A big part of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is making and spending money, or rather, Bells. From paying off your home loan to purchasing that shiny new item you’ve had your eye on, Bells come in hand in a lot of situations.
And although there are tons of ways to earn Bells, the game doesn’t always do a great job of communicating them to the player.
In this guide, we’ll explain how the Bell economy works and show you how to earn Bells quickly by completing different tasks.
If you would like to learn more about island living, check out our ACNH tips and tricks guide to help get you started.
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What Are Bells In Animal Crossing?
Bells have been in Animal Crossing from the very beginning and they continue to be the main method for progressing. They’re used for paying off loans, funding construction projects on your island, buying new clothes and furniture, and much more.
You can find your current Bell balance by checking the left-hand corner of your Pockets menu. You can deposit Bells and have them accumulate interest via the ABD in Resident Services.
How To Earn Bells Quickly
While there are many ways to earn Bells, some are inherently faster. Here, we’ll be sharing the best methods for earning a lot of Bells quickly. These range from selling certain kinds of items to exploring your island, to cashing in Nook Miles.
Shake Trees
Shaking Trees is a good way to earn Bells both directly and by finding items that can later be sold. At the very least, you’ll walk away with a couple more tree branches; occasionally, 100 Bells or a random piece of furniture will drop as well.
It’s important to remember to have your bug net equipped since shaking trees will sometimes disturb a wasp nest, requiring you to either catch them or get stung.
Sell Fruits, Weeds, and Shells
You can make money every day by selling items that appear naturally on your island. Early in the game, weeds are your best resource for making cash quickly. Shells that spawn along your island’s beaches can also fetch a pretty penny.
Fruit, especially those that are non-native to your island, can be quite lucrative; Nook’s Cranny will buy any foreign fruit besides coconuts for 500 each. So the next time you find a new variety, make sure to bring a few back to plant on your island.
Sell Bugs, Fish, and Fossils
Catching and selling bugs and fish can be an excellent way to earn Bells. While it’s typically best to save any rare fish or insects until C.J. or Flick decides to pay you a visit since they’ll pay 1.5x more, Nook’s Cranny will still gladly accept any you have for sale.
You can also make some money by digging up fossils using your shovel at marked locations on your island. Up to five will spawn each day and can either be given to the museum or sold to Nook’s Cranny. A pro tip is to have Blathers assess your fossils before selling them, which greatly increases their value.
Sell ‘Hot Items’ Of The Day
After you’ve unlocked Nook’s Cranny, make sure to ask about the ‘Hot Item’ of the day, which is always a random craftable item. Once you know what it is, craft a bunch in bulk and sell them to for double the normal value.
Sell Unwanted Furniture
The longer you play, the more items you’ll accumulate. Whether it’s a crafted piece of furniture or something you bought, Nook’s Cranny will take it off your hands for some Bells. If you have a bunch of materials lying around, hit up your workbench, and get to crafting.
Strike Money Rocks
There are six rocks on your island that can be hit with either a shovel or ax to get stones, iron, clay, gold, and even Bells. Referred to as ‘the money rock,’ one of your rocks will produce Bells when struck multiple times. Note that you can only do this once per day and the rock that gets assigned to be the money rock will vary.
Plant Money Trees
During your daily island inspection, keep an eye out for glowing spots on the ground. Instead of immediately digging them up, first, make sure you have at least 10,000 Bells in your Pockets and turn them into an item by pressing A and selecting ‘Grab 10,000 Bells’.
When you dig up the glowing spot, instead of planting the 1,000 Bells you received, bury the 10,000 Bells in the hole. Now, when the tree fully grows, you’ll receive 30,000 Bells instead of 3,000 Bells.
Pop Floating Presents
While exploring your island, you may notice floating presents in the sky. Pop them using a slingshot and see what’s inside. Presents can contain furniture, recipes, materials, and even Bells. The best way to find presents is to hang out by the beach and wait for them to appear.
Purchase Bell Vouchers
Along with Bells, New Horizons introduces a second currency in the form of Nook Miles, which can be traded in for an array of items ranging from DIY recipes to decorative items, and even Bells. To purchase a Bell Voucher, you’ll need at least 500 Nook Miles.
Each voucher is worth 3,000 Bells and can be redeemed at Nook’s Cranny. If you have a lot of Miles but no Bells, this can be a great way to make money. While there’s no limit on the number of vouchers you can buy, they can only be purchased one at a time, making the process tedious.
Visit Mystery Islands
Mystery Tours can be lucrative as long as you don’t mind getting your hands dirty. After purchasing a Nook Miles Ticket from the NookStop kiosk for 2,000 Miles, take it to the airport and ask to visit a mystery island.
Once you arrive, make your way around the island collecting as many fruits, bugs, fish, weeds, etc. as you can carry.
When you get back, sell your goods for some Bells. Since the island you get will change with each trip, there’s a chance of spawning the Tarantula Island, which can yield upwards of 250,000 Bells.
Complete Favors For Villagers
Your villagers will sometimes come to you asking for help with a favor, such as taking an item off their hands or crafting a specific DIY. If you complete their task, they’ll give you a piece of furniture, clothing, or some Bells.
Play The Stalk Market
Buying and selling turnips is a high-risk, high-reward approach to making Bells. Daisy Mae will visit your island every Sunday peddling turnips. Buy as many as you can and throughout the week, stop by Nook’s Cranny and inquire about turnip prices.
Since prices vary between days, it’s important to remember how much you bought the turnips for in order to turn a profit. However, don’t hold on to turnips for too long since any left unsold will become rotten.