So, you’ve settled for a new life on a lush island paradise, accompanied by a family of cash-hungry raccoons and a couple of new neighbors. For now, all you have in your possession are the clothes on your back and a small yellow tent. “What now?” you may ask. “How will I ever afford to upgrade my house and build the island of my dreams?” Read on, and find out.

Bells are the currency in Animal Crossing, and are needed to build bridges, inclines, and upgrade your home. A fully upgraded house costs a whopping 5,696 million bells! Sounds like a lot, right? Thankfully, with a few tips and tricks, bells can be pretty easy to earn. Here are some of the best methods for making money right away.

5. Fishing

How To Catch & Hunt Rare Fish (In-Depth)! Animal Crossing New Horizons Guide!

One of the first useful tools you will be able to craft is the flimsy fishing rod. This is great news for budding bellionaires because fishing is an excellent source of early-game income. Some of the most valuable fish can sell for 15000 bells each!

How to fish:

• Find a shadow in a body of water.
• Press A to cast your line, aiming for the front of the fish.
• When attracted, the fish will nibble at the bobber a little. Be patient and wait for the bite.
• When the fish bites, press A to reel it in fast. Rarer fish will escape quicker, so get working on those reflexes!
• Check out this helpful guide here for a list of fish sell prices. It’s handy to know which fish to ditch and which to hoard for a tasty profit.

4. Crops

10 FARMING FACTS & How To Grow The PERFECT CROPS In Animal Crossing New Horizons!

Thanks to the 2.0 update, crops are an easy way to farm (pun intended) money. It all starts with a visit from everybody’s favorite Bob Ross impersonator: Leif. This sleepy sloth will visit early on in your new island life and offer a selection of shrubs, flowers and crops. Each crop sells for 350 bells and a full inventory will net you a cool 140,000 bells! They are one of the simplest ways to make money, as all you need is a watering can and a little bit of patience. Or, no hard stance against time traveling.

How to farm:

• Set out a plot of land and sow your crops.
• Water them for four days to achieve the maximum amount of crops per plant.
• Harvest and profit!

3. Trading

One Red Paperclip in Animal Crossing New Horizons

This method is a little out there, and is only achievable with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. However, it’s one of the most unique and fun ways to make money, if you have the time to invest. Remember One Red Paperclip? This works along the same principle, Animal Crossing style. The video link above demonstrates a player’s journey from a simple paper tiger, to paying off his entire home loan. Of course, you can set your own rules for this process!

How to trade:

• Create an account on Nookazon.
• Pick items to begin your trading journey.
• Find somebody on Nookazon who is looking for those items.
• Trade your way to victory! 

2. Scorpions and tarantulas

How To Catch A Scorpion! How To DIY Scorpion Island 450k BELLS IN 30MIN

Both of these critters can be tricky to catch, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be rolling in bells in no time at all. Tarantulas and scorpions sell for 8000 bells each, so a full inventory will net you a staggering 320,000 bells. If you get super lucky with your Nook Miles tickets, you may even come across the elusive tarantula or scorpion island, which are filled to the brim with endlessly respawning critters. You can also DIY your own Nook Miles island by removing all the trees and rocks and plucking all the flowers. Nintendo nerfed the spawn rates significantly for this method, but it’s still quicker than trying to farm them on your own island.

How to catch a tarantula or scorpion:

• Take out your net and take a deep breath.
• Approach the critter slowly. Take baby steps!
• When the critter hisses and raises its front legs/claws, stop. Wait for them to lower.
• Approach once more. Easy does it.
• Once the critter is within catching range, press A to claim your 8000 bell prize and end its era of terror.
• Wipe the sweat from your brow. You did good, kid. Now, do it again.

1. Turnips

How I Make Millions of Bells EVERY week using Turnips Exchange!

The single most efficient way of earning big bells is to play the stalk market. Every Sunday before midday a small boar named Daisy Mae will visit your island to sell these valuable vegetables. Buy as many as you can afford, because a good turnip profit outweighs every other method of money making. Turnips stack in 100s, so a full inventory of 4000 turnips sold for a maximum potential price of 660 bells each could net you a cool 2,640 million bells! For a guaranteed win every week, keep an eye on the Turnip Exchange.

How to play the stalk market:

• Buy turnips every Sunday. Don’t time travel, as this will cause them to rot.
• Keep an eye on the Nooklings’ buy price. It changes at midday every day, so be sure to check twice.
• (Optional) Enter your buy prices into a turnip calculator, which will predict buying prices for the week. The more you input, the more accurate it becomes.
• If you’re unlucky and have terrible prices, use the Turnip Exchange to sell.

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