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7 Ideas to Create a Second Income

Money & Wealth

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February 21, 2018

Money talks—and let’s be honest, it talks louder when you’ve got more of it coming in. With rising expenses, unpredictable job markets, and dreams that just don’t come cheap, many people are exploring ways to build a second income. But here’s the kicker: you don’t need to quit your 9-to-5 or sacrifice every weekend to make it happen.

Whether you’re saving for that dream vacation, planning early retirement, or simply want a cushion for rainy days, creating an additional stream of income is a smart move. The beauty of a second income is that it can start small, grow steadily, and one day—if you want—it might even overtake your main job.

So, how do you actually make it happen? Let’s dive into 7 creative and realistic ideas to create a second income that fit into everyday life.

second income

1. Freelancing – Turn Skills into Cash

Have a knack for writing, graphic design, programming, or even social media management? Freelancing might be your golden ticket.

Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer are buzzing marketplaces where clients are eager to pay for talent. The best part? You get to set your rates and choose your projects.

How freelancing helps build a second income:

Start part-time while keeping your job.
Scale as you gain confidence and clients.
Potential to turn into a full-blown business.

Pro tip: Pick one skill you enjoy and sharpen it. If you try to be a jack of all trades, you’ll end up spreading yourself too thin.

2. Blogging or YouTube – Share, Teach, Entertain

Love talking about travel, finance, cooking, or tech gadgets? Then blogging or YouTube content creation could be your perfect second income path.

Yes, it takes time to build an audience, but once you do, money flows in through:

Ads (Google AdSense, YouTube Partner Program).
Affiliate marketing (earning a commission for promoting products).
Brand sponsorships (companies paying you to feature their products).

Imagine earning while doing something you love—whether it’s reviewing books, teaching recipes, or sharing productivity hacks.

Tip to fast-track success: Focus on a niche. A “general” blog is harder to grow than one targeting a specific audience.

3. Investing – Let Your Money Work for You

If you’re tired of trading hours for money, here’s a game-changer: make money while you sleep. Investing is one of the most powerful ways to create a second income.

Different investing paths include:

Stock market: Buy shares of companies and earn through dividends or price growth.
Mutual funds & ETFs: Safer, diversified options for long-term growth.
Real estate investing: Rent out property for passive monthly income.

Now, you don’t need millions to start. Even small investments can snowball thanks to the magic of compounding.

Quick example: Invest ₹5,000 monthly in a mutual fund at 12% annual return → In 20 years, you’d have over ₹50 lakhs. That’s a second income in retirement waiting to happen!

4. Online Courses & Digital Products – Sell Your Knowledge

Do you know something valuable—like coding, photography, or even yoga? Then why not package your knowledge into a digital product?

Options include:

Online courses (Udemy, Teachable, Skillshare).
E-books (Amazon Kindle or direct sales).
Digital templates/tools (resumes, planners, or financial trackers).

The beauty of this second income idea is scalability. Create once, sell forever. Unlike freelancing, where you trade time for money, digital products continue to earn for you—even while you’re on vacation.

5. Side Hustle with E-commerce – Sell What People Want

The e-commerce boom isn’t slowing down, and you don’t need a massive warehouse to get started. Thanks to platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Shopify, anyone can start selling online.

Popular ways to create a second income through e-commerce:

Dropshipping: You sell products, but suppliers handle inventory and shipping.
Print-on-demand: Sell custom-designed T-shirts, mugs, or phone cases.
Homemade crafts: Jewelry, candles, or even organic food items.

What makes this exciting is the flexibility—you can start small and scale big if things click.

6. Rental Income – Cash from What You Already Own

Guess what? You don’t need to buy a new property to create rental income. Look around—you might already have resources people would pay to use.

Some practical ideas:

Rent out a spare room on Airbnb.
Lease unused parking spaces.
Rent out gear—like cameras, bikes, or even party equipment.

The beauty of this approach is that you’re monetizing something you already own. That’s about as passive as a second income gets.

7. Part-Time Consulting or Coaching – Be the Expert

If you’ve got years of experience in a profession, why not leverage it? Many businesses and individuals are willing to pay for your advice.

For example:

A retired teacher could coach students online.
A fitness enthusiast could offer personal training.
A finance pro could provide money management sessions.

The demand for coaches and consultants has skyrocketed with the rise of remote work. It’s a high-value way to build a second income without needing tons of extra hours.

Bonus: Micro-Gigs & Passive Apps

Not ready for big leaps? Try micro-earning apps. Small, but they add up:

Survey apps.
Cashback apps.
Apps that pay for walking, watching ads, or testing websites.

Sure, this won’t make you rich—but it’s a no-effort stepping stone into the world of second income.

FAQs

1. How much time do I need to build a second income?
It depends on the method. Freelancing or consulting may bring money faster, while blogging or investing requires patience.

2. Do I need a lot of money to start?
Not always! Many second income ideas—like freelancing, blogging, or consulting—require little to no upfront investment.

3. Can a second income replace my primary job?
Yes, but only if you’re consistent. Many people eventually turn side hustles into full-time businesses.

4. What’s the safest way to create a second income?
Investing in diversified mutual funds or ETFs is considered relatively safe, but it’s always best to consult a financial advisor.

5. How do I choose the best idea for me?
Ask yourself:

What do I enjoy doing?
How much time can I spare?
Do I want active or passive income?

Conclusion

The idea of having a second income isn’t just about extra cash—it’s about freedom, security, and peace of mind. From freelancing to real estate, online courses to e-commerce, the opportunities are endless.

Here’s the real secret: the best second income is one that excites you enough to stick with it. Don’t overthink. Start small, stay consistent, and watch your financial life transform.

So, are you ready to take the first step toward your second income? The clock’s ticking—your future self will thank you for starting today!

New PPF Rules – Premature Closure Relaxation

Personal Finance

Shitanshu Kapadia

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February 20, 2018

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New PPF Rules – Premature Closure Relaxation

New PPF Rules – PPF is one of the most popular investment options in India. PPF offers multiple benefits including tax-free interest income, tax exemption, and risk-free investment. If you are holding PPF account this post is for you. PPF Rules are recently revised by the government of India. As per notification dated 13th Feb 2018, Finance ministry has proposed an expansion in the scope of benefit for PPF scheme.

At present, there are multiple acts with respect to Small Saving Schemes. It sometimes creates confusion among investors. In order to remove this ambiguity, it is proposed to merge the Government Savings Certificate Act, 1959 and Public Provident Fund Act, 1968 with the Government Savings Bank Act, 1873. Accordingly, NSC and PPF scheme provisions would be subsumed and a new amended act called as “Government Saving Promotion Act” is proposed.

Also Read – How to take PPF Loan against account balance?

New relaxation is proposed in this new act keeping all existing benefits intact. This means none of the benefits available to the investors under the present PPF Act would be withdrawn or amended. You will continue to earn tax-free interest income and tax exemption. PPF interest rates will remain intact.

In addition to all existing PPF benefits following additional benefits is proposed for PPF account holders.

New PPF Rules – Premature Closure Relaxation

As per PPF rule, PPF account can’t be closed prematurely before completion of five financial years. This restriction is proposed to be relaxed and PPF account holder will be allowed to close PPF account in case of exigencies like a medical emergency, higher education etc.
For PPF accounts opened by the guardian in the name of the minor, the guardian would also enjoy associated rights and responsibilities.
In order to promote a culture of saving among children, clear provision is made regarding deposit made by minors.
In the present act provision about the operation of an account in the name of the minor or differently abled person is not available. The new act covers relevant rules in this regard.
The new act defines rights of nominee more clearly. This will help in faster claim settlement and also reduce disputes.
At present, there is no facility of defining nominee in case account is opened in the name of the minor. Further, existing Acts say that if account holder dies and there is no nomination and amount is more than prescribed limit, the amount shall be paid to legal heirs. In this case, the guardian has to obtain succession certificate. To remove this inconvenience, provisions for a nomination with regard to an account opened in the name of minors have been incorporated. Further, the provision has been made that if the minor dies and there is no nomination, the balances shall be paid to the guardian.
The current act is silent about grievance redressal. The new act will ensure the provision of strong grievance redressal system so that dispute can be settled quickly.

Also Read – PPF Account Calculator Download

The new PPF Rules notification clearly specify that no changes are made with respect to interest rate or tax policy on small savings scheme. One should not worry that certain Small Savings Schemes would be closed.

These new PPF rules are proposed changes. It is not clear that when this rules will be imposed.

What is your opinion on PPF Rule Changes?

Virtual Trading Apps for Stock Market Trading

Stock Market

Shitanshu Kapadia

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February 18, 2018

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Virtual Trading Apps for Stock Market Trading

Do you know what is virtual trading? Virtual Trading is a concept of doing trading online in the virtual world. It is mainly done for the purpose of learning. In India, many people avoid stock market investing. The main reason is lack of knowledge and skillset required for the stock market trading. However, these factors are addressed with an advancement of technology and internet. You can use smartphone virtual trading apps for learning stock market trading using virtual money. This gives confidence to beginners in stock market trading.

What is Virtual Trading Apps?

You must have played games on the internet like Rummy where virtual currency is issued to a player for playing a game of cards. In the same way, the virtual trading app gives you virtual money (fake money) for dealing stock market. You can track stock price movement and changes happening on the fly. The main purpose of this trading app is to inculcate the concept of stock market trading.

In this apps, loss, and gain of money happen in the virtual world. However, you learn exactly how your actions influence the market. Some of the apps also allow you to compare and compete with your friends. In short, this app gives you an experience of investing in stock market.

Also Read – Intraday Trading in Stock Market as Career Option

Benefits of using Virtual Trading Apps

There are several benefits of using Virtual Trading Apps.

Virtual Trading App gives a completely risk-free environment for trading.
The apps are free of cost and money issued is fake. So, you are not losing anything.
You can use this app anytime anywhere on smartphone. You need not to allocate special time from your busy schedule.
You will learn stock market trading and investing. Mostly smartphone apps are distractive in nature. However, these apps gives learning experience.
Some apps reward real money in case you perform well and earn hefty profit.
It is a good idea to learn swimming before jumping in the water. Similarly, it is good to learn stock market investment. It will reduce a chance of losing money in the stock market.

Virtual Trading Apps for Stock Market Trading in India

There are several apps available on Google Play Store that helps you to learn investing in stocks, bonds, fixed deposit, mutual funds, etc. I have selected few such apps based on rating and user feedbacks.

Stock Market Challenge 2

Stock Market Challenge is most popular virtual stock market trading app. This app is developed by Dalal Street Investment Journal. This app allows you to create and manage your own portfolio and compete with other players in a risk-free environment. You can use your facebook or google login in this app.

Every challenger is assigned with initial amount of 10 Lakh. You need to buy and sell stock same as that of live environment. You can apply stop loss and limit price in this app. You can see history and even do analysis. You can compete with other investor and win exciting prize. This app is rated 4 by users.

Stock Trainer

Stock Trainer is stock trading simulator with real-time market data. This app helps a beginner to take their first steps in the world of stock market. In this simulator, everything is virtual, there is, therefore, nothing to lose. This app also gives facility to export portfolio, watch list. You need google account in order to use this app. This app is rated 4.4 by end users.

Trade Hero

Trade Hero is another Virtual Trading App. Trade Hero provide chance to deal with exchanges of different countries including BSE and NSE. This app is popular in USA and UK. Trade Hero allows you to trade in virtual environment once you are confident you can also go LIVE trading using this app.

Do you use any Virtual Trading App? Do share your views and experience in the comment section given below.

Don’t forget to share detail of these apps with your friends!

10 Midcap Multibagger Stocks from Dolly Khanna Portfolio

Stock Market

Shitanshu Kapadia

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February 17, 2018

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10 Midcap Multibagger Stocks from Dolly Khanna Portfolio

Dolly Khanna is a popular stock market investor of Dalal Street. She is actually homemaker. Her husband Rajiv Khanna is a mind behind investment made by Dolly Khanna. Rajiv Khanna has an incredible ability to identify future multi-bagger stocks for investment. This Chennai based investor couple has started investing in the stock market with a capital of 1 Cr in 1996.

Dolly Khanna and Rajiv Khanna generally deal in Midcap and Small Cap stocks. As these stocks contain huge potential to become future multi-bagger. We have already discussed on success story and portfolio of Dolly Khanna. Today we will discuss on 10 Midcap Multibagger Stocks from Dolly Khanna Portfolio.

10 Midcap Multibagger Stocks from Dolly Khanna Portfolio

Top 10 Mid Cap Multibagger stocks from Dolly Khanna Portfolio are Rain Industries, Emkay Global, Butterfly Gandhimathi, Asian Granito, PPAP Automotive, Nocil, Thirumalai Chemicals, IFB Industries, Sterling Tools, and Tata Metaliks. Out of these Rain Industries has given 405% return to the investor. Emkay Global, Butterfly Gandhimathi and Asian Granito have given more than 200% return to the investors.

Please refer following table showing mid-cap multibagger stocks from Dolly Khanna Portfolio.

It is worth to know how Dolly Khanna and Rajiv Khanna identify future multibagger stocks for investment. Here is Investment Philosophy of this couple.

Investment Philosophy

Fundamental of Stock –

The method adopted by Rajiv Khanna for Identification of stock is simple. Do a fundamental analysis of the stock. If fundamentals are strong, a stock is more likely to become multibagger. It is also called as a thoughtful investment.

Small Cap Mid Cap Stocks –

Dolly Khanna and Rajiv Khanna invest only in Small Cap and Mid Cap stocks. As per them a chance of finding multibagger in Mid Cap and Small Cap stock is very high.

Consumer Stocks –

They invest in consumption based stocks only like a home appliance, cooker, cement, plastic, paper etc. All these companies deal with a middle-class product where the demand for the product is likely to be very high.

Facts & Figures –

Facts figures and public information is very important when you are taking an investment decision. Never Invest based on insider’s information or speculation. Invest based on public knowledge and information. Study market situation and pick stock accordingly.

Rajiv Khanna on Stock Market

As per Rajiv Khanna, stock market investing is like playing a game of tennis. In tennis, a game is played on different courts – hard court, clay court, and lawn. Similarly, in the stock market, you have to take a decision based on a market situation like technical, fundamentals, a momentum of the stock. In Tennis, you have to play a game as situation demands. Similarly in stock market investing you have to take a decision based on the market situation. Stock market investing is a complex puzzle full of challenges and investor need to play it carefully.

Do you think multibagger stocks of Dolly Khanna and Rajiv Khanna will give better return in future also?

Do you think investment style of Dolly Khanna & Rajiv Khanna is useful?