Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 5 was released eight years ago, but the game remains popular today due to continuous updates. It follows in its predecessors’ steps, allowing players to control a character and commit crimes to earn money. However, cash is always low when you first start.
Let’s start with some simple ways to earn money in GTA. Contrary to what was available with older titles, there isn’t a cheat that grants you a fortune instantly. In the newer version, you’ll have to figure out the best ways to line your pockets with money.
Thankfully, we did our research and the figuring out for you. All you have to do is read the following sections.
Investing in Stocks
Just like in real life, you can invest in stocks and net a hefty return in GTA 5. The trick is to buy low and sell high. In other words, get some stocks when they’re cheap and sell them when their value rises.
An “exploit” is to save your game and turn off autosave before making a financial decision. By disabling autosave, you can return to a previous save-state without worrying about it being overwritten. After this, go and invest in some stocks.
Try to find a stock you know will gain value. After investing, go to your safe house and rest without saving. If you notice the stock profiting, keep waiting until it peaks.
Sell when the stock peaks to earn a significant profit. The more you invest, the more returns you earn. The best part is that since you didn’t autosave, you can load the previous save and go back to the period before your investment failed.
When playing as Franklin, you get access to some Assassination missions that allow you to invest and profit. Don’t complete these missions until you beat the story mode. After you complete story mode, you can invest all the money you want with all three characters.
Daylight Robbery
Non-player characters (NPCs) tend to have extra cash on hand when they leave an ATM. It’s just like real life since people visit one to replenish their supply of bills. Wait around the ATM and rob the NPC with your bare fists or a suppressed weapon.
Make sure you escape before the police arrive since it’ll all go to waste if you get caught.
Stores and shops are also excellent sources of easy cash. Make sure you have a gun handy and walk in brandishing it. Shoot a few times to make cashiers speed up and give you their money.
A few stores have two registers, and if you shoot the second one, it spits out extra cash. Get all the money from the first register before using this trick.
After you rob the store, get into your vehicle parked nearby and drive away. It would be best if you escaped before the cops come since it’ll make robbing again easier.
With enough practice, you can rob several stores next to each other and increase your profits. Make sure you speed up the process as much as possible.
Street Races
Franklin is highly talented in racing, and since he makes racing look trivial, you can participate in some street races. Try to acquire the best sports car and upgrade it with anything you can afford. An effective example of an upgrade is the Coil Voltic.
Winning races is relatively easy with Franklin’s special racing talent. This talent lets him go around corners at full speed, but the skill can run out. Whenever you finish clearing a corner or dense traffic, deactivate the talent instantly.
Before you start a race, fill up the yellow talent bar. By going into the race with a full bar, you ensure you have enough power left to win races.
If your character doesn’t have enough money, you can park a car somewhere convenient and switch characters. When you’re playing as the other character, the car will still be there. You can then customize it and repeat the process as needed.
Robbing Armored Cars
When roaming around, sometimes you’ll notice a blue dot on the map. Get ready to rob someone because it means an armored car is nearby. If it’s not moving anywhere, you’ll find it easier.
A parked armored car tends to have a person walking towards it with a briefcase. If you shoot the person, you get about $3,000 to $8,000 immediately. Sometimes the person isn’t there, but there’s still hope.
If you manage to steal the armored car and force your way through the rear doors, you can get the cash. One way to open these doors is to drive the car into the water. Explosives also work but will get you three wanted stars.
These armored cars spawn in fixed locations as well. Memorize them, and you can come back for easy earnings.
A Rewarding Mission
This mission can appear for everyone, but Franklin has a higher chance of triggering it. If you roam around his house, sometimes a blue marker appears near Little Bighorn Avenue, the south-eastern part of the city, and located in the Rancho District.
Head over there and find a young man named Gray Nicholson. He’ll tell you that his bike was stolen. He’s not guaranteed to appear, but if he does, you’re in luck.
Locate the bike and return it to him. He’ll reward you with $100,000.
Save Sonny’s Daughter
If you head over to Paleto Bay along the nearby dirt road, you may find two men about to kill a girl. If you save her, she’ll tell you where to go, which is Vinewood. Later, she’ll call you and send you $60,000.
If you ask us, this is some quick cash for a simple job.
Save Some Money
Try to cut back on excessive spending since money will be hard to get in the game’s early sections. Weapons aren’t easy to come by then either. Try not to buy too many vehicles. You save more money for better weapons if you can steal cars.
Even if you’re saving for good weapons, try to stick to a fixed layout. It should be good enough to work in any situation. After you complete your first heist, you can rest easy and start spending more.
Less is more, and by budgeting, you’ll end up with a lot of cash to spend later.
Time to Get Rich
What’s your favorite car in GTA 5? Do you enjoy playing GTA 5 both online and solo? Let us know in the comments section below.