Anyone who has ever played Skyrim has felt the compulsion to check every chest, open every urn, and loot every enemy. But what is really the best way to spend all that precious gold? With armorers, potion shops, general stores, taverns, and inns scattered across Skyrim, there are countless shops and NPCs where players can spend their gold.
Of all the shops and investments that players can make in Skyrim, several stand out as being particularly useful when compared to the rest. So put that pick-pocketing skill to good use and gather up a sizable fortune, because the best places to spend gold are going to cost players if they really want to make the most out of their money.
Updated June 28th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Although players are anxiously awaiting any information on the upcoming Starfield, as well as the much-hyped Elder Scrolls 6, there are still plenty of people embarking on their first (or fifth) Skyrim playthrough. There's a reason the iconic game has been re-released numerous times over the years and many players find themselves flocking back to the expansive RPG from time to time. But one of the most puzzling aspects of Skyrim is what to spend gold on. To better help players understand some of the best things to spend gold on in Skyrim, the following list has been updated with more entries and ideas.
13 Buy Cheap Potions Early On
The first thing any player should buy when first starting out is to stock up on health, magicka, and stamina potions. While players might find a plethora of potions out in the field while they adventure through dungeons, it is always smart to keep up a solid supply. A dragon could appear at any time, and if it chooses to fly while giants beat down, it might be smart to have some health potions ready to go. Stocking up early is a good idea, but eventually, players will be able to make their own potions, so this is only for early players.
12 Power Level The Smithing Skill
Players who load up on gold could spend their fortunes buying better weapons and gear to power up quickly, but a better investment would be to buy the materials needed to max out the smithing skill quickly. Buying iron ingots, leather, and leather strips to make iron daggers and hide hats are a solid and cost-effective way to level up fast. With maxed-out smithing, players will be able to deal serious damage and take even more from the hardest enemies in the game.
11 Purchase Enchanted Items
In contrast to smithing, buying pre-enchanted items is a great way to spend gold. Especially for newer players, disenchanting those store-bought weapons and armor can be a great, safe, and easy way to quickly load up on every enchantment available so that once enchantment is maxed out, the world will be the player’s oyster.
Early players also might look to buy enchanted items before they have access to soul gems. Without the capability to refill your enchantments using soul gems, they will quickly run dry and be just as useful as a regular weapon. Just buy new items!
10 Purchase Training Skills
Knowing when, where, and how to buy training from teachers around Skyrim is a complicated network of information. But for players who are starting to get the hang of Elder Scrolls V, these trainers can make leveling up skills far, far easier. Each trainer can give the player 5 levels in specific skills (in exchange for gold, of course). This makes jumping up at higher levels a breeze and can be nice for players trying to achieve certain milestones for unlocking certain perks, like the Silence perk in the Sneak level up tree, which lets players avoid detection when both walking and running.
9 Purchase Ingredients Instead Of Finding Them On Your Own
Potions are another of the more complicated systems in Skyrim, and for new players, it can be difficult to really make the most out of the many ingredients and potions available. Once players have a good grasp of how to make potions (or how to look up good potions recipes), they should start going around to the different alchemical shops around Skyrim and pick up as many ingredients as they can get their hands on. Powerful potions of regeneration such as magicka, or potions that increase carrying capacity can make the world of difference in a fight for your life. Definitely don’t skimp on ingredients.
8 Purchase Soul Gems Instead Of Scouring Dungeons For Them
When players finally reach the College of Winterhold, secluded way up in the North-East corner of the map, they gain access to the easiest, albeit expensive, place to buy soul gems. Black soul gems are the most important, but grand gems work just as well. Filling up powerful soul gems will allow players to craft the best enchanted items and easily refill the enchantments on their already maxed out gear. It will make life a lot easier for players who stock up on soul gems early. When the time comes, they don’t need to go hunting a giant just to fill up their last grand soul gem in the hopes of getting a good enchantment.
7 Purchase Spell Tomes Instead Of Searching Aimlessly For Them
All across Skyrim, Jarls have their own personal court mages who all sell a variety of ingredients, potions, and most importantly, spell tomes. For players who aren’t planning to play with a lot of magic, these spells will probably be enough, but for the inquisitive wizards out there, the College of Winterhold is a must-see destination.
At the college, players can buy some of the most powerful Destruction, Illusion, Restoration, Conjuration, and Alteration spells available in the game. Players will need to level up their magic skills and complete a number of quests. Only then will they have access to the best spells in each school.
6 Purchase A Home To Call Your Own
A house may seem like an afterthought for many players new to Skyrim, but for experienced players, having a place to store all that precious treasure is a must in a game so full of danger. Players can buy houses and pay to have them furnished in every major city in the game, but players with the Hearthfire DLC have the ability to buy plots of land and develop them into their own custom homes. Having easy access to customizable ingredient farms, unlimited horses, and a full blacksmith in the backyard is really just too good to pass up. There are also plenty of mods for players looking for a more expansive housing system.
5 Purchase Decorations For Your Home
After players buy their new home, or just a plot of land, making the most out of it requires them to build or buy some decorations. Beyond the useful things every player should buy, like an enchanting table and alchemy wing, players should make sure to buy the niceties. How else will wives, husbands, and children really feel at home? Wall sconces, decorative tables, fruit bowls, a couple of beds; all of these will add that nice and necessary homey touch that all players need in order to find a little piece in the chaotic world of Skyrim.
4 Build A Home
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Thanks to the Hearthfire DLC, players are able to buy their own plots of land and build their own custom homes, rather than purchasing a specific house in each city. This method gives players more creative control over their home design but it doesn't come without a cost. Players will need to gather materials and then use them to build specific areas onto their home, or additions should they want more space or custom details.
It's entirely possible to gather and craft all these materials on their own, but players with a lot of Septims in their pockets can opt to simply buy the materials instead. This will fast-track the whole process, and with many players having pockets full of money in the late game, it's usually not that big of an expense.
3 Flaunt Those Riches
At a certain point in every Dragonborn's adventure, money becomes somewhat of a non-factor. Between all of the sneaking, stealing, looting, building, crafting, and Alchemy, players will find themselves flush with Gold and not much to spend it on. But those that amass a true fortune can "show it off" in a variety of ways. Players that are rich beyond their wildest dreams in-game can purchase multiple homes, hiring stewards and adorning them with the finest weapons, armors, and clothing.
They can also dedicate entire homes to displaying immensely valuable items and trophies, further proving they're one of the richest people in all of Skyrim. There are many creative ways to "prove" a player has immense wealth.
2 Check Out Some Mods
Although the vanilla version of Skyrim is vast and detailed, it's still hard to find things to spend money on once players have bought every home, or learned every skill. Those that are deep into a specific run and are finding it hard to spend their amassed wealth should try some of the many mods that players have developed over the years. While there are many mods that are cosmetic and silly, some actually add quite a bit of content to the game, and others will even add special gameplay mechanics like investing in businesses, which give players something to spend their money on.
There are tons of mods for Skyrim Mods, to add even more to the already massive title.
1 Become An Actual Dragon
At the end of the day, all players eventually reach a point where money is no object. If every house in the game belongs to a fully leveled Dragonborn and is entirely furnished, complete with outfitted enchanting tables and alchemy labs, and every chest is filled to the brim with wolf pelts, dragon bones, and flawless diamonds, it might be time to stop buying. A hoard is something to be respected, so players should gather up all of their gold, all of the gems they no longer need to sell, and the soul gems that have yet to be filled. Simply drop them all over the open floor. Create a pile of treasure so full that lag abounds, and then, only when frames stutter and the floor is cluttered, crouch over your limitless wealth and shout like the true dragon you have become.