Sounds too good to be true, right? I thought the same thing—until it happened. No, I didn’t win a lottery or stumble upon a forgotten stack of cash. I simply used a few clever strategies and tools that generated income with minimal effort. Here’s the full breakdown of how I earned $87 in a single day without breaking a sweat—and how you can do the same.
The Setup: Passive Income in the Digital Age
The idea of making money while you sleep used to be a fantasy. But with the rise of digital platforms and automation tools, passive income is now within reach for nearly anyone with an internet connection. Over time, I’ve experimented with multiple side hustles—some flopped, some fizzled, and a few flourished.
On this particular day, I earned $87 through a combination of three low-effort sources:
- Cashback Apps & Reward Programs – $15
- Selling Digital Products – $52
- Referral Bonuses – $20
Let’s break each one down.
1. Cashback Apps & Reward Programs – $15
Before you roll your eyes—this isn’t about coupon clipping or signing up for 20 spammy apps. I used two legit platforms that reward you for purchases you’d make anyway:
- Rakuten: I made an online purchase of $150 (groceries + household items) using Rakuten, which had a 10% cashback deal running for one of the stores. That alone earned me $15.
- Tip: Stack cashback with credit card points to double-dip on rewards.
🕒 Effort: Less than 5 minutes
💰 Payout: $15
📈 Trick: Use browser extensions—they alert you to cashback opportunities automatically.
2. Selling a Digital Product – $52
A few weeks ago, I created a simple digital product: a budget planner spreadsheet. I listed it on Etsy and Gumroad. On this day, I got 4 purchases on Etsy ($12 each after fees), totaling $48. Plus, one random buyer donated $4 extra on Gumroad (yes, that happens!).
The best part? I didn’t have to lift a finger on the day I earned the money. The product was already live, and everything was automated.
- Platform Used: Etsy + Gumroad
- What Helped: SEO-friendly title, nice-looking thumbnail, and 5-star reviews
🕒 Effort (upfront): About 3 hours to create and list
💰 Payout (that day): $52
📈 Long-term Potential: This product keeps selling every week with zero promotion now.
3. Referral Bonuses – $20
I’m not one to spam friends with referral codes, but I do include referral links in my blog posts and bio. On this particular day, two people signed up for a stock trading app through my link, and I earned $10 per sign-up.
- Platform Used: Webull (but others like Robinhood or Coinbase also offer bonuses)
- Conversion Tip: I linked the referral in a post titled “How to Get Free Stocks with $0 Investment”—it was shared on Reddit, driving organic traffic.
🕒 Effort: 10 minutes to write the blog section
💰 Payout: $20
📈 Bonus: The new users got $5–$15 worth of free stocks too—win-win!
Final Tally: $87 in 24 Hours
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cashback Apps | $15 |
| Digital Product Sales | $52 |
| Referral Bonuses | $20 |
| Total | $87 |
Why This Matters
This isn’t about bragging. It’s proof that money can work for you, even while you sleep, watch Netflix, or go about your day. The key is creating systems that generate small streams of income—and when combined, they add up.
If you’re wondering whether you could replicate this, here’s the good news:
- You don’t need a huge audience.
- You don’t need to be tech-savvy.
- You just need a few hours to set things up, and some patience.
How to Start Earning Doing “Basically Nothing”
- Identify what you can offer once (a digital product, course, or tool).
- Automate delivery using platforms like Etsy, Gumroad, or Teachable.
- Sign up for reward programs that give you cash for everyday spending.
- Place referral links in helpful content, not spammy ads.
- Repeat and scale.
Final Thoughts
The $87 I made in 24 hours isn’t life-changing. But it is eye-opening. It reminded me that income doesn’t always require time-for-money trades. Sometimes, the smartest thing you can do is plant the seed—and let the system do the rest.
If you’re tired of hustle culture and looking for smarter ways to earn, start small. Test one idea. Automate it. Refine. Then scale.
Because doing “basically nothing” never paid so well.
