OSRS Money Making Guide: A Beginner's Path to Wealth
For beginners, making money in OSRS can seem daunting at first. The game has a vast array of methods to earn GP, and not all are equally accessible to new players. This guide will cover beginner-friendly money-making strategies, helping you build a solid GP foundation and gain confidence in the game's economy.
Understanding the OSRS Economy
Before diving into money-making methods, it's important to understand a few basics about OSRS's economy:
No Auction House: Trading is player-to-player through the Grand Exchange or direct trades.
Supply and Demand: Prices fluctuate based on player demand, updates, and seasonal events.
Skill and Gear Dependence: Some methods require specific skill levels or equipment.
Risk vs Reward: Some activities involve combat risks but yield higher profits.
With that in mind, let's explore the best beginner-friendly methods.
1. Questing for Early GP and Unlocks
Quests in OSRS are not just a source of experience and story - they often reward you with valuable items, gold, or unlock new money-making opportunities.
Recommended Early Quests for Money:
Cook's Assistant: Easy starter quest that rewards cooking experience to boost food making for later.
The Restless Ghost: Provides prayer experience, useful for combat.
Vampire Slayer: Grants combat experience, preparing you for monster hunting.
Witch's Potion: Unlocks some simple farming and potion making.
Waterfall Quest: One of the best early quests, giving you a large boost in attack and strength experience to level combat quickly.
Why Quests Matter
Many quests unlock valuable training spots, transportation methods, or shops that sell high-demand items. Completing them early speeds your overall progression and indirectly boosts your money-making potential.
2. Gathering Skills: A Steady Income Source
Gathering skills are beginner-friendly and require minimal combat. You collect resources that are always in demand and sellable on the Grand Exchange.
Woodcutting
Where to Start: Chop regular trees or oaks near Lumbridge.
Profit Items: Logs (especially oak and willow) sell consistently.
Tips: Upgrade your axe ASAP for faster cutting; use the Woodcutting guild at higher levels.
Fishing
Where to Start: Fish shrimps and anchovies on the coast near Lumbridge.
Profit Items: Raw fish such as trout, salmon, and later lobsters.
Tips: Cook your fish before selling for higher prices, or sell raw for faster turnover.
Mining
Where to Start: Mine copper and tin near Lumbridge.
Profit Items: Copper, tin, and later iron ores.
Tips: Iron is a good early money-maker; look for mining guilds and pay attention to mining competition events.
Hunter
Where to Start: Catch beginner creatures like butterflies.
Profit Items: Butterflies and chinchompas.
Tips: This skill takes longer to master but can be very profitable at higher levels.
3. Combat Money Making for Beginners
Combat-based money making lets you kill monsters and sell the valuable drops. As a beginner, stick to low-level monsters with easy drops.
Killing Cows and Chickens
Why: Dropped cowhides sell for decent GP.
Location: Cows are abundant around Lumbridge and the cow fields.
Tips: Collect cowhides, then tan them into leather or green dragonhide to sell for more.
Killing Hill Giants
Why: They drop big bones and limpwurt roots, which are useful for Prayer and Herblore.
Location: Edgeville Dungeon.
Tips: Bring basic combat gear and food; make use of multi-combat areas.
Killing Moss Giants
Why: They drop nature runes and other decent loot.
Location: Varrock Sewers or nearby dungeons.
Tips: Requires moderate combat stats but yields good returns.
Slayer Tasks
Once you have moderate combat levels, Slayer is a great way to make money while training combat skills. Beginners can get assigned easier monsters that drop valuable items.
4. Flipping and Merchanting
Flipping is buying items at a low price and selling at a higher price on the Grand Exchange. This requires some starting capital and market knowledge but can be very lucrative.
How to Start Flipping as a Beginner:
Start with cheap, high-volume items such as runes, logs, or basic ores.
Monitor the prices closely - the Grand Exchange website or community tools like GE Tracker help track trends.
Buy when prices dip and sell when they rebound.
Avoid highly volatile or rare items initially until you understand the market.
Flipping is less about grinding and more about patience, market savvy, and capital.
5. Crafting and Smithing for Profit
Crafting and Smithing allow you to create valuable items from raw materials. Although slower at the start, these skills can produce goods worth selling for good profit.
Crafting Leather Goods
Use cowhides to craft leather gloves, boots, or body armor.
Leather items sell well to new players starting their adventures.
Making Jewelry
Crafting gold rings or amulets can be profitable.
Enchanting jewelry (once unlocked) increases value further.
Smithing Weapons and Armor
Smelting ores into bars and crafting basic armor/weapons can be sold.
Requires mining skill to source ores.
6. Farming for Consistent Profits
Farming is a slower skill but pays off over time, especially if you grow high-demand crops or herbs.
Early Farming Tips:
Plant easy-to-grow crops like potatoes, onions, or herbs such as guam and marrentill.
Herbs are always in demand for potions and provide steady income.
Complete farming quests to unlock better farming patches and tools.
7. Other Beginner-Friendly Money Makers
Pickpocketing (Thieving Skill)
Start by pickpocketing men or women around towns.
Once leveled, move to higher level NPCs for better loot like gems and coins.
Collecting Clues and Treasure Trails
Completing clue scrolls rewards valuable items and cosmetics.
Good side activity that supplements income.
Miscellaneous Activities
Collecting feathers or other easily obtainable items to sell.
Killing Chaos Druids for herbs and nature runes.
Cutting and selling gems from mining.
Tips for Maximizing Your Earnings as a Beginner
Always Check Prices: Use the Grand Exchange interface to ensure your selling prices are competitive.
Invest in Stamina and Inventory Management: Carry weight-reducing items and flasks to increase efficiency.
Upgrade Your Tools: Better axes, pickaxes, and fishing rods drastically improve gathering speed.
Join a Clan or Community: Veteran players often share money-making tips and sometimes help with resources.
Avoid Scams: Only trade through the Grand Exchange or trusted players.
Diversify Your Methods: Don't stick to one method; combine gathering, combat, and crafting to keep income flowing.
Summary
For beginners in Old School RuneScape, making money doesn't have to be complicated or grind-heavy. Start with easy gathering skills like woodcutting and fishing, progress into combat kills of low-level monsters, and complete early quests that unlock new tools and methods. As your skills grow, experiment with crafting, flipping, and more challenging combat to increase your income. You will buy RuneScape gold more easily.
By learning the basics of the OSRS economy and experimenting with multiple money-making avenues, you'll build a strong gold foundation to invest in better gear and skills, opening the door to even more lucrative ventures.