The Lazy Beginner's Guide to Making Money Online in 2025
Discover the easiest, low-effort ways to earn money online as a complete beginner. Learn about affiliate marketing, investing, and dropshipping with expert insights and actionable tips.
Why Now is the Best Time to Make Money Online
We're living in a time where opportunities to make money online are bigger and better than ever before. The barrier to entry has never been lower, and with the right strategies, you can unlock financial freedom, time freedom, and location freedom. As someone who has made millions online, I’m here to break down the laziest ways to make money online in 2025 with minimal effort, cost, and risk.
1. Affiliate Marketing Through Short-Form Content
Affiliate marketing is one of the simplest ways to make money online. Here’s how it works:
- Find brands, companies, or products you enjoy.
- Check if they have an affiliate program.
- Promote their products through short-form content (e.g., TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts).
- Earn a commission for every sale made through your affiliate link.
The easiest way to start is by creating an Amazon Storefront or promoting digital products through platforms like Impact.com or CJ.com.
Effort Level: Medium
While creating short-form content is relatively easy, mastering storytelling and creating viral videos takes time. However, once you’ve created a viral video, it can generate passive income for months or even years.
Cost: Low
All you need is a phone and an internet connection.You likely already have both.
Risk: Low
There’s no upfront cost, so the only risk is your time. But in the beginning, it’s better to lose time than money.
Potential: High
There’s no cap on how much you can earn. Many affiliate marketers, including myself, make millions annually. For example, live streamers promoting gambling sites often earn millions per month.
Verdict: Affiliate marketing gets an A for its high potential and low risk.
2. Investing: The Double-Edged Sword
Investing in meme coins, NFTs, crypto, stock options, or forex can be incredibly lucrative but comes with significant risks.
Effort Level: Low to High
If you’re simply investing in trending assets, the effort is low. However, analyzing charts and making informed trades requires significant skill and effort.
Cost: High
To make meaningful returns, you need a substantial upfront investment. A minimum of $10,000 is recommended for safer trading.
Risk: Infinite
You can lose everything you invest, especially with volatile assets like meme coins and NFTs.
Potential: High
While the potential for high returns exists, the associated risks make this a less reliable income source.
Verdict: Investing gets a D due to its high risk and low reliability for beginners.
3. Dropshipping: The Ultimate Lazy Side Hustle
Dropshipping involves selling products on your website without holding inventory. When a customer places an order, the manufacturer ships the product directly to them.
Effort Level: Low
With platforms like YourFirst.Store, you can get a fully built Shopify store with winning products for free. They even provide a 6-hour course to help you scale your store to six figures.
Cost: Minimal
You only need $2 to start: $1 for a Shopify plan and $1 for AutoDS, a tool that automates order fulfillment.
Risk: Almost Zero
With minimal upfront investment and no inventory risk, dropshipping is one of the safest online business models.
Potential: Limitless
Dropshipping can evolve into a full-fledged brand with inventory, employees, and influencers. Some dropshipping businesses sell for hundreds of millions of dollars.
Verdict: Dropshipping gets an A+ for its low effort, minimal cost, and high potential.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for the laziest ways to make money online in 2025, affiliate marketing and dropshipping are your best bets. Both offer low risk, minimal upfront costs, and high earning potential. Investing, while tempting, is better suited for preserving wealth rather than building it.
Remember, the key to success is consistency and learning. Start small, stay committed, and you’ll be on your way to financial freedom in no time.






