We know what it’s like. You start a fresh game and have trouble raking in all that sweet money to pay for enhancements to your farm and house. But, maybe you’re stumped; maybe you’re sitting there wondering the best way to make money in Stardew Valley so that you can hurry up and start getting to the good stuff.
Luckily for you, we’ve put hundreds, if not thousands, of hours into the relaxing farm life simulator and have all the insider knowledge you could want, whether it be planting seasonal crops and harvesting them to keeping animals and what you should do to maximize your profits.
Below, we’ve put everything we know about the best way to make money in Stardew Valley and how to reinvest your money to make even more.
The best ways to make money in Stardew Valley
Spend as much money on crops as possible
When you first start turn up on your farm in Stardew Valley, you have limited funds and a plot of land overrun with vegetation. Clear a patch for planting crops as soon as you can. Then, go to the general store and spend every last penny on buying crop seeds. Plant these in your newly cleared piece of land and water them. When you harvest these crops in a week or two, you’ll have increased your money two to three times. Clear more land and repeat this step.
Build a coop
Once you’ve reinvested your funds into crops a few times, you’ll be sitting on quite the fortune, but don’t be tempted to just reinvest in crops forever – get some chickens. Building a coop and then buying chickens will take a nice chunk out of your wallet, but you’ll soon recoup that money with the eggs that chickens produce.
Build a stable
Once you’re growing crops and gathering chicken eggs every day, you’ll want to save up for a stable. Once it’s built, buy yourself 2-4 cows. You can milk them once a day with a bucket and the bottles of milk you produce sell for a decent amount daily.
Fishing
Fishing is an overlooked way of getting money quick. You can sell fish for hundreds of gold per piece, and if you’ve upgraded to a better fishing rod, then you can reel them in at a fast rate. Make some bait from bug pieces to help you speed up how long it takes to hook and reel in a fish and spend the day fishing. The haul you bring back will sell for hundreds, if not thousands.
Artisan goods
Producing artisan goods should always be your end goal for your farm. Remember those chickens and cows you invested in? Well, if you craft a Mayonnaise Machine and a Cheese Press, then you can turn eggs and milk into jars of mayonnaise and blocks of cheese. This short process turns what were already expensive items into even more expensive bespoke items that you can sell for lots of money.
That’s it for our best way to make money in Stardew Valley guide, but if you’re looking for more help on the game, why not read our how to get Hardwood guide, or our guide about the elusive Dish O’ the Sea and how to get it.