this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2026
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Just wondering as internet "gurus" on platforms like youtube annoy me.

Also i want to someday earn money without having a job or where i am my own boss, but im young and have next too no money, and i have no talent. ive tried the "simple" ways to get a grasp of learning. Ive tried free methods like surveys, games, ebay selling, etc, but i find that those are a waste of time/effort for me atleast and im lucking to break even. I struggle to even learn new things, school pretty much failed to teach me the right way of life.

I feel lost at life right now.

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[–] Console_Modder@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Passive income doesn't exist. If it was possible to make money by doing nothing, everyone would be doing it. Those gurus rent out private jets and sports cars on loans to get your attention, and say "I'll teach you my secrets" to get your money. In exchange you will get some entry level business advice that you can get from a Google search, probably with a hint of misogyny and racism. The closest you can get to a "passive income" realistically would probably be putting money into an investment account at a bank, owning a successful company and hiring people to manage it for you, or owning some property to rent out. Unfortunately, all you already need to have money for, but starting a business is definitely doable. I don't have any experience with starting a business though so I can't give you any advice there.

What I can offer is maybe a different way of looking at things. You were probably told so many things like you need to find your passion and chase your dreams, but I believe that that way of thinking just doesn't work for most people. I think a "dream job" doesnt exist for most people, because your life shouldn't revolve entirely around your job. I believe your job shouldn't be "an End" but it should be "a Means to an End." Your job shouldn't be your life, it should fund the life you want. You said you were young and had no talent, you just haven't found your talent yet. It doesn't need to be your "passion" just something you are good at and wouldn't hate doing everyday. I think starting a business is your best bet if you want a "passive income" and if you have an industry that you already find interesting, you might want to get a job involved in that. Find out how things should be run, and save up some money for a bit so you can branch out on your own. I hope this helps

Edit: fixed some grammar

[–] Fallibilist@feddit.uk 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

Passive income doesn’t exist.

Roughly 5 million USD invested into stock market is enough to live a comfortable middle-class life off the interest.

[–] safesyrup@feddit.org 3 points 2 days ago

Correct, passive income does exist, it's called owning and living off the work of others.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Passive income doesn’t exist.

Roughly 5 million USD invested into stock market is enough to live a comfortable middle-class life off the interest.

...and still have the entire principle upon death. But you you still need $5m to exist when you die?

This means that unless you really have a need to pass on $5 million to your heirs, the number is closer to $2.5M-$3m and live the exact same lifestyle (same income from interest only) by gradually drawing down the principal while also taking the interest. Its impossible to know the year of our actual death (by natural causes), but you can likely get close and reduce the draw down amount to extend the money you have left then.

Even then spending in retirement isn't usually linear anyway. Behaviorally spending will increase substantially when you initially retire for a time as you take your trips and indulge in your leisure activities in the first 5 or maybe 10 years, but your spending will gradually decline anyway as your health limits your activities for the next 10 to 20 years. Only really late in life as you get closer to death does your spending typically go back up (for medical expenses).

Because spending isn't linear and you can drawdown your principal, the number declines again to about $1.5m-$2m needed to live a comfortable middle class lifestyle until death.

[–] Console_Modder@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 day ago (2 children)

And 5 million is more than most people will make in their entire lives. So for the average person who won't get a multi-million dollar loan/inheritance from mommy and daddy, passive income doesn't exist

[–] Fallibilist@feddit.uk 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

..which is a completely different argument than what you started with. You're blatantly moving the goalposts.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

So for the average person who won’t get a multi-million dollar loan/inheritance from mommy and daddy

You don't need a multi-million dollar loan/inheritance to retire with $5 million. You need substantially less and the time for it to compound. A person retiring today with nothing but boring a passive S&P500 investment of $50,000 and 40 years (average working years length) in 1985 would have $5,508,666 right now without ever making another contribution than the first $50k. That's even going through all the financial downturns during that span of 1987 Black Monday stock market crash, Dotcom bubble burst, 9/11, Great Recession, and COVID.

I'm not disagreeing that most people don't have $50k when they turn 18 to put into retirement, but I wanted to point out the power of the passive part of this that it only takes $50k with no other action but time to retire with over $5m.