Discover the Secret Method That Lets Me Earn £10k Monthly—Even in My Sleep!
Ever caught yourself dreaming of money rolling in while you’re catching some Z’s? Well, it’s not some fantasy reserved for lottery winners or Silicon Valley moguls — folks like Steph Ward have cracked the code on making cash flow effortlessly, turning their knowledge into a money-making machine even as they snooze. Steph, a savvy 34-year-old coach from Market Rasen, Lincs, has nailed the art of passive income by selling online courses that rake in thousands monthly without her clocking extra hours. Curious how you can hop on this gravy train? It’s all about leveraging what you know, setting up your platform, and letting it do the heavy lifting. Think your hobby or side hustle couldn’t possibly pay dividends in your sleep? Think again — from renting out a spare room to blogging or even designing t-shirts, the possibilities are as vast as your imagination. Ready to stop trading time for money and start earning in your downtime? Let’s dive into how you can make your money work as hard as you do… and maybe even harder. LEARN MORE.
WOULD you like to make money while you sleep?
Steph Ward is one of thousands of people not lifting a finger while cash drops into the bank overnight.
The 34-year-old, from Market Rasen, Lincs, runs a coaching business and sells online courses — putting her in the ranks of those with “passive income”.
Here, Mel Hunter explains how you, too, can make thousands of pounds with very little effort.
WHAT IS PASSIVE INCOME?
PASSIVE income is basically money you can make with little to no work.
If you have an idea that you can turn into a money-maker, you’ve struck gold, because it ticks over by itself without you having to worry about it.
Classic examples of passive income include money from a rental property, interest from savings or earnings from investments.
You could also sell expertise through an online course, book or newsletter.
Once you’ve done the work to set it up, people can buy it while you sit back and relax.
You can make up to £1,000 a year tax-free — this is called your “trading allowance”.
Anything earned over this £1,000 threshold in a tax year will be subject to income tax, and you have to report this to HMRC by filling out a tax return.
Remember, you have your £12,570 personal allowance (that’s the annual amount you can earn tax-free), but if you have a main job, it’s likely this will eat up all your personal allowance.
SOUNDS GREAT. HOW DO I DO IT?
FIRST, you need a good idea to monetise. Your starting point is to think about any expertise you have that others don’t.
You could make money by renting out your spare room or driveway, or by sharing what you know about DIY, healthy eating or another subject you are passionate about.
Many people don’t realise that you can charge money for your knowledge, just like Steph does.
She is the founder of Forward Business Solutions (theforward.biz), helping coaches and consultants grow their enterprise.
And in the summer of 2025, she launched The Evergreen Academy to teach people how to build a passive income, like her, without trading time for money.
It’s all based on her experience. She’s written a detailed programme helping people build an online course to share their expertise.
Showing how to turn that knowledge into a business, one of her courses is Evergreen Essentials, which costs £997.
While Steph grafted to set up and promote it, now people can buy it while she sleeps.
Steph, who also offers group or one-to-one coaching, earns £10k-plus a month purely from selling online courses.
Anyone can do it if you can tap in to your knowledge superpower.
Steph, whose work fits around three-year-old son Bentley, says: “Everyone has knowledge that other people can benefit from. You could literally create a course on baking or gardening or any hobby you have.
“You don’t have to be stuck in a nine-to-five job or working for an hourly rate.
“You don’t have to work more hours to earn more money. You can wake up in the morning and have more money in your bank. That is an amazing feeling.”
I HAVE MY IDEA . . . NOW WHAT?
EARNING passive income is easy, but setting your idea up is the hardest part.
Lauren Prentice launched The Business Box during Covid, when her other income plummeted.
Five years on, her 300 subscribers pay £33 a month for a box packed with goodies including stationery and books that appeal to entrepreneurs.
After costs, including paying someone to pack the boxes, she makes around £5,000 profit a month for around ten hours’ work.
Her passive income ticks over while Lauren runs her other businesses, which include coaching people on how to set up their own subscription service.
That success did not happen overnight, though.
Lauren says: “You have to build an audience and that takes time, effort and energy. I networked like crazy on social media, sent out free boxes to business influencers and eventually advertised on Facebook and Instagram.
If you’re prepared to put in the hard work for a year, then you should be able to take your foot off the gas.
“Then it can be largely passive, working around you rather than the other way around.”
She has a two-year-old son, Tavi, and the business fits Lauren’s life, mostly running itself when she took maternity leave three years ago.
“Any work I do now has to be some form of recurring revenue rather than that feeling of being on a constant hamster wheel,” she said.
CAN I USE MY HOBBY OR PASSION?
YES! If you’ve got a hobby or pastime you love to do, see if you can turn it into passive income.
Emma Drew, 37, from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, has been blogging for ten years on makemoneywithoutajob.com and mrspinch.com.
She makes between £500 and £2,500 passive or “semi-passive” — which is where you have to put some work in, but it’s not like a “proper” job — income a month.
She says: “Blogging is by far my biggest passive income earner, from affiliate marketing, adverts and selling digital courses and eBooks.”
She also creates and self- publishes books on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
These include Selling On Vinted: A Step-By-Step Guide and Affiliate Marketing For UK Bloggers, both cost £7.99.
“Nothing beats the feeling of receiving an email saying I have made an affiliate sale that has earned me £30 or selling a digital product overnight,” she said.
HOW ELSE CAN I MAKE PASSIVE INCOME?
THERE are plenty of other ways to make easy money.
If you live in a holiday hotspot, rent out your home, or part of it, at popular times through Airbnb.
You could also lease your spare room, loft space or garage for storage with a website such as stashbee.com. Users make an average of £1,300 a year.
Rent out a furnished room to a lodger and the first £7,500 income is tax free.
Or lease out your driveway, especially if you live near an airport, sports ground, or concert venue. Car space rental platform JustPark says hosts can make up to £3,000 a year.
Any gadgets you have can be hired out on a platform like Hygglo (previously Fat Llama).
Loan out a steam cleaner for around £15 a day. Even lending your stepladder could net £6 daily.
All you have to do is arrange a collection and drop-off.
If you’re artistic, try making money from your designs via print-on-demand marketplaces such as Zazzle or Redbubble.
You create and upload designs and they handle the printing, shipping and customer service.
When someone buys a product featuring your work, you earn royalties — meaning, for example, you could earn £2-£4 when a £20 T-shirt sells.
BEWARE OF THE TAXMAN
IF you are earning passive income from a hobby, you get a £1,000 trading allowance.
It means that you can earn a total of £1,000 from self-employment in a tax year, before you even need to report it to HMRC.
Lauren Harvey, accounts manager at The Accountancy Partnership, says: “Be aware that the trading allowance covers income from all side hustles – you don’t get a £1,000 allowance from each one.
“That said, there is a separate £1,000 property allowance for land and property income, such as from renting your driveway. You can get this alongside the trading allowance.”
If you go over the £1,000 threshold in a tax year, you have to tell HMRC and register as a sole trader or limited company and complete a tax return.
You can still usually earn up to £12,570 in total from all income streams before paying tax.
After that, you will face a tax bill of 20 per cent of your income between £12,571 and £50,270, and more beyond that.
THE YEAR 10,000pts
THE FTSE 100 topped 10,000 points for the first time yesterday as it started 2026 with a bang.
The index saw a rise of more than 1 per cent to 10,046.3, 114.9 points higher, within the first hour, as traders returned after New Year.
The FTSE has teetered close to the milestone in recent months after a knockout year that has seen it rise by 21.5 per cent – the most since 2009.
London’s top tier was bolstered last year by soaring share prices of some of its constituents, including precious metal miners, and defence and financial services.
Defence firms were among stocks leading the charge in thin trading volumes. Rolls-Royce was the top blue chip riser with a 3 per cent gain, followed by Babcock International and BAE Systems, both just under 3 per cent higher.
The sector enjoyed stellar gains in 2025 as geopolitical tensions rose, with Rolls and Babcock seeing their share prices double.
Mining giants also saw big share increases, with silver specialist FRESNILLO 3 per cent ahead.
Oil firm BP lifted 2 per cent after revealing that Meg O’Neill will become its new chief executive in April.
The FTSE 100 shot to record high levels on multiple occasions in 2025. After yesterday’s early surge, it later eased to close at 9,951.14.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “The FTSE 100 breaking through 10,000 points for the first time is a vote of confidence in Britain’s economy and a strong start to 2026.”
MERRY LIDL
LIDL is celebrating a “record-breaking” Christmas as it revealed a ten per cent surge in sales after 51million customers shopped there in the festive run-up.
The German-owned group said its UK business made more than £1.1billion in turnover in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve.
Boss Ryan McDonnell said: “2025 was a record-breaking Christmas for Lidl. By continuing to champion British food, all without compromising on quality, we’ve seen loyalty soar.”
SHOP CHOP
PRESSURE on Britain’s high streets is set to intensify with restructurings and insolvencies expected to tick higher this year, experts warn.
New business rates and a rise in the National Living Wage from April 2026 will pile further costs on restaurants, shops and leisure operators.
There have been restructurings in 2025 at names including River Island, Claire’s and Pizza Hut.
Interpath boss Will Wright said: “We expect an uptick in restructuring.”
JABS FAT LOT OF GOOD
FAT jabs could leave you worse off when you retire, experts warn.
Millions use them. But for those looking to take out a pension annuity, losing weight before you buy one may mean a lower income due to longer life expectancy.
Experts say it may be better to secure a deal before you tackle your weight.
Alan Lakey of Highclere Financial Services said: “It’s playing the system but that’s how it is.”
