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How to Get the Most Money in Animal Crossing: A Comprehensive Guide

The pursuit of Bells is a central theme in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Whether you’re aiming to expand your home, acquire the latest fashionable items, or fund island renovations, having a healthy bank account is crucial. But how do you truly maximize your earnings in this charming world? The answer isn’t as simple as one quick trick; it’s a combination of smart strategies and consistent effort. This guide will walk you through the most lucrative methods to amass wealth in Animal Crossing, from leveraging the Stalk Market to mastering the art of crafting.

The Fastest Routes to Riches

While there isn’t a single “magic bullet,” the most effective way to get the most money in Animal Crossing involves a multi-pronged approach. This approach involves these key strategies:

Mastering the Stalk Market (Turnips): Buying low and selling high is the name of the game when it comes to turnips. This method is by far the most lucrative, potentially yielding millions of Bells in a short amount of time. However, it also carries the highest risk. Monitoring price fluctuations and visiting other players’ islands with favorable prices are key to success.
Crafting and Selling High-Value Items: Certain crafted items fetch significantly higher prices than their raw materials. Focus on crafting items like the Trophy Case or Street Piano once you acquire the necessary DIY recipes and materials.
Fossil and Bug Curation: Regularly unearthing fossils and catching bugs provides a reliable income stream. While donating is crucial for museum completion, selling duplicates or saving high-value bugs for Flick can be very profitable.
Utilizing Special Visitors: Be sure to sell to special visitors like CJ and Flick. These characters pay premium prices for fish and bugs respectively. Save up your catches for their visits to maximize your profits.
The Art of Money Trees: While not a guaranteed method for massive wealth, planting a money tree each day is a consistent way to get a boost of bells daily. Remember to bury no more than 30,000 bells to maximize your gains.
Visiting Highly Priced Turnip Islands: If you have access to online play, visiting islands with very high turnip prices (sometimes 999,999,999 Bells) and selling turnips there, will give you max Bells easily.

These methods, when combined and implemented consistently, will lead you to a life of bell-filled bliss. But let’s dive into each strategy with more detail.

The Power of the Stalk Market

The Stalk Market, involving the buying and selling of turnips, is arguably the most significant driver of wealth in Animal Crossing. Every Sunday, Daisy Mae will visit your island to sell turnips. The key is to buy low and then monitor prices at Nook’s Cranny throughout the week. Turnip prices fluctuate twice per day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, so be diligent in checking.

Identifying Trends: There are established patterns to turnip price fluctuations, such as the “large spike” and “small spike” patterns. Researching these patterns and tracking your prices will help you predict the best time to sell.
Online Trading: If your island isn’t providing profitable prices, you can use online forums and communities to find other players who are selling for a higher price. Be polite and practice proper etiquette when visiting other players’ islands.

Crafting for Cash

Crafting isn’t just for decorations and tools; it’s a powerful avenue for wealth. Some crafted items require more resources, but their selling price often more than justifies the effort.

High-Value DIYs: Look for DIY recipes that require valuable materials like gold nuggets and sell for a high price. Some of the most notable include: Trophy Case and Street Piano.
Learning From Villagers: Interact with your villagers every day! They can give you new DIY recipes, which can be very valuable if you find the high paying ones.

Bug, Fossils, and Special Visitors

While individually less profitable than the Stalk Market, consistently catching bugs, unearthing fossils, and selling to special visitors provides a reliable and ongoing source of income.

Fossil Management: Always donate any new fossils to Blathers, but save any duplicates. These duplicate fossils can be sold for a decent amount, easily adding up with time.
High Value Bugs: Catching the most valuable bugs will be highly profitable when CJ visits your Island. Save them up!
High Value Fish: Catching the most valuable fish will be highly profitable when Flick visits your Island. Save them up!

Money Trees and Other Considerations

Planting Money Trees: Bury up to 30,000 Bells in a glowing spot to get 3 times that amount when the tree matures. This can be done daily, and it gives you a very good daily income boost.
Special Items: Certain items sell for high prices and may appear on Nook’s Cranny, or are given to you by your villagers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the fastest way to make money at the start of the game?

At the beginning, selling your native fruit and seashells is the easiest way to earn Bells. Focus on gathering as many as possible.

2. Is time traveling a good way to make money?

Time travel can allow you to exploit the Stalk Market or make high-value fish or bugs appear faster. However, be aware that there is the possibility of villagers moving out if you time travel too much.

3. Can you get banned for buying Bells from other players?

No, in-game trades are unavoidable in Animal Crossing, and purchasing Bells from other players will not result in a ban.

4. What is the maximum number of Bells you can have in Animal Crossing?

The maximum amount of Bells you can hold is 999,999,999.

5. What is the most profitable item to craft?

The Trophy Case and Street Piano are often considered the most profitable craftable items due to their high selling price and the value of the required materials.

6. What are the most expensive items to buy in Animal Crossing?

Some of the most expensive items include the Throne, Crown, and luxury furniture items such as the Grand Piano and Yacht.

7. What happens if you bury more than 30,000 Bells?

Trees will drop triple the amount you bury until you bury over 30,000 Bells, as the tree will not produce over 90,000 Bells. Burying more than 30,000 Bells is not recommended due to the chance that you’ll only get 10,000 Bells back, losing money.

8. What is perfect fruit in ACNH, and how do I get it?

Perfect Fruit is not obtainable in New Horizons. It was a feature in previous games.

9. What are some overlooked methods for making bells?

Don’t overlook selling hot items at Nook’s Cranny. They change daily, and these can be highly profitable if you have the materials.

10. Is it better to sell or donate fossils?

Always donate fossils to Blathers first. Then, sell any duplicates. You can also trade already donated fossils for a higher price on online trading boards.

11. What can I plant in a money hole?

You can plant up to 30,000 Bells in a glowing hole to grow a money tree.

12. How often do money trees produce bells?

Money trees only produce bells once. After you shake the money off, it becomes a regular tree.

13. Are there any glitches that can be used to get unlimited money?

There are no known glitches to get unlimited money in the current version of the game. Focus on using in-game mechanics instead.

14. What are some island codes I can visit to see cool islands?

Some popular dream island codes include:

*   Elmertown: DA-5987-9629-0808
*   Disney: DA-5692-0203-6659
*   Gardenia: DA-4265-7443-3777

15. Why is the chessboard so expensive in Animal Crossing?

The chessboard is expensive due to its artistic rendering of the famed Immortal Game chess match. It is a special collectors item.

Final Thoughts

Making money in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a rewarding part of the gameplay experience. With a combination of patience, strategic planning, and a bit of luck, you can amass a fortune and live your best island life. Remember to diversify your income streams, explore all possibilities, and most importantly, have fun while doing it.

How do you get the most money in Animal Crossing?