Welcome to your new life in Pelican Town. You have a rusty axe, a few seeds, and a big dream. Many players struggle during their first year because they do not know how to make money in Stardew Valley efficiently.
This guide will turn your messy overgrown plot into a gold-making machine. We will focus on simple steps that anyone can follow. You do not need to be a pro gamer to get rich here.
Making money allows you to buy better tools. It lets you build big barns for cute animals. Most importantly, it lets you finish the Community Center and unlock the secrets of the island.
Tools & Prerequisites
Before you plant a single seed, you need to know what you are working with. Your backpack is your most important asset.
The Essential Toolkit
You start with basic tools. These tools use energy. If you run out of energy, you faint and lose money.
| Tool Name | Purpose | How to Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Watering Can | Keeps crops alive. | Give copper bars to Clint the Blacksmith. |
| Hoe | Digs up dirt for planting. | Upgrade to dig more tiles at once. |
| Pickaxe | Breaks rocks and ore. | Necessary for getting deeper in the mines. |
| Axe | Chops wood and stumps. | Upgrade this to clear large logs on your farm. |
| Fishing Rod | Catches fish for fast cash. | Buy better rods from Willy at the beach. |
Understanding Your Energy
Every time you swing a tool, you get tired. Early in the game, eating is the only way to keep going.
- Spring Onions: Look for these in the forest south of your farm. They are free food.
- Field Snacks: Craft these using seeds from trees (Acorns, Maple Seeds, Pine Cones).
- Salmonberries: In mid-Spring, bushes turn red. Shake them for hundreds of free berries.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section breaks down exactly what to do from your first day until you are a millionaire.
Phase 1: The First Spring
The first few days are about momentum. Do not spend all your money at once.
Step 1: Plant Your Parsnips
Mayor Lewis gives you 15 Parsnip seeds. Plant them immediately. Water them every single day. They grow in four days.
Step 2: The Potato Power Move
Once you sell those Parsnips, buy Potato Seeds from Pierre’s shop. Potatoes are great because they sometimes give you two potatoes for the price of one seed.
Step 3: Clear the Path to the Mines
On Day 5, the Mines open. This is north of the Carpenter’s shop. You need copper. Copper makes the Silo and the Mayonnaise Machine.
Pro Tip: Never sell your raw crops if you can turn them into something else. A jar of Mayonnaise sells for much more than a plain egg.
Phase 2: Fishing for Fast Gold
Fishing is the hardest part of the game for beginners. However, it is the fastest way to make 2,000 gold in a single day.
How to Fish Like a Pro
- Go to the mountain lake near the Mines.
- Cast your line.
- Keep the green bar behind the fish by clicking.
- Sell everything you catch to Willy or put it in the shipping bin.
Phase 3: The Summer Blueberry Boom
Summer is where the real money starts. You want to buy as many Blueberry Seeds as possible.
Why Blueberries?
- They grow back every few days.
- You do not have to replant them.
- They produce multiple berries per harvest.
The Sprinkler Shortcut
Watering crops by hand takes too much time. You need Quality Sprinklers. To craft these, you need:
- 1 Iron Bar
- 1 Gold Bar
- 1 Refined Quartz
Phase 4: Fall and the Cranberry King
Fall is similar to Summer but even better. Cranberries are your best friend. They work just like blueberries. Plant them on Day 1 of Fall.
The Pumpkin Profit
If you have extra money, plant Pumpkins. Pumpkins are great for gifts, but they also sell for a high price. If you plant them in a 3x3 square, they might turn into a Giant Pumpkin.
The Secret to Passive Income: Artisan Goods
If you want to know how to make money in Stardew Valley without working hard every day, you need machines.
The Keg Strategy
The Keg is the most powerful item in the game.
- Vegetables + Keg = Juice
- Fruits + Keg = Wine
- Hops + Keg = Pale Ale
Pale Ale is a "gold mine." Hops grow every single day in Summer. If you have 20 kegs, you can make thousands of gold every morning.
The Preserves Jar
For cheaper fruits like Salmonberries or Blackberries, use the Preserves Jar. It turns fruit into Jam. Jam sells for 2 times the fruit's value plus 50 gold.
| Machine | Input | Output Time | Value Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keg | Ancient Fruit | 7 Days | Massive (3x Fruit Value) |
| Preserves Jar | Any Fruit | 2-3 Days | Medium (2x + 50g) |
| Bee House | Flowers nearby | 4 Days | High (Depends on Flower) |
Expert Tips & Troubleshooting
Even experts make mistakes. Here is how to avoid them.
Tip 1: The Silo First Rule
Do not build a Coop or a Barn until you build a Silo. If you cut grass without a Silo, the grass disappears. If you have a Silo, the grass becomes Hay. Free food for animals!
Tip 2: Watch the Weather Report
Check the TV in your house every morning. If it says it will rain tomorrow, that is the best time to upgrade your watering can. The rain will water your crops for you while Clint has your tool.
Tip 3: Don't Ignore the Traveling Cart
On Fridays and Sundays, a lady with a pig cart appears in the forest. She often sells Rare Seeds. Buy them. Plant them in Fall to get a Sweet Gem Berry. It sells for 3,000 gold!
Common Problems (Troubleshooting)
"My crops died overnight!"
- Reason: The season changed. Most crops die on the 1st of a new season.
- Fix: Check your calendar. Only plant crops that have enough time to grow before the 28th.
"Crows ate my plants!"
- Reason: You don't have Scarecrows.
- Fix: Craft a Scarecrow (Wood, Coal, Fiber). One Scarecrow protects a circle of 8 spaces in every direction.
A diagram showing the Safe Zone radius of a single Scarecrow.
Advanced Money Making: The Greenhouse
Once you finish the Pantry bundles in the Community Center, you unlock the Greenhouse. This is a small building where crops never die. It doesn't matter if it is Winter.
The Ancient Fruit Cycle
- Find an Ancient Seed artifact by digging or killing bugs in the mines.
- Donate it to the Museum. Gunther gives you a plantable seed.
- Plant it in the Greenhouse.
- Use a Seed Maker to turn the fruit back into more seeds.
- Fill the whole Greenhouse with Ancient Fruit.
- Turn all the fruit into Wine.
The Starfruit Strategy
If you haven't found Ancient Seeds, buy Starfruit Seeds from the Desert. Starfruit Wine is the most expensive item you can sell in the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most profitable crop in the game?
The Sweet Gem Berry has the highest sell price. However, Ancient Fruit is better because it grows back every week and doesn't need to be replanted.
Is it better to sell silver or gold star items?
Generally, yes. But if you have a Keg or Preserves Jar, it is better to process the "normal" quality items first. The machine always gives the same quality boost regardless of the input.
A chart showing that a Gold Star Melon and a Normal Melon both make the same quality Wine.
Should I choose the Mushroom or Bat cave?
For beginners, the Mushroom Cave is better. It gives you 6 mushrooms every couple of days. You can eat them for energy or turn them into "Life Elixir."
How do I get to the Desert?
You must complete the Vault bundles in the Community Center. This costs 42,500 gold total. It fixes the bus, allowing you to buy Starfruit seeds.
Conclusion
Learning how to make money in Stardew Valley is a journey, not a race. Start small with Potatoes and Fishing. Move up to Blueberries and Cranberries. Finally, build your empire of Kegs and Greenhouse Ancient Fruit.
Remember to balance your work with making friends and exploring. Money makes the game easier, but the heart of the game is your farm’s story. Now, get out there and start planting!