Have you ever noticed how some Old School RuneScape players seem to progress at lightning speed, even though they’re earning roughly the same amount of gold as everyone else? The difference usually isn’t how much RuneScape gold they make—it’s how they spend it.

Imagine two players who both earn their first 10 million GP. One immediately buys flashy melee gear like full Bandos. Six months later, they’re still grinding mid-game content. The other player spends that same GP strategically and ends up running endgame bosses with a much healthier bank. The gap isn’t effort—it’s efficiency.

Making money in OSRS isn’t especially difficult anymore. Spending it correctly, however, is where most players go wrong. The best investment at 1 million GP is completely different from the best investment at 10, 50, or 100 million. Understanding that the progression curve is what separates fast-growing accounts from stagnant ones.

Your First Million GP: Efficiency Over Flash

Once you scrape together your first million GP, many players immediately start eyeing gear upgrades. Whips, Dragon boots, or a Fury can be tempting, but this is usually a mistake.

Instead, split that first million strategically. You only need basic functional gear at this stage. Full rune armor, a rune scimitar, an amulet of glory, a combat bracelet, and rune boots cost roughly 350–400k total. That setup is more than enough for early quests and combat without draining your bank.

The smarter move is what you do with the remaining GP. Spend at least 300k on stamina potions. It feels counterintuitive to invest in consumables early, but early-game movement is painfully slow. You don’t have teleports, Graceful, or stamina regeneration. Saving hours of walking translates directly into faster questing and earlier access to better money makers.

Finally, invest the remaining GP into 43 Prayer. Buying dragon bones and using the Chaos Altar in the Wilderness is risky, but the cost savings are massive. Protection prayers alone unlock dozens of quests and activities that were previously frustrating or impossible. That first million GP just bought you efficiency, survivability, and access to hours of content.

Around 5 Million GP: Utility Beats Gear

At around 5 million GP, many players start dumping everything into combat upgrades. That’s usually the wrong priority.

Yes, grab Dragon boots and a Dragon scimitar once you meet the requirements. These are cheap upgrades with real strength bonuses. But after that, focus on utility.

Training Magic to 51 is one of the best investments you can make. Basic teleports transform the entire game—every quest, bank run, and money maker becomes faster. This usually costs around 500k and pays for itself almost immediately.

Another huge upgrade at this stage is Construction. Around 1–1.2 million GP gets you to level 50, unlocking mounted jewelry and portal chambers. Free, unlimited teleports from your house save GP and time permanently.

Ranged should also be trained efficiently. Green d’hide and adamant darts at Sand Crabs can get you to 75 Ranged for very little cost. Once you hit that level, the skill starts to shine.

Only after these upgrades should you buy an Abyssal whip. At roughly 1.5 million GP, it’s still one of the best weapons in the game—but only once you can actually use it.

10 Million GP: Balanced Combat Power

At 10 million GP, your account starts to feel solid—but this is where players often waste money on minor upgrades.

Training Magic to 75 is one of the best investments here. It unlocks the Trident, a core PvM weapon that only costs around 100k itself. The real value is the skill level, not the item.

For magic gear, Bloodbark armor offers exceptional value. It’s cheap, provides magic damage bonuses, and outperforms most alternatives at this stage.

The biggest single purchase here should be a Berserker ring. Its strength bonus often translates to extra max hits, providing more DPS than many expensive armor upgrades combined.

Upgrade your Ranged setup to Blessed d’hide and stop worrying about incremental armor improvements. By now, your account should have viable setups for all three combat styles without wasteful spending.

20 Million GP: Weapons Change Everything

This is a major turning point. At this stage, weapons matter far more than armor.

A Toxic Blowpipe and Trident become essential tools. Yes, they have usage costs, but their power unlocks bosses and money makers that were previously out of reach.

An Occult necklace is another cheap but crucial upgrade, offering a massive magic damage boost.

This is also an excellent time to pick up the Osmumten’s Fang. Despite its price, it performs exceptionally well across a wide range of bosses and scales your earning potential dramatically.

If you’re training Slayer, a Black mask is non-negotiable. Few items in the game offer such massive damage bonuses for such a low cost.

50 Million GP: Smart Alternatives to Bandos

At 50 million GP, many players rush into Bandos armor. That’s usually poor value.

Instead, consider Blood Moon armor, which provides similar strength bonuses at a fraction of the cost and unlocks powerful training methods. This is an example of buying gear that also functions as progression.

This is also a great time to push 74 Prayer, unlocking Piety, Rigour, and Augury once you obtain the appropriate scrolls. These prayers multiply your effectiveness far more than most gear upgrades ever could.

A Tormented bracelet rounds out your magic setup and prepares you for higher-level content.

100 Million GP and Beyond: Prioritize Time and Power

At 100 million GP, the spending strategy changes again. Instead of rushing 99s, aim for 90 Magic and Ranged. These levels unlock nearly all meaningful damage thresholds while avoiding diminishing returns.

Invest heavily in Construction, ideally reaching 84, which unlocks a fully functional player-owned house. The time saved from a maxed house is enormous and permanent.

With the remaining GP, prioritize special attack weapons like a Dragon Warhammer or Bandos godsword, depending on your content focus.

In the true late game, spending becomes specialized. A Bowfa with crystal armor is one of the best value purchases before a Twisted Bow, offering most of the power at a fraction of the cost.

Final Thoughts

The fastest-progressing players aren’t always the ones who grind the hardest. They’re the ones who understand that a million cheap Runescape gold spent well is worth more than ten million spent poorly.

Before buying your next upgrade, ask yourself:

Will this unlock new content, save time, or increase my earning potential—or do I just want it because it looks cool?

Answering that question honestly can save you hundreds of millions over the lifetime of your account.