60 Ways on How to Make Money Long-Term
Building an audience or letting an investment compound takes months to years, not days. The highest ceilings on the whole site live here, in exchange for patience most gig work doesn't require.
How to Make Money Long-Term: Quick Answer
The short answer: 60 real ways on this site fit here, spread across 6 categories. YouTube, Twitch, and Amazon FBA (Private Label) rank highest for earning potential in this group.
Of those, 53 cost nothing to start, and 21 need no prior experience at all.
60 ways, by category
Turn things already sitting in your house, closet, or garage into cash. The fastest category here for same-day money, since you're selling something you already have. Here's how to make money long term in this category:
Manufacture or source a private-label product and let Amazon store, pack, and ship it. Realistic starting capital is a few thousand dollars for inventory and fees, well above the site's usual range, but it's a genuine path to a scalable product business.
Get hired nearby for tasks, errands, pet care, or home help through an app that handles the matching and payment. Most need no license or experience to start. Here's how to make money long term in this category:
Buy into a proven local business model, from cleaning to food service, instead of building your own brand from scratch. Real franchise fees run from the low thousands into six figures, this is the highest-capital, highest-commitment option on the whole site.
Build an audience on video, streaming, or newsletters and get paid through ads, memberships, or sponsorships. Highest ceiling on this whole list, but it takes months of consistent output before it pays anything. Here's how to make money long term in this category:
Ad revenue, channel memberships, and sponsorships once you clear the Partner Program thresholds. You'll need to learn filming, scripting, and editing (or pay someone who can), and most channels earn nothing for months before the ceiling gets huge.
Live streaming with income from subscriptions, bits, and ads. You need to be genuinely entertaining or skilled at what you're streaming, plus a decent mic, webcam, and stable internet, and building a real audience takes consistent, scheduled streaming over a long stretch.
A paid email newsletter platform with a built-in subscription and payment system. Works only if you're already a strong, consistent writer with something specific to say, not a way to learn writing from scratch.
Recurring monthly support from fans in exchange for bonus content or early access. Requires an existing skill or audience elsewhere to draw from; Patreon collects payments, it doesn't build a fanbase for you.
Sell your music and merch directly to fans while keeping most of the revenue. The most artist-friendly split around, but you bring the music and the audience; discovery on the platform alone is limited.
Get paid based on how long paying members spend reading your articles. There's no audience to build a platform for and no gear needed, but per-story earnings are modest unless you write consistently and well.
Content monetization for Naver Blog, Korea's dominant native blogging platform: banner ads once a blog hits 90 days old, 100+ average daily visitors, and 50+ posts. Payouts are modest; most real blogger income comes from separate, informal brand sponsorship deals.
Package what you know into a template, ebook, or course and sell it over and over with no shipping and no inventory. Needs real work up front to create, then scales without much added effort per sale. Here's how to make money long term in this category:
Build and sell your own online course under your own brand, with more control over pricing and student data than a marketplace platform gives you.
Sell WordPress themes, HTML templates, and plugins to a huge built-in marketplace. You need real design and code skills and have to pass a strict review, but a single popular theme can earn for years with only occasional updates.
Self-publish ebooks and print-on-demand paperbacks to the biggest bookstore on earth, keeping most of the royalty. Writing and editing a book that actually sells is the hard part, but there's no inventory and it pays out monthly for years.
Create and sell lesson plans, worksheets, and classroom activities to other teachers. It rewards real teaching experience and takes a while to build a catalog, but popular resources sell on their own for years.
A course marketplace with built-in traffic and frequent sales, in exchange for lower revenue share and less control over your price than selling direct.
Sell online courses, digital downloads, and community memberships from one platform with no per-sale fees on paid plans. Building the course or community is the real work; the tools are beginner-friendly.
Record a class once and earn royalties based on how many minutes members watch it. You need real expertise and decent production, and it takes months of watch-time to build up, but a popular class pays month after month.
Design templates, elements, or photos and earn a royalty each time a Canva user uses one in their own design. It rewards volume and a good eye for what people need, and a strong portfolio keeps paying passively.
Sell your music and merch directly to fans while keeping most of the revenue. The most artist-friendly split around, but you bring the music and the audience; discovery on the platform alone is limited.
Upload photos, video clips, and illustrations and earn a royalty every time someone licenses one. Pay per download is small and it takes a large, high-quality library to add up, but a good back catalog keeps earning passively.
Earn a commission by recommending other companies' products through a unique referral link. The networks are free to join, but the real work is having an audience that trusts you; with no traffic or followers, there is nothing to earn. Here's how to make money long term in this category:
One of the oldest and biggest affiliate networks, home to many major retail and travel brands. Powerful once you have an audience, but it leans toward established publishers and can deactivate accounts that go long without sales.
A modern partnership platform used by a lot of well-known direct-to-consumer and SaaS brands. Clean tools and strong programs, but it is built for creators and publishers who already have reach.
A global affiliate network with a huge range of brands across retail, finance, and travel. Joining takes a small deposit that is refunded from your first earnings, and you still bring your own audience.
A large affiliate network connecting you to thousands of merchant programs in one dashboard. Free to join and well established, though you still need traffic and you apply to each merchant's program individually.
An established network with access to many big-name retail brands. Reliable payments and strong merchants, but approval and the best programs favor publishers who already have traffic.
The default on-ramp to affiliate marketing: earn a small percentage when someone buys through your link to any Amazon product. Commission rates are low and cookies only last 24 hours, but the sheer range of products and Amazon's trust make it the easiest place to start.
A marketplace of mostly digital products with unusually high commission rates, often 50 percent or more. The upside is real, but product quality varies a lot, so only promote things you would actually stand behind.
A creator-first platform for turning fashion, beauty, and lifestyle recommendations into shoppable, commissionable links. Built for social creators, so it rewards an engaged following and is application-based rather than open to everyone.
A creator commissions platform that lets you build shoppable storefronts and earn on the products you recommend, often at higher rates than open networks. Aimed at creators with an existing audience.
Automatically turns ordinary product mentions in your articles into affiliate links across thousands of merchants. Low effort to run once installed, but per-click earnings are small and it only pays off with real content traffic.
Brazilian-founded platform for buying, selling, or promoting digital products (courses, ebooks); as an affiliate, pick from over 580,000 products and earn commission on sales via a free account. Income is commission-only and unpredictable without an existing audience or paid traffic.
Official affiliate program for Shopee, the Philippines' largest e-commerce platform (Sea Ltd, publicly traded); base commission 3.5 to 10 percent, paid monthly to bank or ShopeePay. Requires 1,000+ followers on a major platform and recent posting activity to qualify.
Official TikTok Shop creator affiliate program in the Philippines; commission (roughly 5 to 15 percent or more) is set per seller, with GCash payout support. Payout can take weeks to months due to order-validation holds, and follower thresholds vary by entry path.
Earn 9 to 11% commission promoting product links for Jumia, Africa's largest e-commerce platform (NYSE-listed), or resell orders via the JForce program. Free to join, no upfront cost; commissions are lead-dependent, so realistic income needs real traffic or referrals.
Affiliate program for Poland's largest price-comparison site; bloggers and creators earn commission when referred users buy through Ceneo, on a 90-day cookie window. Requires an existing audience or content channel.
Affiliate program for Chile's largest department store chain: earn 6 to 15 percent commission promoting Falabella products via tracked links, paid via bank transfer. Requires an existing public social media presence and holds commissions 45 to 75 days before paying out.
Earn up to 9% commission on referred sales via a unique tracking link for Konga, one of Nigeria's oldest e-commerce platforms; free to join, paid monthly. Income is variable and audience-dependent, not guaranteed.
Official affiliate program for Lazada, an Alibaba Group e-commerce platform active across Malaysia and Vietnam; commission runs roughly 4.5 to 10 percent by category, paid after a threshold. Free to join, but income is entirely audience-dependent, not passive.
Mercado Libre's own Argentina-market affiliate program: generate a personal link to any listed product and earn up to 15-24% commission on resulting sales, paid into Mercado Pago. Real catch: a 30,000 ARS minimum payout threshold with roughly a two-month payment delay.
Affiliate program for Noon, a genuinely UAE-headquartered (Dubai) e-commerce platform, not a rebadged global brand. Commission-based and entirely dependent on an existing audience; verify current commission terms directly with Noon or a recognized MENA affiliate network before promoting.
Affiliate program for Klook, a genuinely Hong-Kong-headquartered travel and activities booking company; commission runs 2 to 8 percent on bookings, reversed if the booking is cancelled. Realistic income needs an audience that actually books travel.
Get paid by the hour to teach a subject, language, or skill you already know, one-on-one over video or in person. Steadier and better-paying per hour than most gig work. Here's how to make money long term in this category:
Create and sell lesson plans, worksheets, and classroom activities to other teachers. It rewards real teaching experience and takes a while to build a catalog, but popular resources sell on their own for years.
Put idle cash to work over months and years instead of leaving it earning nothing. General information only, not personalized financial advice, and values can go up as well as down. Here's how to make money long term in this category:
Buying a broad market index fund through a standard brokerage account is the classic long-horizon way to grow money you don't need soon. General information only, not advice; returns aren't guaranteed and the value can go down as well as up.
A real estate investment platform (REITs) with a low minimum, giving access to property income without buying or managing a building yourself. Real estate returns aren't guaranteed and funds can be less liquid than stocks.
A commission-free brokerage app for buying stocks, ETFs, bonds, and more, with fractional shares so you can start small. General information only, not advice; investments can lose value and nothing here is guaranteed.
A robo-advisor that builds and manages a diversified portfolio for you based on your goals, for a small annual fee. General information only, not advice; markets go down as well as up and returns are never guaranteed.
Buy fractional shares of individual rental homes for around a hundred dollars and collect a slice of the rent. General information only, not advice; property values and rental income can fall, and shares are hard to sell quickly.
Canadian investing, trading, and chequing app, IIROC-regulated, majority owned by Power Corporation of Canada. General information only, not personalized financial advice; CIPF protects up to $1,000,000 against firm insolvency, not against market losses. General information only, not advice; investments can fall as well as rise and returns aren't guaranteed.
Canadian discount brokerage operating since 1999, independent of the big banks, with $0-minimum self-directed accounts. General information only, not personalized financial advice; CIPF and supplemental private insurance cover firm failure, not investment losses. General information only, not advice; investments can fall as well as rise and returns aren't guaranteed.
Commission-free UK/EU investing app, FCA-authorised, with a free Stocks and Shares ISA. General information only, not personalized financial advice; FSCS protects up to £85,000 against firm failure, not against investment losses, which are always possible. Capital is at risk: investments can fall as well as rise and returns aren't guaranteed.
UK commission-free share-dealing app, FCA-authorised (FRN 783189), with paid tiers unlocking ISA and SIPP access. General information only, not personalized financial advice; FSCS protects against firm failure, not market losses. Capital is at risk: investments can fall as well as rise and returns aren't guaranteed.
UK DIY ETF investing platform, FCA-authorised, commission-free on self-managed portfolios with a 0.25% fee on the managed tier. General information only, not personalized financial advice; FSCS covers firm failure, not investment performance. Capital is at risk: investments can fall as well as rise and returns aren't guaranteed.
Refer people to India's largest stockbroker and earn a share of rewards through Zerodha's referral program; terms have changed over time, so check current conditions in-app before relying on a specific payout. General information only, not personalized financial advice, and investments can lose value.
Refer friends to open an account on Groww, a large, regulated Indian investing app, and both sides get a small cash reward after KYC. General information only, not personalized financial advice, and terms can change without notice. General information only, not advice; investments can lose value and returns aren't guaranteed.
UK app combining round-up investing with cash savings, FCA-regulated since 2016. General information only, not personalized financial advice; cash savings are separately protected up to £120,000 via the underlying bank, investments only up to £85,000 for firm failure. Capital is at risk: investments can fall as well as rise and returns aren't guaranteed.
UK robo-investing platform owned by Aviva, a FTSE 100 insurer, charging a 0.6% management fee plus underlying fund costs. General information only, not personalized financial advice; FSCS protects against firm failure, not market losses. Capital is at risk: investments can fall as well as rise and returns aren't guaranteed.
Rounds up everyday purchases to the nearest dollar and invests the spare change automatically. A low-friction way to start investing small amounts without thinking about it. General information only, not advice; the money is invested, so its value can go down as well as up.
Digital-only Canadian bank (a division of Equitable Bank) offering high-interest savings and chequing accounts. General information only, not personalized financial advice; deposits are CDIC-insured up to $100,000. Trustpilot reviews cite transfer delays as a real friction point. Rates can change at any time and aren't guaranteed.
ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market) FSRA-regulated robo-investing app for UAE residents, client assets custodied via a regulated bank. General information only, not personalized financial advice; this is a savings and investing tool, not an income source, and investments can lose value.
Vancouver-founded prepaid Mastercard and savings app with rotating cashback and interest on its paid tier; funds are held in trust at a CDIC member, giving CDIC coverage up to $100,000. General information only, not personalized financial advice; reviews cite mixed customer-support responsiveness. Rates and cashback terms can change at any time and aren't guaranteed.
The Mexican federal government's own retail investment platform (operated by NAFIN), letting any adult with a CURP, RFC, and bank account buy government debt starting at 100 MXN, with no commissions. General information only, not personalized financial advice; this tracks short-term interest rates, not high yield, and is a savings vehicle, not a job. General information only, not advice; yields change with each auction and aren't guaranteed.
US government savings bonds with a rate tied to inflation, bought directly with no broker or fees. Among the lowest-risk options here, with a required one-year minimum hold.
An FDIC-insured online savings account paying meaningfully more interest than a typical bank. Not an income, but the lowest-risk way to make idle cash earn something instead of nothing. Rates change, so compare a few before opening one.
Frequently asked questions
Can you really make money long term?
Yes, 60 ways on this site realistically pay out long term, spread across 6 categories. None of them need longer than that to reach a first payout.
What's the best way to make money long term?
YouTube has the highest earning potential in this group, 90/100. Ad revenue, channel memberships, and sponsorships once you clear the Partner Program thresholds. You'll need to learn filming, scripting, and editing (or pay someone who can), and most channels earn nothing for months before the ceiling gets huge.