Red Dead Redemption 2: 5 Ways To Make Money & 5 That Are A

Strap in as we map the stubborn economy of Red Dead Redemption 2, where every dollar earned reshapes your next move, every purchase colors your camp, and the line between fortune and folly is drawn in gold.

How to earn money in Red Dead Redemption 2?

Try to complete main missions on a regular basis. Not every main mission rewards you with money but there are some of them that will help you get richer. Also, you don’t always get money at the end of a mission. You can find it or collect valuables even during missions. Always look around – by doing that you won’t miss any potential findings. After finishing the entire storyline you should have at least a few thousands of dollars. This amount of money should be enough to cover all your expenses.
Side quests can also reward you with money or valuables. Here, you should pay extra attention to Bounty Hunting missions. Rewards for completing these missions aren’t high but you can always search a person you were ordered to chase down or you can look around a location in which they were hiding.
Treasure maps lead to places where you can find hidden treasures. Every map has a drawing of a place with a treasure. For more information, check our “Collectibles and secrets” chapter.
Mini-games such as poker, black jack or domino need time to increase your fortune – treat them as a break from other activities. You can also use this opportunity to complete their challenges. Always make a manual save before you start playing a mini-game – you don’t want to lose your money.

Another great method of getting rich is to search corpses of fallen enemies and locations in which you were fighting them (various drawers, chests and other containers plus items that are lying in plain sight). You can find cash, valuables such as jewelry and other items that are worth a bit. All of these items can be sold. Note – Avoid searching corpses and stealing when someone is nearby, i.e. in public buildings. Someone can accuse you of stealing.
All useless items can be sold. Besides the aforementioned jewelry, you can also sell, i.e. various medicaments. First dispose of items that you have in full supply (e.g. when you have reached the limit of 5 bottles in your hero’s bag). This will allow you not only to receive cash, but also to pick up other items of this type after you find them in further parts of the game. Note – In case of things coming from theft it is worth to consider visiting a fence where they can be easily liquefied.
A safe way to raise funds is to hunt wildlife. Try to use a bow or rifle and additional specialized arrows or ammunition to eliminate wildlife. This will increase the likelihood that the skin of the animal will remain of high quality. This will allow you to put it up for sale at a much better price.

A very risky way to raise funds is to steal from shops. In this way you can easily get into trouble with the law and contribute to the wanted level of your hero. If you still want to take the risk, don’t forget to set up a bandana and do a reconnaissance. Some shops have hidden businesses in the backyard. This includes a pharmacy and a multi-branch store in Valentine. After you learn about their existence you can force the seller to unlock access to the backroom. Hidden locations can accommodate armed people, but you will find more valuable items there.
Another interesting way is to break into locked chests. You can find them, for example, mounted on stagecoaches or in locations that are especially well watched by enemies. In order to open any such chest you need to have a Lock Breaker, which you can buy for about 20 dollars from a fence (the picture above).
After you have completed the main mission “The Spines of America” in the second chapter, you can steal carts and stagecoaches and get with them to the farm where Seamus is staying. The man will pay for each cart delivered, but be sure to carry out any theft without any mistakes and not fall into additional legal problems..
You can look for opportunities to get rich at the gang’s headquarters. Other members of the Dutch gang can come up with their own proposals for an easy income. For example, from Javier you can find out about the opportunity to rob a farm. These are mini-tasks where you have to get to a given location and plunder it (it is often connected with the need to eliminate its inhabitants). In this way you can get a lot of cash and valuable items.

What to spend money on in RDR2?

You should spend your funds primarily on buying further upgrades to the gang camp. The two most important improvements to the camp can be found on the Lodging page in the register – First Things First for $220 and Next in Line for $325. By paying for both of these improvements, you can unlock a fast-travel map in the camp. It will make it much easier for you to continue your gameplay. You will be able to get to important locations more easily without having to travel on horseback for a long time. Use stagecoach or train only if you are far from the gang’s headquarters and if you’re in a hurry – the journey can cost from a few to more than $10.
Another important improvement to buy at gang headquarters are the Leather Working Tools for $225. They unlock new crafting options in the camp. Take an interest in the positions on the front pages of the registry, i.e. guaranteeing a regular supply of important resources like food, medicines or ammunition for weapons. Paying for these projects will allow you to easily replenish basic or even more “advanced” supplies (e.g. unique types of ammunition).

The cash in the game is also useful for purchasing the most important additional items of equipment. Probably the most important object of this type is a horse refreshing agent (Horse Reviver), which in case of an accident (e.g. a collision with a tree or a fall from a high height) can protect the mount from death. A single reviver costs about 10 dollars and you only need one of those. You can find more medicines in the game world. Gun Oil is one of the cheaper items to buy, so you can always have your weapons in good condition. The Lock Breaker is more expensive to buy for about $20 at the fence, but the investment can quickly pay for itself, as valuable items are stored in closed containers.
Don’t forget about small expenses, either. Thanks to newspapers you can learn about events in the game world (and find out the names of cheats 😉 ), and by paying for a bath in the hotel you can improve the hero’s state of hygiene (and the state of his health core).

Best treasure map locations and how to find gold bars quickly

Red Dead Redemption 2 offers several treasure map hunts that reward gold bars, worth $500 each when sold to fences, providing a fast wealth boost early in the game. These can be started from Chapter 2, with some accessible immediately after the Limpany sheriff’s office loot. Focus on Jack Hall Gang, Poisonous Trail, and Landmarks of Riches for the quickest high yields.

Quick Gold Bar Locations

Grab the easiest single gold bars first for instant cash without maps:

Limpany Sheriff’s Office: Burned town southwest of Valentine; check the lockbox behind the desk.
Rhodes: East of the “S” in Rhodes near train tracks, under the left of two boulders.
South of Annesburg: Near the “R” in Kamassa River, inspect rocks by a cliffside tree after getting the Sketched Map from a red cottage east of Roanoke Ridge.

Best Treasure Hunts

Jack Hall Gang (2 gold bars): Buy the first map for $10 from Maximo west of Flatneck Station; follow to Caliban’s Seat (south of Valentine), Cotorra Springs rock stack, then O’Creagh’s Run island. Poisonous Trail (4 gold bars): Starts at Cairn Lake cabin lockbox in Ambarino; clues lead through Lakay, Elysian Pool, and a final cave. Landmarks of Riches (6 gold bars, Chapter 2+): First map northwest of Owanjila Dam in a hill stone structure; next at Lagras church roof, Bolger Glade tree, then Mount Shann.

Selling Tips

Sell gold bars at Saint Denis Pawn Shop (post-Eastward Bound), Van Horn Trading Post (Silas), or the fence northeast of Rhodes for full value-no limit, unlike jewelry. Prioritize these over hunting for $1,000+ profit per hunt.

Which treasure hunts give the most total gold bars and where to start

Landmarks of Riches offers the most gold bars from a single treasure hunt at six total, worth $3,000 when sold, making it the top choice for maximum yield. It starts in Chapter 2 from a stone structure northwest of Owanjila Dam in Big Valley. Jack Hall Gang (two bars), Poisonous Trail (four bars), and High Stakes (three bars) follow, with their combined nine bars as a strong multi-hunt total, but Landmarks stands alone for highest per hunt.

Landmarks of Riches Start

Head north from Owanjila Lake along the map edge to a hilltop stone hut containing the first map-no purchase needed. Clues lead to Lagras church roof (second map), Bolger Glade tree trunk (third), and end at Mount Shann cave with all six bars. Accessible early Chapter 2 near Horseshoe Overlook camp.

Other High-Yield Hunts

Poisonous Trail begins at Cairn Lake cabin (Ambarino lockbox) for four bars, ending at Elysian Pool cave; ideal post-Prologue. High Stakes starts by robbing a treasure hunter east of Strawberry for three bars, via Cumberland Falls and Fort Wallace. Jack Hall Gang map ($10 from Maximo west of Flatneck Station) yields two at O’Creagh’s Run.

Quick Tips

Do Landmarks first for instant wealth, then sell at fences like Rhodes or Saint Denis (unlocked Chapter 4). These hunts unlock the Treasure Hunter satchel for more loot capacity.