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D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 6
OLD BROKE RANCHER BY GARY SHELTON
by GARY SHELTON
Rental Rental
vacation vacation
On On
Starting Starting
a a
R
ECENTLY, I HEARD OF SOMETHING CALLED "PASSIVE IN-
COME" FROM SOMETHING CALLED "TIK TOK." Passive in-
come, it seems, is money that makes itself without you having
to do anything. This struck me as an interesting and, indeed,
attractive idea. As I look back over my seven or so decades alive
on this earth, I don't think I ever made any passive income.
What I did was I made toiling income. Drudging income. Work
yourself down to a nub income. I did a lot of it. Which is to say,
I did a lot of the working, but I didn't get all that much of the
income. I'm guessing that you, dear reader, also know a little
something about that.
So I got to thinking—maybe I should explore some of this pas-
sive income. But what would be my grift, er, my business?
Why vacation rentals, of course! No doubt you've stayed at a
few in your travels. All of America, it seems, is making money
off of their extra space, putting up strangers in our homes and
