Red Dead Redemption 2 made it the mission of the game to teach players how to manage their money.
One of the first games to charge you in-game rent, if you have played the story mode you will know how hard it is to earn an honest coin in the wild west.
It gets even harder when playing Red Dead Online. Changes to outfits, weapons, and horses all cost a lot of money.
Making moolah online is generally the aim of the game, and every other player out there is waiting for the chance to take it off you.
Luckily, there are lots of dishonest ways to make that coin.
Treasure Hunting
As you level up through Red Dead Online you will receive documents highlighting potential treasure hunting opportunities.
You can also get them up at random from bandit leaders in their gang hideouts.
CHARTERING - Where you will find treasure online?
Once you clear the hideout of enemies (and loot them) you will have the choice to spare the life of the leader or kill them.
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Either way, there is likely a treasure map nearby or on the leader's corpse.
When you've got the map, follow the instructions to the highlighted location and it should be easy to find with Eagle Eye.
Animal Hunting & Fishing
Hunting is one of the traditional methods of grinding cash in Red Dead Online.
A perfect pelt will deliver $5 back when sold, which is a decent return for the time investment.
MILLSTONE - Horses aren't cheap, so you're going to need cash
To hunt effectively you will need Arrows and a Bolt-Action Rifle (unlocked at Rank 7).
These three weapons will set you up nicely to hunt small and big game.
The Bolt-Action will set you back $360, so it's worth keeping your start-up funds and supplementing this with grinding early.
Once you've done this hunting will always be a means of income for you. Bison and Deer are the best animals to hunt.
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To ensure the pelts stay perfect and lead to a clean kill make sure you target vital organs and go after three-star animals.
To really make this a proper hustle, if you get a second horse to carry extra pelts you will save time on trips.
You can sell them to the Butchers dotted around the map, unlike story mode, Online doesn't have trappers.
REEL 'EM IN - Fishing is an underrated way of gaining cash
Fishing is locked in Red Dead Online until level 14, but once you've made it then its fairly easy to afford a rod and add to your income stream (get it?).
Buy a load of bait and set up camp near a body of water, being careful to raise your white flag so griefers can’t murder you whilst you fish.
This bit is crucial so finding the right location is critical.
You want to catch Steelhead Trout, which is worth $4.25 each.
Once you are bored or there's no fish left then head to your nearest Butcher to pick up the rewards.
Glitches
Committed Red Dead Online players are always looking for glitches, and Rockstar is always looking to close them.
There are, however, some simple ones that have always been left to those committed enough to go through it.
STAY FROSTY: It's important to remember you're not alone in Red Dead Online
There are two main glitches used to bump cash.
One is finding a house that's rich in loot, selling it and then quitting to the main menu, reloading and going back to do it again.
This is very rewarding but can take a lot of time.
Be careful though, lots of players will be doing the same thing and there will be some folk that just wait for you to do it for them then rob you.
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The other option is very effective but again, takes time. If you delete your character and start a new one, you keep the money you had earned to that point.
This means you can do all the early level 10 treasure maps, then start all over again and do them again but keeping the money made from each loot.
This pays about $500 for three hours of work. But worth noting your XP is resetting each time.
Showdown Series Playlist
The Showdown Series playlist is a set of missions in the Red Dead Online world where you can build XP and collect some cash.
They aren't the most stimulating but they do pay.
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You are guaranteed money, but the scale of that depends on performance. But it does mean you can get some just for taking part, it's just about time vs cash reward.
The smaller playlists are over quicker because there are fewer players.
Saving up is boring but effective
It's not just about what you're bringing in when it comes to money in Red Dead Online.
Rather than shopping for expensive tonics and cures, do some exploring and try to loot them from various places.
Be careful not to get caught up in too many fights with other players.
MAKE IT RAIN - you've got some serious saving up to do
This is a sure-fire way to use a lot of ammo and tonics without huge amounts of upside.
Try to treat it like your own bank account and consider each purchase.
If you have a weapon you know you want to buy, do the hard work to save for it and it will be an even better thrill to finally afford it.
When you do spend money on things like Horses, make sure you're getting the best deal.
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