Freelancer, Expat, or Digital Nomad. How ‘Passive Income’ Became the Scam of the Remote Work Era

And what to build instead if you're serious about location freedom.

If you are a freelancer, expat, or wanting to become a digital nomad, you've probably Googled “passive income ideas” more than once. And why not? You want to earn from anywhere, set your own schedule, and finally break free from the 9–5 grind. But this is where the lie gets dangerous, because bad advice can waste your time, drain your savings, or even blow your visa window.

The term “passive income” has been twisted beyond recognition. Truly passive income, zero effort, zero cost, pure return, doesn’t exist outside of fantasy or inheritance. And yet the internet is drowning in advice that says you can earn thousands in your sleep, build an empire on autopilot, or escape the rat race by buying someone’s $297 course.

Let's unpack the myth, show you real alternatives, and point you to practical tools that won’t waste your time or money.

The Pitch We’ve All Heard

• Make money while you sleep.

• Beach laptop aesthetic, no boss, no stress.

• AI bot makes $500/day!
  

You’ve seen the ads, the Medium articles, the Instagram Reels. The formula is always the same: the promise of freedom, delivered through a vague system you can buy right now.

What Passive Income Claims to Be

They love to list these examples:

• Royalties

• Rental properties

• Automated dropshipping

• Affiliate links

• Digital products
  

All are sold as “set it and forget it” models. Build it once, cash checks forever. Sounds great, until you try it.

What It Actually Is

• Massive upfront investment. You either spend time (building a course, writing a book, coding a site), or you spend money (inventory, ad spend, domain hosting).

• Ongoing maintenance. Courses need updates. Newsletters need new content. Tenants call at 3am because the water heater exploded and turned the hallway into a swamp.

• Unspoken dependencies. Success isn’t just hard work, it’s timing, network, reach, and sometimes pure luck. None of that is passive.
  

The MLMification of the Concept

"Passive income" has been hijacked by hustlers, grifters, and full-blown pyramid schemers.

“All you have to do is recruit five people…” “Buy my course and I’ll show you how…” “Just follow this proven system…”

They’re not offering freedom. They’re selling a system that teaches you how to sell the same system. You're not building wealth, you’re buying into a funnel. They profit from your clicks, your email, your desperation.

If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it. And yet here we are, broke, burned out, and wondering why our Gumroad isn’t making $10K a month.

Real Talk: Freelancer Platforms Cost Money

Let’s say you don’t fall for a scam. You decide to try your hand at a “legit” digital hustle.

Fiverr, Freelancer, Gumroad, Etsy, they all cost money. You pay setup fees, platform cuts, and advertising costs. Worse, you need an audience before you even make your first sale.

Take Gumroad. You have to make 10 “organic” sales using your own social channels before your product becomes discoverable inside the platform. So you need followers, engagement, and a marketing plan before you can even benefit from what you’re paying for.

Why are you giving up 30% to a platform that won’t promote your work until you promote it yourself?

That’s not passive income. That’s unpaid marketing labor with a transaction fee.

What Real “Sustainable Income” Looks Like

There are ways to build flexible, long-term income, but none of them are passive:

• Client work – Writing, coding, design, consulting. Repeat clients = stability.

• Royalties with reach – Self-publishing books or stock media. Only works if you market it and it's good.

• Affiliate content – If you build a niche blog or YouTube channel with consistent value.

• Dividend investing – Capital intensive and slow. Not a strategy for your rent next month.

All require time, effort, consistency, and problem-solving. They’re not get-rich-quick schemes. They’re “build this into your life over time” models.

Stop Chasing “Passive.” Start Building “Intentional.”

The real lie is pretending income can be automatic, risk-free, and effortless. It’s the 21st-century version of alchemy.

Anyone selling you “set it and forget it” as a universal path to wealth is either deluded or making money off your belief.

What you need isn’t passive income. You need portable, intentional, flexible income.

Can you build a remote, flexible, creative life? Absolutely. But not by chasing shortcuts. Not by swallowing every sugar-coated pitch you see on TikTok or Medium.

If you’re trying to build something outside of your 9–5, start simple, and realistic.

• Good at writing? Offer proofreading, resumes, or blog copy on your own site. That’s why I started writingportfolio.blog (a simple, low-cost WordPress site)—a place to showcase work, offer services, and skip the platform middlemen. It’s not flashy, just functional. And that’s enough.

• Love photography? Sell prints through Pixieset or ShootProof, or license your work on 500px or PhotoShelter. These focus on real photography, not $0.10 microstock dumps, but yes, they still take a cut.

• Know a topic well? Tutor on Preply, Wyzant, or Outschool if you're good with kids. You set your own rates and hours, but most platforms charge 20–30% of your earnings. Plan for that.

• Good at coding? Mentor others on Codementor, freelance through Toptal or Arc, or create your own dev courses on Educative. Just know: you’ll still need to prove your skills, build trust, and slowly grow a client base.
  

And here's the part nobody puts in their "how I made six figures in 90 days" story:

Set aside one hour a day. That’s it. Start small. Build your portfolio, post consistently, and take the time to figure out what you’re good at and what people will pay for. As the work increases, then you increase the time. Don’t sprint into a stress fest, max out your credit card on tools and templates, and burn out trying to "scale" before you have a foundation.

Additions: For Stay-at-Home Parents, Disabled Folks, or Anyone Who Needs Flexibility—Anywhere

Not everyone has the same starting point, time, or energy. If you're a stay-at-home parent, disabled, managing chronic illness, or simply building income under different constraints, especially from outside your home country—here are location-friendly, flexible ways to build intentional income:

• Content & Admin Freelance Work – Skip the platforms. Start by offering writing, editing, admin, or design help directly to small businesses, creators, or other expats. You don’t need a giant site, just a one-page portfolio, a clear offer, and the willingness to pitch people directly via email, Reddit, Slack groups, or community forums. It’s slower, but it’s real, and you keep 100% of what you earn (minus taxes).

• Teach What You Know (International-Friendly) – If you speak English, teach it. Sites like iTalki, Preply, or Cambly hire teachers from many countries. Or go broader: offer hobby or skill-based lessons on Teachable, Thinkific, or even run them through private Zoom sessions.

• Sell Digital Products Without Getting Screwed – Skip platforms that take a 30% cut and make you drive all your own traffic (looking at you, Gumroad). Instead, use Payhip (no monthly fee, lower cuts) or sell directly through your own site with Stripe or Lemon Squeezy. Keep it simple: planners, guides, templates, checklists—whatever you’ve created that solves a real problem. If you already have a small audience, this can grow with you, not drain you.

• Micro-Consulting or Coaching – You don’t need certifications to start. If you’ve navigated something complex, visa processes, homeschooling, ADHD tools, chronic illness, you can build a simple offer to help others through it. Host sessions via Calendly + Zoom, get paid with Wise or Stripe.

• Join Revenue-Split Communities – Some platforms pay by contribution, not hourly gigs. Look into Open Source projects with bounties, community blogging sites that pay (like Hashnode for devs), or sites like Medium (with caveats) that offer Partner Programs globally.
  

Quick Reality Check

• Always check payout methods — If you’re abroad, you’ll want platforms that pay via Wise, Payoneer, or Stripe, not just U.S.-only options.

• Be cautious with citizenship-locked jobs — Many “remote” jobs are actually geo-fenced or tax-restricted.

• Start small and build slow — 30–60 minutes a day is enough to build early traction without burnout.
  

You don’t need to work 10 hours a day. You don’t need to grind to scale. You just need something flexible, portable, and real.

This isn’t about hustle. It’s about crafting income that respects your needs, your time, and your energy.

Because the goal is to escape work—the kind that sucks up your time, your energy, and your sanity. It's about working less, earning smarter, and finally living a life that doesn’t feel like a punishment.

If you're building a location-independent life, skip the fantasy funnels. Start with something real, flexible, and sustainable.