Money in Potato Please never feels like it goes far enough, and the upgrade prices are the reason. I put together this breakdown so you can look at a real number before you spend, instead of buying blind and regretting it two minutes later. Everything below reflects the v1.0.3 pricing, and I’ve also included every event that quietly moves your cash in either direction — the letters, the village drops, and the task rewards in the top-left corner.
Before you dive in, here’s the full scope. Aside from the upgrade tables, these are the money-touching events worth tracking:
- Letters from your son
- Letters from the resistance
- Sending potatoes to the village
- The task rewards shown in the top-left of the screen
Peeling Upgrades
The peeling line is where most of my early money went, and honestly the jump from the Rusty Knife to the Steel Knife is where the game starts feeling less like a chore. Here’s what each tier costs and what gates it.
| Upgrade | Lv1 | Lv2 | Lv3 | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rusty Knife | 0.4 | 1.5 | — | Unlocked at Lv1: Rusty Knife |
| Steel Knife | 2.7 | 3.9 | 4.5 | Lv1: Rusty Knife |
| Peeler | 6 | 7.5 | 9 | Lv1: Steel Knife |
| Streak Bonus | 1.65 | 12 | — | — |
| Streak Clock | 0.5 | 1.5 | 4 | — |
Facility Upgrades
Facilities are the sneaky money sink. That Drain line looks cheap at first and then spikes hard at the top end — I’d plan your savings around it if you’re chasing the later tiers.
| Upgrade | Lv1 | Lv2 | Lv3 | Lv4 | Lv5 | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog Food (unlimited purchases) | 3 | — | — | — | — | Meet the puppy |
| Medication | 4.5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Suction Drain | 7.5 | 15 | 40 | 100 | 250 | — |
| Channel Flow | 600 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cold-Weather Coat | 200 | — | — | — | — | — |
Handling Upgrades
Handling is where the automation dream lives. The Flamethrower being free is a genuine gift — grab it the moment the blizzard event appears, because there’s no reason to hesitate on that one.
| Upgrade | Lv1 | Lv2 | Lv3 | Lv4 | Lv5 | Lv6 | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flamethrower | Free | — | — | — | — | — | Blizzard event |
| Carry Capacity | 1.25 | 2.5 | 3.25 | 6.5 | 8 | 9.5 | — |
| Bucket | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | Carry Capacity Lv3 |
| Packaging | 40 | 120 | 250 | — | — | — | Lv1: Hand Peeler Lv3 |
| Wheelbarrow | 210 | — | — | — | — | — | Bagging Lv1 |
| Potato Vacuum | 2800 | — | — | — | — | — | Wheelbarrow |
Automation Upgrades
Automation is the biggest investment on this list and the one I’d encourage you not to rush. Notice that the Auto Peeler total depends on how far you’ve pushed other lines — some of the unlock conditions overlap, so buying in the right order genuinely saves you time. The Clock Crane at 2100 and the Crane Autopilot tiers beyond it are endgame territory; expect to grind tasks for those.
| Upgrade | Lv1 | Lv2 | Lv3 | Lv4 | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workbench | 12 | — | — | — | |
| Hand Peeler | 20 | 52.5 | 90 | — | Lv1: Workbench |
| Auto Peeler | 280 | 420 | 630 | — | Lv1: Hand Peeler Lv3; Lv2: Bag Gantry Lv1 |
| Bag Gantry | 280 | 170 | 280 | 450 | Lv1: Auto Peeler Lv1 |
| Overclock | 1400 | — | — | — | Auto Peeler Lv3 |
| Bag Cableway | 1250 | 560 | 840 | 1250 | Lv1: Hand Peeler Lv3, Wheelbarrow |
| Clock Crane | 2100 | — | — | — | Bag Cableway Lv1 |
| Crane Autopilot | 1700 | 420 | 630 | 840 | Lv1: Clock Crane |
The Son’s Letters
Every time a letter from your son arrives, there’s a chance he’s asking for money — and you don’t get to choose whether you pay. Some letters cost you nothing, others genuinely sting. I remember the -100 letter hitting right when I was saving for an upgrade, which is the kind of timing that makes you wince. Below is the request amount for each letter in order.
| Letter | Requested Amount |
|---|---|
| 1st | -0.25 |
| 2nd | — |
| 3rd | -1 |
| 4th | -3 |
| 5th | — |
| 6th | — |
| 7th | -8 |
| 8th | — |
| 9th | — |
| 10th | -100 |
| 11th–13th | — |
Resistance Letters
These ones are my favorite because they actually put a choice in front of you. Hide what the resistance letter mentions and you walk away with experience; report it and you get money instead. Which you pick depends entirely on whether you’re grinding levels or saving for a pricey upgrade — and some letters, like the third, even hand you a Poison Vial for keeping quiet.
| Letter | Hide | Report |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Exp +2 | 0.5 |
| 2nd | Exp +4 | 1 |
| 3rd | Exp +4 (+ Poison Vial) | 1 |
| 4th | Exp +12 | 3 |
| 5th | Exp +30 | 7.5 |
| 6th | Exp +48 | 12 |
| 7th | Exp +400 | 100 |
Sending Potatoes to the Village
Here’s a trap I want you to be aware of before you act: if you send potatoes to the village, you get fined, and if you report instead, you’re paid. The choice matters more than it looks, because once you report a single time, the villagers stop visiting entirely. That’s a permanent shift, so don’t flip that switch lightly unless you’re certain you don’t need them. The fines also fluctuate a little rather than landing on an exact number every time.
| Visit | Send Potatoes | Report |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | -2.75 | 3 |
| 2nd | -5 | 7.5 |
| 3rd | -5.5 | 12 |
Task Rewards
The task list in the top-left is your bread-and-butter income early on, and the rewards scale up noticeably as you push deeper. The last task — earn 2500 and peel 15000 potatoes — pays 1500, which tells you just how far the game expects you to go. I found tracking this list kept me from wandering aimlessly; there’s almost always a next objective paying out something useful.
| # | Task | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the assignment papers on the desk | — |
| 2 | Peel potatoes (3); send clean potatoes to the chute (3) | 0.2 |
| 3 | Report to the supply window; buy a Rusty Knife (1/2) | — |
| 4 | Tear open bags (2); peel potatoes (10); send clean potatoes to the chute (10) | 0.5 |
| 5 | Buy Carry Capacity (1/6) | 0.5 |
| 6 | Send clean potatoes to the chute (10) | 1 |
| 7 | Buy a Rusty Knife (2/2); buy a Steel Knife (1/3) | 1 |
| 8 | Buy Carry Capacity (3/6) | 1.5 |
| 9 | Peel potatoes (20) | 1.5 |
| 10 | Buy a Bucket (1/1); carry potatoes with the bucket (100) | 1.5 |
| 11 | Buy a Peeler (3/3) | 1 |
| 12 | Buy a Workbench (1/1) | 1.5 |
| 13 | Buy a Hand Peeler (1/3); peel with the machine (50) | 4 |
| 14 | Buy a Hand Peeler (3/3) | 7 |
| 15 | Buy Bagging (1/3); bag potatoes (3) | 9 |
| 16 | Buy a Wheelbarrow (1/1); load bags onto the wheelbarrow (6/6) | 10 |
| 17 | Buy an Auto Peeler (1/3); peel with the machine (500) | 20 |
| 18 | Buy a Bag Gantry (1/4) | 20 |
| 19 | Buy an Auto Peeler (3/3) | 90 |
| 20 | Buy a Bag Cableway (1/4) | 300 |
| 21 | Buy a Bag Cableway (2/4) | 320 |
| 22 | Buy a Clock Crane (1/1) | 450 |
| 23 | Buy Crane Autopilot (1/4) | 480 |
| 24 | Earn 2500; peel potatoes (15000) | 1500 |
Conclusion
That covers the full v1.0.3 price sheet and every event that shifts your money. Keep these numbers handy while you budget, and be deliberate about the resistance and village choices — those decisions stick with you far longer than a single purchase.