Skyrim Money Guide: Easy Ways To Get Gold Fast

by Sebastian Müller 47 views

Hey guys! Ever feel like you're constantly broke in Skyrim? You're not alone! Gold is essential for buying new gear, training skills, and even purchasing your dream home. But don't worry, becoming a wealthy Dragonborn is totally achievable. This guide will walk you through some of the easiest and most effective ways to make money in Skyrim, from simple early-game methods to more advanced techniques for serious gold farming. So, let's dive in and get you swimming in Septims!

Why You Need Gold in Skyrim

Before we jump into the how-to, let's quickly talk about why you need gold in Skyrim. It's not just about bragging rights (though having a huge pile of gold in your Breezehome is pretty awesome). Gold is crucial for:

  • Purchasing Equipment: That shiny new sword or set of armor isn't going to pay for itself. You'll need gold to buy weapons, armor, and other essential gear from merchants.
  • Training Skills: Want to become a master mage or a stealthy assassin? You'll need to pay trainers to level up your skills. And trust me, those training costs add up quickly!
  • Buying Houses and Property: Dreaming of owning a sprawling mansion in Solitude or a cozy cottage in the woods? You'll need a hefty sum of gold to purchase property and furnish your home.
  • Ingredients and Supplies: Potions, food, and other supplies are vital for survival in Skyrim's harsh wilderness. Stocking up on these essentials requires gold.
  • Miscellaneous Expenses: From paying off bounties to bribing guards, there are plenty of other ways you'll need gold throughout your adventures.

Basically, gold is the lifeblood of Skyrim's economy, and you'll need a steady flow of it to progress and enjoy the game to the fullest. So, let's get started on how to make that happen!

Early-Game Money Making Methods

Okay, you've just escaped Helgen, and you're probably dirt poor. Don't worry, these early-game methods are perfect for getting you started on your path to riches:

1. Loot Everything That Isn't Nailed Down

This might seem obvious, but it's the most fundamental way to make money in Skyrim. Seriously, loot everything. Dungeons, caves, even people's homes (if you're feeling sneaky) are filled with items you can sell. Weapons, armor, potions, ingredients – it all adds up.

  • Focus on Value-to-Weight Ratio: Early on, inventory space is precious. Prioritize items with a high value-to-weight ratio. For example, a steel sword might be worth more than a pile of iron ore, but the ore weighs less. You'll learn to identify the best loot over time.
  • Join the Companions: This is a great early-game questline that not only provides a steady stream of quests (and therefore, loot) but also gives you access to some decent gear and training. Plus, you get to hang out with werewolves! Who wouldn't want that?
  • Explore Caves and Ruins: Skyrim is littered with dungeons just waiting to be explored. These are treasure troves of loot, and clearing them out is a great way to make money and level up at the same time. Just be prepared for some draugr!

2. Sell to Merchants (Duh!)

Once you've got a backpack full of loot, it's time to visit a merchant. Every town and city has shops where you can sell your wares. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Merchant Gold: Each merchant has a limited amount of gold available. If you sell them too much, they'll run out of money, and you'll have to wait for their gold to replenish (usually 48 in-game hours).
  • Speech Skill: Your Speech skill affects the prices you get for selling items. The higher your Speech skill, the better the deals you'll get. Invest in Speech perks like Haggling to maximize your profits.
  • Specialty Merchants: Some merchants specialize in certain types of items. For example, blacksmiths will pay more for weapons and armor, while alchemists will give you better prices for potions and ingredients.

3. Mining and Selling Ore

Skyrim is rich in mineral deposits. Mining ore is a simple and reliable way to make money, especially early on.

  • Find a Mine: There are mines scattered throughout Skyrim. Some are owned by NPCs, while others are abandoned and free to mine. The Halted Stream Camp north of Whiterun is a particularly good early-game mining spot, as it contains several iron ore veins and a Transmute Mineral Ore spell tome (more on that later).
  • Mine the Ore: Equip a pickaxe and start swinging! You'll get raw ore, which you can then smelt into ingots at a smelter (found in most cities).
  • Sell the Ingots: Sell the ingots to blacksmiths or general goods merchants. Iron ore is common and doesn't fetch a high price, but it's a steady source of income. You can also craft iron daggers and sell them for a slightly higher profit – a great way to level your Smithing skill too!

4. Do Favors and Quests

Skyrim is full of people who need help, and many of them are willing to pay for it. Taking on quests and doing favors is a great way to earn gold and experience.

  • Radiant Quests: Many factions, like the Companions and the Thieves Guild, offer radiant quests. These are repeatable quests that send you to different locations to complete simple tasks, like clearing out a dungeon or retrieving an item. They're a good way to earn a consistent income.
  • Bounty Quests: Talk to the stewards in each hold (the Jarl's right-hand person) to get bounty quests. These usually involve killing a bandit leader or a dragon. They pay well and provide a good challenge.
  • Side Quests: Keep an eye out for unique side quests. These often have interesting stories and can reward you with significant amounts of gold and valuable items.

Mid-Game Money Making Strategies

Once you've leveled up a bit and have some more skills under your belt, you can start using more advanced money-making methods:

1. Smithing and Enchanting

Crafting is a fantastic way to make money in Skyrim, especially Smithing and Enchanting. By crafting items and then enchanting them, you can significantly increase their value.

  • Level Smithing: Leveling Smithing allows you to craft better armor and weapons, which sell for more. The iron dagger method (crafting iron daggers and selling them) is a classic way to level Smithing quickly and cheaply. You can also use the Transmute Mineral Ore spell (found in Halted Stream Camp) to turn iron ore into silver and then gold, which can be used to craft more valuable items.
  • Level Enchanting: Enchanting adds magical properties to your items, making them much more valuable. Capture souls using Soul Gems and use them to enchant weapons and armor at an enchanting table. The higher your Enchanting skill and the stronger the soul, the more powerful the enchantment and the higher the value of the item.
  • The Smithing/Enchanting Loop: This is a powerful money-making technique. Craft an item (like a dwarven bow), improve it at a grindstone (Smithing), and then enchant it with a valuable enchantment (like banishing). The resulting item will be worth a fortune!

2. Alchemy

Alchemy is another excellent crafting skill for making money. Potions are relatively easy to make, and some of them can sell for a lot of gold.

  • Gather Ingredients: Skyrim is full of plants, mushrooms, and animal parts that can be used to make potions. Explore the wilderness and collect as many ingredients as you can.
  • Experiment and Discover Recipes: Experiment with different ingredient combinations to discover potion recipes. You can also find recipes in books or by talking to alchemists.
  • Focus on Valuable Potions: Some potions are worth more than others. Potions that restore health, magicka, or stamina are always in demand, but potions with rare or powerful effects (like invisibility or paralysis) can fetch a much higher price.
  • The Giant's Toe Potion: This is a legendary money-making potion. Combining Giant's Toe with other ingredients like Wheat and Creep Cluster can create potions worth thousands of gold. Giant's Toes can be found on dead giants (obviously) or purchased from alchemists (though they're rare).

3. Join the Thieves Guild

If you're looking for a more... unconventional way to make money, the Thieves Guild is the place to be. This shady organization offers a variety of quests and opportunities for those with a knack for stealth and larceny.

  • Thieves Guild Quests: The Thieves Guild offers a series of quests that can earn you a decent amount of gold. These quests usually involve stealing items, pickpocketing, and breaking into homes.
  • Fences: The Thieves Guild provides access to fences, merchants who will buy stolen goods. This is essential, as regular merchants won't deal in stolen items.
  • Special Loot: The Thieves Guild questline leads you to some valuable items, including unique weapons and armor. You can sell these for a hefty profit.
  • The Stone of Barenziah Quest: This is a lengthy but highly rewarding quest. Collecting all 24 Stones of Barenziah and returning them to Vex in the Thieves Guild will grant you the Prowler's Profit perk, which significantly increases the chance of finding valuable gems in containers. This can lead to a massive influx of gold over time.

Late-Game Gold Farming Techniques

Once you've reached a high level and have powerful gear, you can start using some of the most efficient gold farming methods in the game:

1. The Dawnstar Chest Glitch (Use at Your Own Risk!)

Okay, let's talk about glitches. Glitches can be game-breaking and may affect your enjoyment of the game, so use them at your own risk! The Dawnstar Chest Glitch is a well-known exploit that allows you to access a hidden chest containing the inventory of the Khajiit caravan merchant, Ahkari. You can take anything from the chest, sell it, and then repeat the process after the chest respawns.

  • How it Works: The chest is located outside the city of Dawnstar, near the Iron-Breaker Mine. It's hidden under some rocks and can be a bit tricky to find. Once you find it, you can access Ahkari's inventory and take whatever you want. The chest respawns every 48 in-game hours.
  • Ethical Considerations: Using glitches like this can be considered cheating, and it can diminish the sense of accomplishment you get from earning gold legitimately. However, if you're just looking for a quick way to get rich, it's an option.

2. Invest in Shops and Sell Your Wares

Once you've joined the Thieves Guild and completed the appropriate questline, you'll unlock the ability to invest in shops. Investing in a shop gives the merchant 500 extra gold to trade with, allowing you to sell more items at once.

  • Invest in High-Value Merchants: Focus on investing in merchants who sell valuable items, like blacksmiths and general goods merchants.
  • Sell High-Value Items: Craft valuable items (like enchanted weapons and armor or high-end potions) and sell them to your invested merchants. You can easily make thousands of gold in a single transaction.
  • Reset Merchant Inventory: After selling your items, wait 48 in-game hours for the merchant's gold and inventory to replenish. Then, repeat the process.

3. Dragon Loot

Dragons are tough to kill, but they drop some seriously valuable loot. Dragon bones and dragon scales are heavy but worth a lot of gold.

  • Hunt Dragons: Seek out dragon lairs and fight dragons. The more dragons you kill, the more loot you'll get.
  • Dragonbone Weapons and Armor: Once your Smithing skill is high enough, you can use dragon bones and scales to craft dragonbone weapons and armor, which are some of the most powerful (and valuable) items in the game.
  • Sell Dragon Parts: If you don't want to craft with dragon bones and scales, you can sell them to merchants. They're worth a significant amount of gold, especially in the early to mid-game.

Tips for Maximizing Your Profits

Here are some extra tips to help you maximize your profits in Skyrim:

  • Increase Your Carry Weight: Being able to carry more loot means you can sell more items at once. Increase your Stamina stat or acquire gear with Fortify Carry Weight enchantments.
  • Use a Companion: Your companion can carry extra loot for you. This effectively doubles your carrying capacity.
  • Fast Travel Strategically: Fast travel to locations with merchants to sell your loot quickly and efficiently.
  • Join Multiple Guilds: Joining multiple guilds (like the Thieves Guild, the Companions, and the College of Winterhold) gives you access to more quests, more loot, and more opportunities to make money.
  • Take Advantage of Skill Bonuses: Some skills have perks that can increase your profits. For example, the Merchant perk in the Speech skill allows you to sell any item to any merchant.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! A comprehensive guide to getting easy money in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Whether you prefer looting dungeons, crafting items, or engaging in more... questionable activities, there are plenty of ways to become a wealthy Dragonborn. Remember to loot strategically, sell wisely, and take advantage of crafting skills. And hey, if you find a hidden chest or two along the way, who are we to judge? Now get out there and start earning those Septims! You’ll be able to afford that fancy house in no time. Happy adventuring, guys!