How to earn passive income, according to early retiree Sam Dogen [Video]

Sam Dogen knows a thing or two about passive income.

By the time he left his investment banking day job in 2012, Dogen, the founder of Financial Samurai and the author of “Buy This, Not That,” had built up about $80,000 in annual income outside the office. Combined with a hefty severance he negotiated for, he determined that was enough money to live on.

It was for a while, but when he and his wife decided to stay in San Francisco and have a couple of kids, the family’s cost of living shot up. By reinvesting his passive income along with money he made through his website and book sales, Dogen was able to boost the family’s income over the years as well.

In 2023, Dogen’s passive income portfolio, which includes stock, bond and real estate investments, among others, generated about $380,000.

If you’re looking to build a similar stream of passive income, you’ll have to …