Passive Income: How Much Should You Invest to Earn $1,000 Every Month?

If you really want to make $1,000 each month, but fearful about the future of the market, here is the safest way to get there.

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If you’re looking at the new year with fear in your eyes, then now is the time to focus in on some strong dividend stocks for passive income. However, if you’re a newer investor, it might seem pretty scary diving into a market right now.

While the market will eventually climb higher, as it always does, which dividend stocks will do so first? Today, we’re going to go with another strong option – the perfect option in my opinion, if you’re looking to create $1,000 each and every month.

First, remain consistent!

The best advice I can give if you’re looking to create an enormous amount of passive income, isn’t by investing all that you can. Instead, it’s remaining consistent. That consistency spans across several different areas.

You want to be consistent when it comes to sticking with a budget. Consistently set aside the same amount when it comes to paying your bills, buying essentials, and paying down debt. Then, remain consistent when it comes to your investments as well.

To put it out of your mind, consider making automated contributions. These contributions can be used for bills, for debt, and yes for investments. You could put $500 towards your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) and Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). Then, you won’t ever worry you’re missing out.

Stay focused on your goals

Now before you just go ahead and start investing all that money into whatever you think is set to grow, consider your goals. If you want to create long-term cash flow, or indeed passive income at $1,000 per month, you’re going to need to take that into consideration through your investments.

For instance, are you saving to pay down student debt? That’s something you want to pay down very quickly. But if you’re looking to invest and save towards your long-term goal of retirement, then that investment could look a lot different.

It’s therefore always a great idea to meet with your financial advisor who can help you come up with the best savings and payment strategies. They can also help you create enough cash flow in retirement, and indeed create passive income. But there is certainly an option I would consider these days more than others.

Get monthly cash

If you want monthly cash flow from dividends to create passive income, I wouldn’t stick to buying just one dividend stock. Instead, get a whole portfolio, managed by professionals! No, you don’t need to pay a professional. Instead, consider an exchange-traded fund (ETF) such as iShares Canadian Financial Monthly Income ETF (TSX:FIE).

FIE ETF is perfect because you get a high dividend yield that comes out monthly. Currently the dividend yield sits at 7.35%, with shares up 10.8% in the last year at the time of writing. Granted, if you want to create $1,000 per month it’s going to take a large investment. However, it will be from some of the best companies in the business, all delivered through one ETF.

So if you wanted to create $12,000 per year to make $1,000 per month, here is how to create enough passive income. Note, we will include both dividends as well as returns, seeing shares climb another 11% in the next two years.

COMPANYRECENT PRICENUMBER OF SHARESDIVIDENDTOTAL PAYOUTFREQUENCYPORTFOLIO TOTAL
FIE – now$6.858,029$0.48$3,853.92monthly$55,000
FIE – 11% higher$7.608,029$0.48$3,853.92monthly$61,020.40
FIE – 11% higher$8.458,029$0.48$3,853.92monthly$67,845.05

So as you can see, it would take a significant investment of $55,000 to create enough passive income. But it’s a far safer option than putting that cash in one stock. Here you now have $3,853.92 in dividends. Then another $12,845.05 in returns! That’s total passive income of $16,698.97 for even more than $1,000 in passive income each month!

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.

Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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