Most people have to work, and many don't mind working at all. However, that does not mean that they actually enjoy their jobs, or earn enough for retirement. If you feel the need to earn a second or even main income but don't have the ability to work another full-time job, then passive residual income opportunities may be just what the doctor ordered for you.

Passive income entails figuring out one of the many ways to earn money where you initially invest time or money towards a goal. This goal is for the money to start rolling in after the initial investment with little to no further work on your part. This is an easy way to keep getting cash each month with little work beyond the initial investment.

A great and very common way to establish this stream of money is to invest in real estate. If you buy a house or condo, you can fix it up if it needs it, then instead of moving in yourself, you rent it out to others. You can usually charge far more than your mortgage and pocket the rest of the money. That is easy money each month with only an upfront money investment and whatever amount of time it took to find and vet your new tenants.

Residuals also come in the form of interest payments from people you loan money to. You can join a website such as Lending Club that screens companies and individuals that need loans for you, so all you have to do is invest the money up front. Then you watch as your bank account grows when they start making monthly payments, including the interest that you get to pocket as easy income.

The stock market may be trickier, but it is also a good way to earn passive income. Instead of actively investing yourself, you can find an investment professional with a good, solid record and open a brokerage account with them, allowing them to do the investing for you while you sit back and reap the profits.

Any money you make is best put into a bank account. If you put it into a savings or money market account instead of a checking account, you will reap even more rewards. This is the easiest way to make additional residual income.

If you do not have enough cash to make these upfront investments, you can use your time and skills to start a passive stream instead. If you are knowledgeable about a topic and have decent writing skills, you can write an e-book. Places like Amazon welcome independent authors, and allow you to set the price for your books. Since there is no publishing house or printing involved with e-books, you will make money quickly as long as the book sells.

If the skills you want to write about are better seen rather than on a page, then grab a camera and film yourself instead. You can use services like YouTube to get views and earn money. You can use a basic video camera or even a high-end cell phone and start earning money on your area of expertise while having fun to boot.