My 10 Sources Of Income At Age 37

The Journey from Teaching to Financial Independence

🖥️ Reading time: 5 minutes

Five years ago, seven of my income streams didn’t even exist in my life. Back then, I was just a public school teacher in California with a single source of income — my teaching salary. I believed that financial success came from working hard, climbing the career ladder, and eventually "making it."

But here’s the problem: Active income is risky.

1. There’s a ceiling on how much you can earn.
2. You trade time for money, which limits your potential.
3. If you lose your job, your only income source is gone.

It wasn’t until 2020 that I realized I needed to diversify my income streams to achieve true financial freedom. Now, I have multiple streams of income — both passive and active — and I built them while still working my 9-5.

Let’s dive in!

1. YouTube AdSense – $4,000/Month

One of my best passive income sources is YouTube AdSense. My channel generates around $4,000 per month just from YouTube ads.

Here’s how it works:

• You need 4,000 watch hours on your videos and 1,000 subscribers to qualify.
• Once eligible, YouTube places ads on your videos, and you earn commissions.

YouTube is a fantastic platform to generate passive income once you build a loyal audience.

2. Meta Bonuses – $5,000 to $10,000/Month

Meta (formerly Facebook) offers content creators bonus programs based on engagement. This means that the more engagement my posts get on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, the more I earn.

• Earnings fluctuate based on engagement and Meta’s current bonus programs.
• Threads (Meta’s Twitter alternative) is invitation-only right now, but it’s an emerging income opportunity.

While it’s another solid passive income stream, it’s highly volatile. If Meta changes its rules, my earnings can shift drastically.

3. Dividend Investing – Thousands Per Quarter

I absolutely love dividend investing because it’s 100% passive once your portfolio is set up. Also, I have an automated monthly withdrawal from my bank account into my trading account, so every month my portfolio gets bigger and bigger.

• Dividends are payments companies make to shareholders from their profits.
• I primarily invest in ETFs (SPY, SPLG, QQQ, QQQM, and SCHD).
• I also own dividend-paying stocks like Visa, Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia.

Every quarter, I get paid just for holding these stocks. No extra work required!

4. Community Platform – Membership Income

I run two private communities. These communities allow me to help people achieve financial success while earning recurring membership income. Because people are at different stages of their wealth journey, I have two communities.

• Road to $100K Community – Helps beginners invest in ETFs to reach their first $100,000.
• Journey to Financial Freedom Community – A more advanced group focused on generating passive income using my PAID strategy (Premiums from covered calls, Asset appreciation, Interest from money markets, and Dividend collection).

5. Teaching – My Original Active Income

Before becoming a full-time content creator, I was a public school teacher in California making around $75,000 per year.

The problem? My salary was fixed, and I had no control over how much I earned. That’s why I started looking for alternative income streams.

6. Tutoring – Up to $15,000/Month

My tutoring business started back in 2006 when a parent asked me to tutor their child. Over time, I built a tutoring practice where I taught small groups of students, charging $50 per session.

At my peak, I made $10,000–$15,000 per month by focusing on high-income families. However, tutoring is an active income stream, meaning it was directly tied to the number of hours I worked.

If you’re interested in tutoring, check out platforms like tutor.com or wyzant.com.

7. Sponsorships – Brand Partnerships

Sponsorships can significantly impact my income, but they can also significantly impact my business. So I’m very selective about the brands I work with. I only partner with companies I trust and products I personally use.

• Brands pay me to promote their services/products on my platforms.
• It’s an alternative income source once you build trust with your audience.
• But that trust can be broken easily, so sponsorships must be undertaken with caution.

8. Affiliate Marketing – Passive Commissions

Affiliate marketing is when you earn commissions by referring people to products or services. I recommend affiliations like high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs), credit cards, and budgeting apps. And, if someone signs up through my link, I get paid.

It’s an amazing passive income stream, and everyone does it unknowingly (think referral codes for discounts!)

9. Rental Income – Benefit Of Roommates

For years, I lived with roommates to help cover my mortgage and property taxes.

• In 2012, 32% of U.S. adults lived with roommates.
• With rising real estate prices, more people are house-hacking (renting out rooms in their home).
• In 2024, I finally bought my own place — no roommates, just family!

If you own property, rental income can be a great semi-passive income source.

10. Covered Calls & Puts – "Second Dividend" Strategy

To generate additional passive income, I sell covered calls on stocks I already own. This strategy acts like a second dividend, bringing in a couple of thousand dollars per month.

Conclusion: My 10 Income Streams At Age 37

These 10 income streams changed my life and helped me achieve financial independence. My goal is to continue growing them while helping others do the same.

✅ Take advantage of my FREE Financial Freedom Faster eBook

✅ Get in touch

By diversifying your income, you can achieve financial independence and create a secure future. What’s stopping you from getting started today?

- Steve

Disclaimer:

The following article is strictly the opinion of the author and is not to be considered financial/investment advice. CTL Community LLC and the author of this article do not claim to be a registered financial advisor (RIA) or financial advisor. Please visit our terms of service and privacy policy before reading this article.  "Call to Leap may earn affiliate commissions from the links mentioned. Call to Leap is part of an affiliate network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites such as ImpactRadius, CardRatings, MyBankTracker, and more."