How to Make Money Fast in Skyrim: A Dragonborn’s Guide to Riches

So, you’re a Dragonborn, destined to save Skyrim from Alduin and all sorts of other existential threats. But let’s be honest, fighting dragons and mastering shouts doesn’t exactly pay the bills. You need Septims, and you need them fast. This guide will cut through the fluff and deliver the most efficient methods for raking in the gold in the harsh lands of Skyrim.

The quickest way to make money fast in Skyrim involves a multifaceted approach: prioritizing lucrative quests, mastering the art of alchemy and enchanting, exploiting early-game smithing opportunities, and strategically selling valuable items to the right merchants. Combine these tactics, and you’ll go from rags to riches faster than you can say “Fus Ro Dah!”

Early Game Money-Making Strategies

Forget trudging through dungeons for a few measly coins. We’re going for immediate impact.

The Riverwood Trader’s Little Secret

Right out of Helgen, head straight to Riverwood. Speak to Lucan Valerius, the owner of the Riverwood Trader. Accept his quest, “The Golden Claw.” Not only is this a relatively easy quest, but the Golden Claw itself sells for a tidy sum. This is your starting capital.

Alchemy: The Potion Powerhouse

Alchemy is, without a doubt, one of the most profitable skills in Skyrim. Forget fancy weapons; brew potions!

• Gather, Gather, Gather: Ingredients are everywhere! Prioritize commonly found ingredients like Blue Mountain Flowers, Blisterwort, Blue Dartwings, and Wheat. These can be combined to create valuable potions.
• Experiment and Learn: Discover new recipes by combining ingredients. Don’t be afraid to eat ingredients too, to learn their properties.
• Target the Right Effects: Focus on potions with valuable effects like Invisibility, Fortify Carry Weight, Fortify Magicka, and Regenerate Health. These sell for a premium.
• Early Game Goldmine: With the ingredients mentioned earlier, you can create potions that can be sold for significant profit early on.
• Sell to Alchemists: Alchemists typically have more gold than general goods merchants, maximizing your profits.

Iron Daggers: The Smithing Shortcut

While later game smithing provides bigger profits, early on, the humble Iron Dagger is your friend.

• Mine Iron Ore: Head to mines near Riverwood and Whiterun. Iron ore is abundant.
• Smelt into Ingots: Use a smelter to convert the ore into Iron Ingots.
• Craft Iron Daggers: Craft as many Iron Daggers as you can. This will rapidly level your Smithing skill.
• Enchant (If Possible): If you have any enchantments that work on weapons (banish, turn undead, etc.), apply them to the daggers for significantly increased value.
• Sell to General Goods Merchants and Blacksmiths: Whiterun and Riverwood are your best bet for selling your creations.

Mid-Game Money-Making Powerhouses

You’ve established a base, now it’s time to expand your operations.

Questing for Gold

Focus on quests that offer substantial gold rewards. The Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild questlines are notorious for their payouts, but even simple Radiant Quests can be lucrative if approached efficiently.

• Prioritize High-Paying Quests: Look for quests with gold rewards exceeding 500 Septims.
• Clear Dungeons Thoroughly: While questing, be sure to loot every container and defeat every enemy for additional valuables.
• The Companions Quests: After some early quests, you can pick up radiant quests from the Companions. These quests will often give you loot and gold.

Enchanting: The Value Booster

Once your enchanting skill is reasonably leveled, you can significantly increase the value of your items.

• Disenchant Items with Useful Effects: Find and disenchant items with effects like Fortify Sneak, Fortify Magicka, Fortify Archery, and Waterbreathing. These are highly sought after.
• Enchant Gear with Fortify Carry Weight: Enchanting gear (especially boots) with Fortify Carry Weight lets you carry more items to sell.
• Soul Gems are Key: Use filled Soul Gems to power your enchantments. The larger the Soul Gem, the more potent the enchantment. Petty Soul Gems are enough for Iron Daggers.
• Invest in Enchanting Perks: Perks that improve enchantment potency are crucial for maximizing profits.

Merchant Exploitation and Bartering

Knowing where and how to sell your goods is just as important as acquiring them.

• Invest in Speech: The Speech skill tree has perks that increase your bartering abilities. Haggle is a must-have.
• Merchant Factions: Join the Thieves Guild to unlock fences who have a large amount of gold available.
• The Dawnstar Chest: Although generally considered an exploit, the Dawnstar chest resets every 48 hours. Located near the mine, it offers a wide variety of items that can be sold for a large sum of gold in the early game.

Late Game Money-Making Empires

You’re powerful, respected (or feared), and now it’s time to become filthy rich.

Crafting and Selling Dragon Armor

Now that you’re slaying dragons, you can craft Dragon Armor.

• Gather Dragon Bones and Scales: Obviously, you’ll need to defeat dragons to obtain these materials.
• Reach Smithing Level 100: This is essential for crafting Dragon Armor.
• Craft Dragon Armor Sets: A complete set of Dragon Armor sells for a significant amount.
• Enhance with Enchantments: Further increase the value by enchanting the armor with desirable effects like Fortify Health, Fortify Stamina, and Resist Magic.

Establishing a Business Empire

Once you have enough initial capital, invest in businesses.

• Property Ownership: Buy houses and furnish them. While not directly generating income, they provide safe storage and crafting stations.
• Hired Help: Employ bards, stewards, and carriage drivers to manage your properties and provide services.
• Build Homesteads: The Hearthfire DLC allows you to build custom homes and establish farms, creating a sustainable source of income.

The Ultimate Alchemy Loop

By now, you should have a deep understanding of Alchemy.

• Cultivate Ingredients: Create gardens at your homesteads to grow rare and valuable ingredients.
• Brew High-Value Potions: Create and sell potions with multiple beneficial effects.
• Fortify Alchemy Gear: Enchant gear to increase your alchemy skill, creating even more potent potions.
• Sell to Specialized Merchants: Target merchants who specialize in alchemy and are willing to pay top dollar.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions to help you refine your money-making strategies:

1. Is Stealing a Viable Way to Make Money Early On?

Stealing can provide a quick boost, but it comes with risks. Getting caught can result in fines or imprisonment. It’s best used sparingly and strategically, focusing on high-value, easily hidden items. Leveling your Sneak Skill is crucial for success.

2. What are the Best Ingredients for Making Valuable Potions?

Ingredients like Giant’s Toe, Creep Cluster, Scaly Pholiota, and Namira’s Rot are highly prized for their powerful effects. Combine these with other ingredients to create potent and expensive potions.

3. How Can I Increase My Carry Weight?

Increasing your carry weight allows you to carry more loot and thus make more money per trip. Leveling your Stamina increases carry weight. Enchanting gear with Fortify Carry Weight is even more effective.

4. What Perks Should I Invest in for Alchemy?

Focus on perks that increase potion potency and reduce negative effects. Alchemist, Physician, and Benefactor are all excellent choices.

5. Which Perks Should I Invest in for Smithing?

Focus on perks that allow you to craft better armor and weapons. Steel Smithing, Dwarven Smithing, Orcish Smithing, Ebony Smithing, and Daedric Smithing are essential for crafting high-value items.

6. Where Can I Find Rare Ingredients?

Rare ingredients can be found in specific locations throughout Skyrim. For example, Giant’s Toe can be looted from giants, and Jarrin Root is found during the Dark Brotherhood questline.

7. What is the Best Way to Level Enchanting?

The most efficient way to level Enchanting is to enchant inexpensive items with common enchantments like Fortify Sneak or Fortify Carry Weight. This allows you to practice frequently without wasting valuable resources.

8. How Do I Join the Thieves Guild?

You can join the Thieves Guild by speaking to Brynjolf in Riften. He’ll offer you a small job, and completing it will initiate the Thieves Guild questline.

9. How Do I Join the Dark Brotherhood?

You can join the Dark Brotherhood by completing the quest “Innocence Lost” in Windhelm and then sleeping in a bed. You’ll be kidnapped and offered a choice: join or die.

10. Are There Any “Get Rich Quick” Schemes That Really Work?

While there are exploits and glitches that can provide immediate wealth, these are often patched and can detract from the overall gameplay experience. Sticking to legitimate methods like alchemy, crafting, and questing is more reliable in the long run.

11. How Do I Get Married in Skyrim?

To get married, you need to acquire the Amulet of Mara, available in Riften, and wear it while speaking to a potential spouse. They must have a positive disposition towards you for the option to marry to appear.

12. Is Owning a Store Worth It?

While not a base game feature, mods like “Trade and Barter” can allow you to own and operate stores. This provides a steady income stream, but requires active management.

By implementing these strategies, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a wealthy and influential figure in the world of Skyrim. Happy adventuring, and may your pockets always be full of Septims!