Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is an open-world MMORPG where making money, or GP (gold pieces), is a vital aspect of the gameplay. Whether you want to buy gear, access membership, or just enjoy the game to its fullest, having enough OSRS gold to fuel your progression is key. However, not all money-making methods are created equal. Some methods are more accessible, rewarding, and beneficial than others in the early stages of the game. In this article, we’ll look at five money-making methods that are accessible to most players within their first week or two of playing OSRS, and we’ll discuss the mindset you should adopt to maximize your success.

Mindset: Prioritizing Skills Over Immediate Wealth

Before diving into the methods themselves, it’s crucial to establish the right mindset. Early on, focusing too much on making money can slow your overall progress. While earning GP is essential, your primary focus should always be on advancing your skills. As you level up and unlock better content, the GP per hour you can earn will increase dramatically. For example, while high-level money makers can reach millions of GP per hour, early methods generally offer much lower returns.

Additionally, don’t fall into the trap of trying to sustain your membership through methods like buying bonds with in-game GP. It’s a poor cycle to get caught in, as you’ll find yourself grinding low-level tasks just to afford membership, leading to burnout. If you want to buy bonds, consider paying for membership with real money rather than using your GP to buy bonds. It’s a more efficient and enjoyable way to play the game.

Now, let’s look at five early-game money-making methods that are both accessible and relatively simple to start.

1. Shop-Flipping: Buying Items from Shops and Reselling on the Grand Exchange

This method requires very little investment and is a great way to earn GP early on. The idea is to buy items from shops at a lower price and resell them for a profit on the Grand Exchange (GE). A great thing about this method is that it doesn’t require any specific skills, and it can be done as a beginner. However, you will need some starting GP to make it work.

A Popular Shop Method: The Sawmill Shop

The Sawmill shop is one of the most accessible shops for this method. It sells nails, and these can be bought and resold for a profit. Steel and iron nails tend to be the most profitable, but even bronze nails can yield some profit. The key to making this method work efficiently is hopping between worlds to buy as many nails as possible, which are stackable in your inventory, maximizing the number of items you can buy in a short amount of time.

A helpful plugin for this is Menu Entry Swapper, which allows you to buy items with just a click, streamlining the process. For example, setting the “Buy 50” option for nails using Shift-click will significantly speed up the process.

Profit Example:

Let’s say you invest 20K GP. After just a few minutes of hopping worlds and buying nails, you could end up with around 62K GP. After subtracting your initial investment, this results in about 540K GP per hour. While you won’t be able to sustain this rate for an entire hour due to world hopping limitations, it’s still an excellent method for quick, low-effort GP.

2. Monkey Nuts: A High-Return Shop-Flipping Method

Monkey Nuts are one of the best shop-flipping items for beginners, and they can fetch nearly 1M GP per hour. While this is a profitable venture, there are a few more requirements than with the Sawmill shop, as you’ll need to have completed the Monkey Madness I quest to access the store selling these items.

Once you’ve done that, head to the food store in the Monkey Colony, where you can purchase Monkey Nuts. By using the Menu Entry Swapper plugin, you can one-click purchase these nuts and bank them with ease.

Profit Example:

On average, you’ll earn about 972K GP per hour with Monkey Nuts, but due to GE tax and the limited stock, you can expect your true profit to be closer to 700K-800K GP per hour. Still, this is a very strong method for anyone with the required quest completion and the necessary gear.

3. Blast Furnace: Efficient Smithing with Profit

At level 15 Smithing, players can begin using the Blast Furnace. This location is an excellent spot for making money while training Smithing, and it provides a higher GP per hour as your Smithing level increases. To access the Blast Furnace, you will need to have completed the Giant Dwarf quest.

The Blast Furnace works by converting ores into bars at a much faster rate than standard smelting methods. By depositing ores into the furnace and collecting the resulting bars, you can make significant profit, especially with iron and steel bars.

Requirements and Recommendations:

• Coal Bag (obtained with 100 Golden Nuggets from the Motherlode Mine)
• Graceful Outfit (for reduced stamina drain)
• Ice Gloves (to save on inventory space)
• Ring of Endurance (optional, for extra stamina efficiency)

Once you’ve gathered your ores and set up your gear, the process is simple: deposit ores, let the Blast Furnace do its work, and collect the bars. With iron, you can earn about 600K GP per hour at level 15 Smithing. As you level up, the profit will decrease slightly but you’ll still be able to make solid money, especially with higher-level ores like mithril and adamant.

4. Revenant Hunting: High-Risk, High-Reward

Revenant hunting is a profitable method, but it comes with significant risk, as you’re hunting in the Wilderness. However, the loot from Revenants can be extremely valuable, especially with items like Revenant heads, coins, and unique drops like the Looting Bag.

Requirements:

• Bracelet of Ethereum to protect against attack
• 50 Ranged for the magic shortbow
• Prayer for protection and boosts

Once you’ve set up your gear (a basic range setup with a magic shortbow and some food), head to the Revenant Caves in the Wilderness. With 80 range, you could expect to make about 2.2M GP per hour, though if you’re lower level, your kills per hour will be reduced.

The key to maximizing your profits is to keep your risk in check. Always be ready to teleport out and protect your loot. You can also use customizable left-click teleport options like the Ring of Wealth to quickly escape.

5. Herb Farming: Passive Profit Over Time

Herb farming is one of the most sustainable and passive money-making methods in OSRS. By farming herbs, you can earn consistent GP while also training your farming skill. The profits will depend on which herbs you’re farming and the number of patches you have unlocked.

The first herb you can farm for good profit is Ranarr Weed, which becomes available at level 32 farming. Once you’ve leveled up enough, you can also farm Toadflax, Snapdragons, and other high-profit herbs. Additionally, using Ultra Compost will increase your yields and decrease the chance of plants dying.

Herb farming can be combined with other activities like Slayer, making it a convenient method to generate passive income. If you use the Magic Secateurs (unlocked through the Fairy Tale questline), you’ll boost your herb yield by 10%.

Conclusion: Smart Early-Game Money Making

When starting out in OSRS, the key is to focus on long-term growth rather than immediate profits. While it’s tempting to dive into high-GP methods early on, your skills and progression will give you far more rewarding results in the long run. That said, the methods outlined in this guide are solid ways to kickstart your financial journey in OSRS. Whether it’s flipping shop items(OSRS Fire Cape), making bars at the Blast Furnace, or hunting Revenants in the Wilderness, there are plenty of accessible methods to earn GP without overexerting yourself or buy RS gold. Keep your focus on skill progression, and the gold will follow.