we don’t even look at the price. So, there are many people in the market who run such businesses, and they are making good profits.
I know a girl named Radhika, and she makes and sells dolls out of paper. Her business is operating at an international level. That’s also a handmade craft, isn’t it? So, there’s a unique set of customers for it. She’s running it very successfully. And gift items—I mentioned that girl as an example because she’s someone I know, but many people are doing this. If you look at India, it’s a country renowned for its handmade crafts. They make very unique things, especially in the North; they do it even better there. So, there’s a continuous demand.
If you provide a premium product with cultural heritage at a low cost, there’s no competition, I’m serious. You can make home decor products. So, if you’re wondering what to do first, share it with your acquaintances on WhatsApp, put it on your status, and form a group. If one or two people buy, ask for customer reviews. Besides all this, start a page and build it up.
After building it, run ads on social media. If an ad normally reaches 100 people, through ads it will reach 1000 people. If five or ten people become customers out of 100, there’s a chance that 100 people will become customers out of 1000, right? This is how you should continuously expand your business. You might think it’s just a small business, a small idea, and what’s going to happen with it, but it will transform into a big idea and blaze brightly.
6.Event Photography.
Actually, nowadays, it seems like everyone is a photographer or a videographer. Remember how people used to say that in a particular area, everyone was an engineer? Earlier, there would be only one or two, but now everyone seems to be an engineer, and similarly, now everyone seems to be a photographer. Previously, only those with a camera were considered photographers, but now, if you know how to take good photos even with a phone, you’re considered a photographer, right? In this current era, the passion for photography is increasing among many people.
Especially with social media booming so much, obviously, you need to communicate through video, right? So, they are looking for someone to shoot the video and someone to edit the video. When we talk about event photography, it’s not just photography; video editing and camera shooting are all included in this. If you already have a regular job, continue with it, but at the same time, when are you free? If you are free in the evening or on Saturdays and Sundays, try getting a shoot for a sample project. Do the shoot for them, and see if they are satisfied.
This way, first of all, develop your page. After you finish developing your skills, customers will automatically flock to you in large numbers. Then the demand for your services will increase significantly. “I want this person to take my photos; I want this person”—I’m telling you, even if there are 100 photographers in your area, many people will search for a good photographer and go to them, even if they charge more. People are very conscious these days about the fact that if the output isn’t as expected, even if the price is low, it’s a waste, isn’t it? I do the same thing myself.
This is all based on my own experience. These are points that are truly applicable to all of our lives. Many corporate events take place; they conduct a meeting every month. So you can cover the photography and videography for those meetings. Initially, do one or two for free. What? Do it for free? We’re spending a day on it, but there’s nothing wrong with that; it’s an investment. If you do a good job and deliver excellent output, that one event will turn into two events, then four, then eight.
Through that, you’ll get a network of contacts, right? Many people will recommend you. I’m seriously telling you, a great magic will happen. Initially, there might be some ups and downs, but if you adjust to all that, have 100% confidence in your work and deliver your best, you can transform everything wonderfully. So, for each and every one of you who are thinking of achieving something this year, I believe this post will definitely create some kind of—a small change in your mind. Because I’m sharing six passive income ideas, and if even one of these ideas creates an impact in at least one person’s life, I will be very happy.
So, I’ll repeat those six ideas once again:
- Rental Service
- Social Media
- Online Tutoring
- Home Kitchen
- Handmade Crafts
- Event Photography
Not just photography, but we can also include videography and editing. Because there are many creators, but they don’t know how to edit. For example,
I know how to speak, but I don’t know how to edit. Now I need an editor, right? So I pay them. Then they won’t just work for me; they will work as a freelancer for two or three other people as well. All of these are passive income.
I’m seriously telling you, these are 100% workable passive income ideas. The only thing is, it will only happen if we think about it; if we don’t think about it, nothing will happen. First, I have to think that something should happen, right? Similarly, if you think that something should happen, and you put your heart into it, everything will turn out just as you wished and exactly to your liking.
DISCLAIMER
Important Notice: The information shared in this post is for educational and informational purposes only. I am not a SEBI-registered financial advisor. While the passive income ideas mentioned are based on successful real-world models, individual results may vary based on your skills, effort, and market conditions. Before starting any new business or investment, please conduct your own research or consult with a certified financial professional. Any action you take based on this information is strictly at your own risk.