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CashCow · Ireland

Build income that keeps working.

Create assets, small online businesses and recurring income streams that can keep earning — without every euro needing another hour of your time.

Find my best opportunityCompare all 14 streams

Free, no sign-up. Estimates with assumptions shown — never promises.

  1. 01

    Build

    it once

  2. 02

    Own

    the asset

  3. 03

    Grow

    what earns

  4. 04

    Earn

    without selling hours

For people who want to own something that earns — not another job.

CashCow — you are here

“I want to build something that can keep earning.”

Digital products, content sites, small software, courses, royalties, a let room, machines, savings. Slower to start; income does not stop when you do.

GravyTrain — our sister site

“I want extra money from my time and skills.”

Grinds, freelancing, local services. You work, you earn — usually within weeks. The right first move if you need money soon.

Want faster income? Go to GravyTrain →

Opportunity matcher

Which income asset should you build?

Tap your situation. CashCow ranks every stream against it, checks whether your target is realistic, and gives you the first steps.

Money you could put in
Hours a week
Monthly income you want from it
How long can you wait?
Skills you already have (any)
Risk with your money
Online or offline
Priorities

Reality check: a stretch

€500/month on €500 and 5h a week within 12 months: possible, but only if things go well.

The best options reach it only at the top of their range. A safer first milestone is about €50/month.

Best fit for you

Paid or sponsored newsletter

€500 only at the high end

€0 – €700 a month, estimated range once steady

Why it fits you

  • First revenue in roughly 6 months at your hours
  • Income recurs month to month
  • Scales without your hours scaling with it

Main risks

  • Usually needs writing, expert in a topic, marketing / audience — which you did not pick
  • Reaches €500/month only at the high end of its range
  • Audience growth is slow and uncertain.
  • Ongoing writing time — semi-passive at best.
Initial effort
~20h · 4 weeks at 5h
Ongoing effort
~16h a month
First revenue
~6 months
Money in
€0

What you need

  • GDPR: consent and an unsubscribe link on every email.

What to do next

  1. TodayPick a niche whose readers spend money (a profession, a costly hobby, a local market).
  2. This weekSet up a newsletter platform with a one-line promise and a sign-up page.
  3. Week 2Publish issue 1 and send it personally to 30 people who fit the niche.
  4. Week 3Publish weekly; add one growth channel you already use (LinkedIn, a forum, a community).
Full model, plan & tax rules

Or combine two

Rent a room in your home + Digital products (templates, planners, printables) + Online course or paid workshop recording

Together €650–€2,700/month (estimate), ~21h a month, steady after ~9 months. Two streams halve the time you can give each — start one, add the second once the first runs.

Next best — compared

  • Online course or paid workshop recording€0–€900/mo est.

    First revenue in roughly 4 months at your hours · Usually needs expert in a topic, writing, photo / video / audio — which you did not pick

    Startup cost
    €0–€200
    First revenue
    ~4 months
    Ongoing time
    ~10h a month
    Scalability
    High
    Recurring
    Medium
    Difficulty
    Medium
    Competition
    Medium
    Risk
    Low
  • Digital products (templates, planners, printables)€50–€800/mo est.

    First revenue in roughly 2 months at your hours · Usually needs design, expert in a topic, writing — which you did not pick

    Startup cost
    €0–€100
    First revenue
    ~2 months
    Ongoing time
    ~8h a month
    Scalability
    High
    Recurring
    Medium
    Difficulty
    Low
    Competition
    High
    Risk
    Low
  • Niche content site with affiliate income€0–€600/mo est.

    First revenue in roughly 7 months at your hours · Usually needs writing, expert in a topic, photo / video / audio, marketing / audience — which you did not pick

    Startup cost
    €50–€300
    First revenue
    ~7 months
    Ongoing time
    ~20h a month
    Scalability
    High
    Recurring
    Medium
    Difficulty
    Medium
    Competition
    High
    Risk
    Medium
  • Self-published books and guides€0–€400/mo est.

    First revenue in roughly 6 months at your hours · Usually needs writing, expert in a topic — which you did not pick

    Startup cost
    €0–€300
    First revenue
    ~6 months
    Ongoing time
    ~4h a month
    Scalability
    Medium
    Recurring
    Medium
    Difficulty
    Medium
    Competition
    High
    Risk
    Low
7 ruled out for you — and why

Every figure is an estimate built from the assumptions on each stream’s page — not a prediction, not financial or tax advice. Income streams can earn nothing; investments can lose money.

Compare realistic options

The same eight facts on every opportunity. Ranges are estimates once the stream is steady — many never get there.

All 14 streams →

Digital products (templates, planners, printables)

You own: a catalogue of products that sell repeatedly

Make once, sell many times: spreadsheets, Canva templates, planners, study notes, design assets.

€50 – €800 /month · estimate once steady

Startup cost
€0–€100
First revenue
~2 months
Ongoing time
~8h a month
Scalability
High
Recurring
Medium
Difficulty
Low
Competition
High
Risk
Low

First step: Pick one narrow buyer (e.g. Irish wedding planners, Leaving Cert students) and write down the problem you solve for them.

See the model and plan →

Micro-SaaS (a small software product)

You own: software with paying subscribers

A small subscription tool solving one problem for a specific group — only if you can build or buy the build.

€0 – €1,500 /month · estimate once steady

Startup cost
€100–€2,000
First revenue
~4 months
Ongoing time
~20h a month
Scalability
High
Recurring
High
Difficulty
High
Competition
Medium
Risk
High

First step: Write down one painful, repeated task a specific group does by hand.

See the model and plan →

Paid or sponsored newsletter

You own: an email list you own

A regular email on a niche topic, earning from sponsors or paid subscribers once it has an audience.

€0 – €700 /month · estimate once steady

Startup cost
€0
First revenue
~6 months
Ongoing time
~16h a month
Scalability
High
Recurring
High
Difficulty
Medium
Competition
Medium
Risk
Medium

First step: Pick a niche whose readers spend money (a profession, a costly hobby, a local market).

See the model and plan →

Rent a room in your home

You own: a let room producing monthly rent

Let a spare room to a lodger. Up to €14,000 a year can be tax-free under Rent-a-Room Relief.

€600 – €1,000 /month · estimate once steady

Startup cost
€0–€500
First revenue
~1 month
Ongoing time
~3h a month
Scalability
Low
Recurring
High
Difficulty
Low
Competition
Low
Risk
Low

First step: Read your mortgage, insurance or lease terms for anything about lodgers.

See the model and plan →

Online course or paid workshop recording

You own: a course that sells without you on the call

Package something you already know how to do into a recorded course that sells without you on the call.

€0 – €900 /month · estimate once steady

Startup cost
€0–€200
First revenue
~2 months
Ongoing time
~10h a month
Scalability
High
Recurring
Medium
Difficulty
Medium
Competition
Medium
Risk
Low

First step: Write the one result your course gets someone, and who already asks you how to do it.

See the model and plan →

Vending or self-service machines

You own: machines placed in good locations

Own machines placed in gyms, workplaces or clubs. You restock; the machine sells while you are elsewhere.

€60 – €400 /month · estimate once steady

Startup cost
€1,500–€3,000
First revenue
~1 month
Ongoing time
~8h a month
Scalability
Medium
Recurring
High
Difficulty
Medium
Competition
Medium
Risk
Medium

First step: List 10 places with steady foot traffic and no machine (gyms, workplaces, clubs).

See the model and plan →

From idea to income, one stage at a time

Save an opportunity and it becomes a plan you can work through and track — Idea, Planning, Building, Launched, Generating revenue, Growing.

  1. 01

    Discover

    Answer eight taps about your money, time and skills.

  2. 02

    Compare

    Every option on the same eight facts — cost, time, risk, scale.

  3. 03

    Model

    An estimated range with every assumption printed.

  4. 04

    Build

    A dated plan: today, this week, week 2, month 2.

  5. 05

    Launch

    The first customer or tenant, not a perfect product.

  6. 06

    Grow

    Double down on what earns; drop what does not.

  7. 07

    Track

    Stage and actual income, privately in your browser.

Open My plans →

What CashCow will not tell you

No “passive income in 30 days”

Most assets take months of work before they pay, and some never do. Every page says how long, and what the low end is — often zero.

No numbers without workings

Each range is built from named assumptions — prices, sales, conversion rates — printed beside it. Change the inputs, the range changes.

Tax facts, dated and sourced

Irish rules (Rent-a-Room, DIRT, exit tax, VAT thresholds) link to Revenue or Citizens Information with the date checked. Information, not personal tax advice.

Free tells you what could work. Pro shows you how to build it.

The matcher, every stream model, the plans and the tracker are free and stay free. Pro adds the full step-by-step implementation guides, with templates and scripts.

Free

  • Opportunity matcher
  • Reality check on your target
  • Models, risks & Irish tax
  • Plans & progress tracker

Pro · €4.99/month

  • Full implementation guides
  • Templates and scripts
  • New guides first
  • 14-day free trial
See Pro

Questions

What is the difference between CashCow and GravyTrain?

GravyTrain is for earning extra money from your time and skills — you work, you earn, usually within weeks. CashCow is for building something you own — a digital product, a site, small software, a let room — that can keep earning without every euro needing another hour. It is slower to start and less certain, which is why every CashCow figure is a range with its assumptions shown.

How realistic are the income figures?

They are estimates, not predictions. Each range is calculated from named assumptions (prices, sales volumes, conversion rates) printed beside it, and the low end is often zero. The matcher also tells you plainly when your target is not compatible with your budget, hours and timeframe.

Is Rent-a-Room income tax-free in Ireland?

Up to €14,000 a year from renting rooms in the home you live in is exempt from income tax, USC and PRSI, provided it is used as residential accommodation and the tenant is not a short-term guest (e.g. Airbnb) or a relative/civil partner of the owner. You still declare it on your return. Go over €14,000 and the whole amount becomes taxable. (2026; source: Revenue — Rent-a-Room Relief.)

Do I need to declare small income streams?

Side income is taxable from the first euro. If your net non-PAYE income is under €5,000 (and gross under €30,000) you can declare it on Form 12 through myAccount. At €5,000 net or more you are a “chargeable person” and must register for self-assessment and file Form 11 by 31 October. (2026.)

How is investment income taxed?

Gains on most EU-domiciled funds and ETFs are taxed under the exit-tax regime rather than CGT (38% from 1 January 2026, down from 41%), including a “deemed disposal” every eight years; losses cannot be offset. Check the rate for your holding with Revenue before investing. Gains on selling assets (shares, property other than your home, crypto) are taxed at 31% (from 7 October 2026; 33% before) after a €1,270 annual personal exemption. (2026.) Investments can fall in value; this is not financial advice.

Is CashCow free?

Yes — the opportunity matcher, every stream model and plan, the tax page and the tracker are free. Pro (€4.99/month) adds full implementation guides with templates and scripts. Tracker data stays in your own browser.

What to do next

Picked for what you just worked out — not a list of everything we make.