There are plenty of Stardew Valley tips that you probably didn’t know existed. From understanding how to make money in Stardew Valley to creating more space efficiently, we’ve rounded up some essential tricks you need to know.
While the game is fairly casual, running a farm takes a lot of time and effort, meaning at times it can be challenging.
Each day you have a limited amount of time before running out of energy. With this in mind, should you check on your animals first? Tend to your crops?
Here are our top Stardew Valley tips and tricks to make the most out of the game, while enjoying a tasty profit.
Stardew Valley Tips to Making Money Fast
Starting out in Stardew Valley, you’ll get 500 gold pieces. It may be tempting to spend it all at once, but these tips will help you spend your money wisely.
1. Understand the Value of Each Crop Per Season
Choosing the right crops in Stardew Valley can net you the most profit per season. You should research the minimum price you’ll earn for each crop in each season, and how much each crop will yield.
Here’s a breakdown of all the crops in Stardew Valley and how much you’ll get for them (at least) per season.
Spring:
- Parsnips – 35g
- Green Beans – 40g
- Potatoes – 80g
- Kale – 110g
- Cauliflowers – 190g
- Strawberries – 500g
Summer:
- Hops – 25g
- Wheat – 25g
- Hot Peppers – 40g
- Blueberries – 50g
- Corn – 50g
- Tomatoes – 60g
- Radishes – 90g
- Melons – 250g
Autumn:
- Cranberries – 75g
- Eggplant – 60g
- Bok Choy – 80g
- Grapes – 80g
- Amaranth – 150g
- Artichokes – 160g
- Yam – 160g
- Pumpkins – 320g
- Rare Seeds – 3000g
2. Buy Seeds as Soon as Possible
When you start Stardew Valley, you’ll get 15 turnip seeds. You’ll need to plant these right away and water them so that they grow.
Following on from this, it’s time to invest your money into more seeds. I’d probably start by buying a couple of Cauliflower seeds, costing 80g. You can buy these from Pierre’s shop. Once grown, you can harvest Cauliflower crops for at least 190g apiece.
Similarly, potatoes are a great investment because they sell for 80g and have a chance of yielding more than one potato.
3. Grow Giant Crops
When planting your seeds, there’s a little tip in Stardew Valley that could get you a giant crop. When planting things like Cauliflower and Melon, plant them in a 3×3 square.
There’s a rare chance that they’ll grow into a giant crop. So, if you have a little more time on your hands, don’t harvest them when fully mature.
4. Unlock the Beach Bridge
When you’ve harvested 300 pieces of wood, you can repair the bridge on the left-hand side of the beach. This will give you access to the Tide Pools.
Here, you’ll find items like coral, shells, and sea urchins which are extremely valuable. They can be sold to fisherman Willy at his shop, or put in your shipping container.
5. Fish, A Lot
| Image | Name | Description | Price |  Fisher Profession (+25%) |  Angler Profession (+50%) | Location | Time | Season | Weather | Size (inches) | Difficulty & Behavior | Base XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Crimsonfish | Lives deep in the ocean but likes to lay its eggs in the warm summer water. |  1,500g 1,875g 2,250g 3,000g | 1,875g2,343g2,812g3,750g | 2,250g2,812g3,375g4,500g | East Pier on The Beach. Requires level 5 fishing. | Any | Summer | Any | 19-21 | 95 mixed | 170 |
 | Angler | Uses a bioluminescent dangler to attract prey. |  900g1,125g1,350g1,800g | 1,125g1,406g1,687g2,250g | 1,350g1,687g2,025g2,700g | North of JojaMart on the wooden plank bridge. Requires level 3 fishing. | Any | Fall | Any | 17-19 | 85 smooth | 155 |
 | Legend | The king of all fish! They said he’d never be caught. |  5,000g6,250g7,500g10,000g | 6,250g7,812g9,375g12,500g | 7,500g9,375g11,250g15,000g | The Mountain Lake near the log. Requires level 10 fishing. | Any | Spring | Rain | 49-51 | 110 mixed | 195 |
 | Glacierfish | Builds a nest on the underside of glaciers. |  1,000g1,250g1,500g2,000g | 1,250g1,562g1,875g2,500g | 1,500g1,875g2,250g3,000g | South end of Arrowhead Island in Cindersap Forest. Requires level 6 fishing. | Any | Winter | Any | 26-28 | 100 mixed | 180 |
 | Mutant Carp | The strange waters of the sewer turned this carp into a monstrosity. |  1,000g1,250g1,500g2,000g | 1,250g1,562g1,875g2,500g | 1,500g1,875g2,250g3,000g | The Sewers | Any | All Seasons | Any | 35-37 | 80 dart | 145 |
Early on in Stardew Valley, you’ll be given a fishing rod from Willy. Fishing can be quite lucrative but takes some time and effort to get the hang of it.
Take yourself over to a body of water and equip your fishing rod. Cast your rod as far as it will go by holding down the action button until the cursor reaches the top of the meter.
When a fish bites, tap the action button when you see the exclamation point appear. The more time you spend fishing, the higher your skill will be. If you come across any bubbles in the water, fish here as the fish bite faster and often are higher in value.
You can also catch legendary fish in Stardew Valley which are high in value, however, they spawn in difficult places and require higher fishing levels.
6. Mine the Mines
During your first year in Stardew Valley, on the fifth day of Spring, you’ll receive a letter about some stones blocking access to a mine. The good news is, they’ve been magically removed, so this means you can head on over to a very lucrative gold mine.
There are 120 levels in the mine, offering a save point after every five levels. As you might imagine, the deeper into the mine you go, the more valuable items you’ll find.
Use your hoe to dig away the dirt, and your pickaxe to break rocks to discover items.
Stardew Valley Tips for Surviving Year One
Making money in Stardew Valley can set you up for an easier ride. But, being able to enjoy the game isn’t all about making money. During your first year, it’s worth experimenting with different aspects of the game to get a real feel for it.
1. Strawberry Seeds
During Spring, you can go to the Egg Festival. Find Pierre and buy some Strawberry Seeds. They cost 100g but can yield berries every couple of days.
It’s worth investing quite a bit of money in Strawberry Seeds since they can earn you a tidy profit.
2. Head to The Mountain Lake
If you’ve got the knack for fishing, you’ll find multiple fishing spots in Stardew Valley. But, Mountain Lake is probably the best spot for fishing across all seasons.
You can fish most fish at Mountain Lake between 6 AM and 7 PM, which is a pretty large timeframe to work with.
While you can’t catch every fish in Stardew Valley here, you are less likely to fish trash items. You may also find Algie which is great for giving you a quick energy boost, allowing more time to fish.
3. Know the Map
You only get a certain amount of time each day in Stardew Valley. While it’s probably the simplest Stardew Valley tip, learning the map is key to your success since you can identify shortcuts and make the most of your time.
Plan your day and know where you’re going. Understand key locations. Complete tasks in a set order so you aren’t doubling back on yourself.
4. Watch TV before Bed
I’m a sucker for watching TV at night, but in Stardew Valley, it can be really useful to planning the next day. There are different channels you can watch that can benefit you in some way.
- Weather: Allows you to see what the weather is going to be like the following day. If it’s raining, take a trip to the mines and pack a bag for the morning.
- Queen of Sauce: The cooking channel will teach you some new recipes that are useful for increasing your health and energy.
- Survival: Here you’ll receive some handy Stardew Valley tips and tricks.
- Fortune Teller: She will tell you what your luck will be like the next day. If your luck is high, it’s worth spending the time mining or fishing since you’ll be able to find higher value items.
5. Use Your Shipping Box
While you can spend time and energy visiting people and selling your items to different stores, the shipping box is a handy item that can be used, right next to your house.
Although you’ll have to wait until the next day to get your money, it doesn’t take much effort to bung some items in and focus your efforts on other tasks.
6. Increase your Bag’s Storage
Once you’ve started making money in Stardew Valley, you can visit Pierre and purchase a bag that increases your inventory slots from 12 to 24. This allows you to collect and store more items, thus opening up the opportunity to make more money.
7. Focus on the Community Centre
To truly progress in Stardew Valley, you’ll want to focus on rebuilding the Community Centre. Once it’s rebuilt, you’ll unlock more features like fast travel, bridge repair, and bus repair.
You will need to complete all of the bundles which list items needed to complete them. When going through your inventory, be sure to check the bundles so you don’t sell items that can be kept for the Community Centre.
