You know that feeling when you really want some expensive gear but have no idea how long it’ll actually take to afford it? I spent months “saving for bandos” without any real plan or timeline.
This time-to-goal tracker changed everything for me. Instead of vaguely grinding and hoping for the best, I now know exactly how long my goals will take using different money-making methods.
Last week I wanted to buy a dragon hunter crossbow. Plugged my current cash and the crossbow price into this calculator. It showed me I could get it in 12 hours of Vorkath or 28 hours of slayer. Guess what I chose?
The Problem Every OSRS Player Has
We all set these big financial goals in the game but never actually calculate if they’re realistic. Want a twisted bow? That’s 1.2 billion GP. Sounds impossible until you break it down into actual time commitments.
I used to just grind whatever felt good that day, making maybe 300k here, 500k there, never really tracking progress toward specific goals. It’s the worst way to stay motivated.
This calculator fixes that exact problem. You put in where you are, where you want to be, and how you plan to get there. It spits out realistic timeframes so you can actually plan your gaming sessions.
How I Actually Use This Tool
Every major purchase starts with this calculator now. Want new gear? First I check how long it’ll take with my preferred money-making methods.
Recent example: Wanted to upgrade from whip to rapier. Current bank: 15M. Rapier cost: 120M. Needed 105M more.
The calculator showed me:
- Vorkath: 35 hours
- Zulrah: 42 hours
- Slayer: 87 hours
- Skilling: 140+ hours
Clear winner was bossing. Without the calculator, I probably would’ve done random slayer tasks for weeks wondering why progress felt so slow.
Breaking Down Each Money-Making Method
The tool covers all the main ways people actually make money in OSRS:
Skilling: This includes everything from runecrafting to fishing to woodcutting. Generally the most AFK but also the slowest GP rates. I use this option when I’m doing other stuff and can’t focus much on the game.
Bossing: The high-intensity, high-reward option. Vorkath, Zulrah, raids, GWD bosses. Usually the fastest way to reach goals but requires full attention and decent stats/gear.
Slayer: My personal favorite because it combines money-making with XP gains. Not the absolute fastest GP but feels productive since you’re training a skill too.
Flipping: Grand Exchange trading. Can be incredibly profitable but requires market knowledge and starting capital. The calculator helps you see if your flipping profits are actually competitive with other methods.
Clue Scrolls: More of a fun method than reliable income, but the calculator accounts for average loot values. Good for when you want variety in your grinding.
Minigames: Things like Barbarian Assault, Pest Control, or Wintertodt. Usually not pure money-makers but some have decent profit potential.
Farming: Herb runs, tree runs, contracts. Great passive income that works alongside other methods.
Real Numbers from Real Goals
I’ve been tracking my progress on several goals using this calculator:
Goal 1: Dragon Hunter Lance (65M)
- Started with: 12M
- Method: Vorkath
- Calculator estimate: 18 hours
- Actual time: 19.5 hours (pretty accurate!)
Goal 2: Bandos Chestplate + Tassets (75M total)
- Started with: 8M
- Method: Mixed slayer and Zulrah
- Calculator estimate: 26 hours
- Actual time: 24 hours (even better than expected)
Goal 3: 99 Prayer (45M for dragon bones)
- Started with: 15M
- Method: Herb farming + Vorkath
- Calculator estimate: 12 hours active + 3 weeks farming
- This one’s still in progress but tracking perfectly so far
Why Different Methods Matter
Here’s something most players don’t consider: your preferred playing style should influence your money-making choice, even if it’s not the absolute fastest.
I hate super active clicking methods. Give me something I can do while watching YouTube. So even though 3-tick fishing might be theoretically faster GP than my preferred AFK methods, the calculator helps me find realistic options I’ll actually stick with.
Quick question: Do you know which money-making method you can actually sustain for hours without burning out?
Most players overestimate their tolerance for high-intensity methods. Better to choose something slightly slower that you can actually maintain.
The Psychology of Goal Setting
This tool does something interesting beyond just math. It makes abstract goals feel concrete and achievable.
“I want a Twisted Bow” feels impossible. “I need 400 hours of Vorkath for a Twisted Bow” feels challenging but doable.
Breaking big goals into time commitments changes how you think about them. 400 hours sounds like a lot, but spread over a year? That’s just over an hour per day.
Budget vs Time Tradeoffs
The calculator shows you something most players never consider: the time cost of choosing cheaper methods.
Example: Saving for 83 Construction (about 25M for oak planks)
- Method A: Blast furnace – 62 hours
- Method B: Vorkath – 8 hours
Method A saves you money per hour but costs you 54 extra hours of grinding. Is your time worth that tradeoff? The calculator makes these decisions obvious.
Planning Multiple Goals
I use this tool to prioritize between different goals. Want both dragon claws AND bandos armor? The calculator shows which order makes more sense based on your money-making efficiency.
Sometimes getting the cheaper item first improves your GP rates for earning the expensive item. Like buying torso before bandos chestplate, or getting dragon defender before expensive weapons.
Account Type Considerations
The tool works differently depending on your account:
Main accounts: Pure efficiency focus. Which method gets you to your goal fastest?
Ironmen: Some methods aren’t available, so you need realistic alternatives. The calculator helps ironmen understand why certain goals take longer.
PKing accounts: Limited combat stats change which money-making methods are viable.
I have accounts of different types and the same goal can have wildly different timeframes depending on available methods.
Motivation Through Progress Tracking
Here’s the unexpected benefit: this tool keeps you motivated during long grinds.
Instead of just watching your cash stack slowly grow, you can see exactly how much progress you’ve made toward your goal. “I’m 23% of the way to my bandos goal” feels way better than “I have 17M and need more.”
I started updating the calculator every few days during big grinds. Watching the estimated time decrease as I got closer to my goal kept me going when I felt like quitting.
Common Goal Planning Mistakes
Mistake 1: Choosing goals that are too big without breaking them down. “I want max gear” isn’t actionable. “I want to earn 50M for this specific upgrade” is.
Mistake 2: Not considering opportunity costs. That 100-hour grind for one item could get you three smaller upgrades that provide more total benefit.
Mistake 3: Ignoring your own preferences and choosing methods you’ll quit after a few hours.
The calculator prevents all these mistakes by forcing you to think in concrete terms.
Integration with Game Planning
I use this alongside other planning tools now. Combat calculator to see stat requirements, quest guides for unlocks, and this goal tracker for financial planning.
Example planning session: Want to do raids. Need better stats, certain quests completed, and upgraded gear. The goal tracker helps me budget both time and money for the gear portion.
Market Fluctuation Reality
Prices change constantly in OSRS. The calculator uses current estimates, but I always add a 10-15% buffer to my calculations for price increases.
Pro tip: If you’re planning a long-term goal, consider that item prices might increase while you’re grinding. Better to slightly overestimate your needs.
Why I Recommend This Tool
If you set financial goals in OSRS but struggle with motivation or planning, this calculator solves both problems. It turns vague wishes into concrete plans with realistic timeframes.
Perfect for:
- Planning major gear upgrades
- Budgeting for expensive skills like Construction or Prayer
- Comparing efficiency of different money-making methods
- Setting realistic expectations for long-term goals
I wish I’d found this tool years ago when I was first learning efficient money-making. Would have saved me from so many abandoned grinds and poorly planned goals.
Bottom line: Stop setting goals without proper planning. This tool shows you exactly what it takes to achieve what you want, helping you make informed decisions about how to spend your gaming time.