How to Earn Money

[Teritus]

Well, I've just started playing the game and am only a very low level so far. I'm enjoying it a lot and all, but one thing I always find myself is without money. Sure, I go out and do quests, and then I get paid, but I often need to go into combat, and for that I need good weapons, spells, etc. and of course I need to pay for it.

See my dilemma? I'm thinking of put the difficulty down, but I don't want to do that just yet. I remember in Oblivion that you could go round houses at night time and steal whatever's in it. Can you do that in Skyrim? And some of the quests are very low paying, like this one quest some guy offered me two gold to do a task. What the hell am I gonna do with that? Granted it was easy, but that's not the point. Basically, I'm wondering how you earn more money at low levels as I need it practically for everything?
Thanks!

 

[Darksarrow]

Go join the Companions you will make some good cash fast.

 

[dragonborn---]

The Dark Brotherhood or sell dragons bones and scales.
GOOD LUCK

 

[Garrison]

There are some painfully slow options like chopping firewood or harvesting flora & hunting fauna, but basically loot & sell everything. I have yet to buy a weapon or armor; the stuff you acquire dungeon crawling will get you by until you can smith better stuff.

 

[jeff]

Be paitent the money will come. Your weapons damage improves as you level up and add your perks. You can start enchanting your weapons that you find and sell them for more money. I just started going that and its helped out a lot. I'm only at level 18 but the money is starting to be a non issue.

 

[skooma is good]

do the book glitch or the armor dupe glitch

_____________

 

[Reiji]

Making high value potions with Alchemy. Enchanting weapons you loot from dungeons almost doubles their value. If you get married you get money for your wife's/husband's store every month.

 

[Jaeger]

About the stealing. You may get away with it at the time but someone will send a trio of thugs after you for thieving. They only turn hostile when they are close range so if you can't handle 3 people at melee distance don't steal.

 

[Jaeger]

Is the some guy who gave you two gold, the little boy? I think that's a way in for the battle born/gray mane quest.

 

[Teritus]

Is the some guy who gave you two gold, the little boy? I think that's a way in for the battle born/gray mane quest.

I think so, yeah. Well, thanks to everyone who's posted so far. I'll try all these things.

 

[morguen87]

I think so, yeah. Well, thanks to everyone who's posted so far. I'll try all these things.

While there are things you can do to make money quickly like using smithing and alchemy, after I bought the whiterun house pretty early on I haven't had a ton of use for money. Basically just for bribes after I fail a persuade speech check. Just pick up things that have a good money:weight ratio and sell them later. After a few hours you'll be ok. There's no necessary trick to it unless you want to make it more complicated than looting dead bodies and doing quests.

 

[Ender]

Ya weight to gold ratio is key and then getting a follower and then a house. Once you do that the gold is pretty plentiful. Alchemy is also a really easy way to make cash and there's always something you don't need, they weigh a lot too.

Playing a thief? Sell all the magicka potions you don't need
Playing a mage? Sell all the stamina and poisons

So on... once you open up a lot of the Map you can also do Sergius in Winterhold College quests and he gives like 600 for each one and most just amount to fast traveling between cities to pick something up for enchanting.

 

[mappam7]

Good tips - I am also in need of money - still new and need a house for the inventory/storage space.

I love to explore and have a lot of ingrediants that I want to store until I get the rest of the stuff to use in recipes.

Inventory space is my biggest problem - so I am trying to collect the 5k needed for the house.

 

[dragonborn---]

Good tips - I am also in need of money - still new and need a house for the inventory/storage space.

I love to explore and have a lot of ingrediants that I want to store until I get the rest of the stuff to use in recipes.

Inventory space is my biggest problem - so I am trying to collect the 5k needed for the house.

When you get you 5k, look a thread for a free house.. you can keep your money!

 

[Duffmage]

Kill people, strip them to their undies, sell their stuff.

 

[Elvus]

My favorite money making method is going out, sneaking up on some giants,and sneak sniping/dagger shanking them. I can get about 300-500 coins per kill plus you get hides you can use to make leather bracers for very fast and cost effective smithing xp. It isn't the best method but its really fun . Also if you arent stealth based you can easily FUS RO DAH the giants into submission so you can proceed to pummel their face.

 

[Teritus]

My favorite money making method is going out, sneaking up on some giants,and sneak sniping/dagger shanking them. I can get about 300-500 coins per kill plus you get hides you can use to make leather bracers for very fast and cost effective smithing xp. It isn't the best method but its really fun . Also if you arent stealth based you can easily FUS RO DAH the giants into submission so you can proceed to pummel their face.

Does that actually work though? I heard giants are harder to kill than dragons.

 

[xSuoiveDx]

Making lots of money at a low level is easy, just hunt elk, deer & wolves for their pelts to make leather & leather strips. Mine Iron, Corundum, Gold & Silver Ores around Whiterun. Then just make heaps of Iron & Leather Armour plus some jewellery at the Blacksmith then sell it. Not only do you level up fast you also make money. Also loot every dead body for everything & sell the items as well.

 

[Umbranar]

Making lots of money at a low level is easy, just hunt elk, deer & wolves for their pelts to make leather & leather strips. Mine Iron, Corundum, Gold & Silver Ores around Whiterun. Then just make heaps of Iron & Leather Armour plus some jewellery at the Blacksmith then sell it. Not only do you level up fast you also make money. Also loot every dead body for everything & sell the items as well.

Enchant the Jewelry with some lame petty gems and it will earn you even more.

 

[Teritus]

Making lots of money at a low level is easy, just hunt elk, deer & wolves for their pelts to make leather & leather strips. Mine Iron, Corundum, Gold & Silver Ores around Whiterun. Then just make heaps of Iron & Leather Armour plus some jewellery at the Blacksmith then sell it. Not only do you level up fast you also make money. Also loot every dead body for everything & sell the items as well.

That seems reasonable. I'll do more of that. Any particular places to find these animals?