Money in 13 days to escape is the cash you use to buy escape tools and other preparation items from OJ's Deals. The most dependable plan is to complete the prison jobs that fit the daytime schedule, confirm the payout in the HUD, and then save toward the tool you need next. Library deliveries pay 10 cash per book, a complete yard litter task pays 20 cash, and a timed kill bounty pays 35 cash when you defeat the target and collect the drop. Potato peeling is another supported job, but its exact payout is not established in the available game information.
The important spending checkpoints are 25 cash for the Screwdriver and 110 cash for the Saw. That makes the Saw equivalent to eleven successful Library book deliveries, while one Screwdriver takes three Library deliveries with 10 cash left over. Treat those comparisons as planning targets rather than a promise that every day will offer the same job: the schedule, target, and available pickups can vary.
Where money comes from
Use the prison routine to decide which income source is available. Library, lunch, and yard activities are scheduled parts of the day, while the kill bounty is a separate timed opportunity. Cash stacks are bonus pickups rather than a replacement for a scheduled job. The table separates the reliable recorded payouts from activities whose amount or refresh rules are not fully established.
| Money source | Recorded payout | When to use it | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Library book delivery | 10 cash per book | Library period | Read the number at the desk, find the matching book, then return it before the activity ends |
| Potato peeling | Cash per completed round; amount not recorded | LUNCH | Complete the potato-station peeling interaction and watch the cash counter |
| Litter pickup | 20 cash for a complete 8/8 set | YARD TIME | Collect eight pieces of litter; the payout is tied to the completed set |
| Kill bounty | 35 cash | Limited-time event | Accept the KILL prompt, defeat the target before the timer ends, and pick up the cash |
| Cash stacks | Extra cash; individual amount not established | Beds and some LOCKDOWN areas | Search inmate beds and the opened prisoner transport area when its access condition is met |
The job wording matters. A Library reward is recorded per delivered book, but the yard reward is tied to reaching 8/8, not to each individual piece of litter. Potato peeling is confirmed as an income activity, yet the available record does not establish a fixed amount for each round, so check the HUD instead of budgeting around an assumed payout.
Library books for steady cash
Library delivery is the clearest repeatable money route in the supplied records. When the Library period begins, first look at the desk guard's displayed number. Search the shelves for that numbered book, pick it up with E, and bring it back to the desk before the activity closes. Recorded examples include #106, #032, and #140; these examples are not a permanent list, because the requested number can change with the day.
The practical loop is therefore check the desk, search by number, pick up the match, return to the desk, and verify the payout. Do not start by grabbing a book at random. A wrong search wastes the same limited activity window that you need for the delivery, and a late return can leave the job unfinished. If the number is difficult to spot, keep the objective and the activity timer visible while searching rather than leaving the Library to pursue a less certain pickup.
Finding Library books for cash
This moment supports the numbered Library book search and shows how the resulting cash can contribute toward buying a Screwdriver.
At 10 cash per book, Library work gives you a simple way to estimate progress toward OJ's prices. Eleven completed deliveries cover the recorded 110-cash Saw price; three cover the 25-cash Screwdriver price, with 5 cash remaining. Those are arithmetic planning aids only—the game may offer other payouts and bonus cash during the same run.
Lunch and yard jobs
The cafeteria's potato station provides another scheduled opportunity during LUNCH. Start the peeling interaction and complete the displayed progress, such as Peel potatoes 5/5. The activity is useful when Library is unavailable or when you need to keep earning without waiting for a particular book, but do not assign it a fixed cash value from the current record. Finish the round, then read the HUD cash counter to learn what that run added.
Peeling potatoes for prison income
This moment supports the lunch potato-peeling job and shows how its cash can help fund a Screwdriver without treating the recorded amount as a universal payout.
During YARD TIME, the recorded objective is Pick up litter 8/8. Collect all eight pieces and continue until the completion state appears. The reward is 20 cash for the completed set, not 20 cash for every item. If the yard task is interrupted before 8/8, treat it as incomplete until the game confirms the objective and the cash total changes.
These jobs are governed by the prison timetable. They are not always available on demand, so plan the next purchase around the next scheduled activity rather than assuming you can repeat one job immediately. The day and time shown in the HUD are as important as the cash total: missing roll call, entering an unavailable area, or allowing suspicion to rise can cost more time than a marginal detour earns.
Bounties and bonus cash
The KILL bounty is a separate, timed income event. When the nearby inmate prompt appears, accept it only if you can reach the target and act before the countdown ends. The recorded reward is 35 cash. Defeat the target, collect the dropped cash, and check the counter; defeating the target without picking up the drop does not complete the money part of the opportunity.
Because the bounty is time-limited and can increase exposure or suspicion, it is not automatically better than a scheduled job. Take it when the route is practical and the prison state is safe enough. If guards, CCTV, the current routine, or the timer make the approach risky, protecting your existing progress can be the better money decision.
Cash stacks are additional pickups. The supplied records place them in inmates' beds and, during LOCKDOWN, in the rear of the opened prisoner transport area. Some access depends on escape progress—for example, opening a route with the Saw first—so do not count a stack as immediately available just because you know its area. The individual stack values and complete refresh rules are not established; use them as opportunistic bonuses after checking the route and your suspicion level.
Spending money at OJ's Deals
OJ's Deals is in cell 13 in the cell block. Interact with OJ and press E to open the shop. The recorded prices are:
| Item | Price (cash) | Useful target | Decision note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screwdriver | 25 | Three 10-cash Library deliveries | Leave a small surplus when using Library income alone |
| Saw | 110 | Eleven 10-cash Library deliveries | Save deliberately; bonus cash or other jobs can shorten the route |
The shop will not complete a purchase if your balance is below the listed price. Before walking to cell 13, finish the current job and confirm that the HUD has updated. If a purchase seems unavailable, check the balance first, then confirm that you are interacting with OJ's Deals rather than expecting a nearby pickup to count as shop credit.
The two prices also show why a mixed income plan is useful. A 20-cash completed yard task brings you close to a Screwdriver on its own; a 35-cash bounty can cover that purchase if the drop is collected; and Library deliveries give the most transparent long-term count toward the 110-cash Saw. Potato peeling and cash stacks can close the remaining gap, but their exact contribution is not fixed in the current record.
A safer money plan
Start each day by checking the current objective, routine phase, cash total, and suspicion meter. Use the next available scheduled job first: deliver the numbered Library book, complete the lunch potato interaction, or finish the yard's 8/8 litter objective. After each completion, confirm the cash counter rather than assuming the reward was applied.
When a KILL prompt appears, compare its 35-cash reward with the time and exposure required. Search beds or a LOCKDOWN transport area only when the route is open and the surrounding prison state allows it. Keep the day limit in mind: money is valuable because it buys the tools needed for escape, not because a large balance is an objective by itself.
Once you reach 25 cash, buy the Screwdriver if it is the next supported preparation need. For the Saw, continue saving to 110 cash and avoid spending the balance on optional items unless the current escape plan calls for them. In multiplayer, up to three friends can share the work of finding books, collecting litter, and searching for cash, but the group still has to coordinate the purchase and the schedule. If suspicion rises or guards interrupt the route, recover by returning to the ordinary routine and waiting for the next safe earning window instead of forcing a risky pickup.
Money limits and checks
The fixed values in this guide are the recorded 10-cash Library payout, 20-cash completed yard payout, 35-cash bounty reward, 25-cash Screwdriver price, and 110-cash Saw price. The potato-peeling amount, individual cash-stack values, and full refresh rules are not fixed here. Use the in-game HUD and shop panel as the final check for a mutable balance or an amount that the game does not display until completion.
Do not treat numbered books, bounty targets, or tool prices as interchangeable. A book number identifies a delivery objective; it is not a cash value. A bounty is an optional timed event; it is not part of the Library or yard payout. A tool price is a spending threshold, not a reward. Keeping those categories separate makes it easier to tell whether you need another scheduled job, a bonus pickup, or simply a safer route to OJ.
Money FAQ
What is the fastest known way to reach the 25-cash Screwdriver price?
Use the next available scheduled job and confirm the HUD after completion. Three Library deliveries provide 30 cash at the recorded 10-cash-per-book rate, while a completed 8/8 yard task provides 20 cash and a collected kill bounty provides 35 cash. Potato peeling and cash stacks can help, but their exact values are not fixed in the available record.
Does each piece of yard litter pay 20 cash?
No. The recorded yard reward is 20 cash for completing the full Pick up litter 8/8 objective. Treat the payout as a completion reward and verify the cash counter after the game marks the set complete.
Can I count cash stacks toward the Saw before reaching them?
Use them as possible bonus income, not as guaranteed budget. Cash stacks are reported in inmate beds and in the rear of prisoner transport during LOCKDOWN, but the individual amounts and some access conditions are not fully established. Plan around scheduled payouts until the pickup is reachable and confirmed in the HUD.
Why can a money run fail even when a job is available?
The prison routine, activity timer, guards, CCTV, and suspicion meter still apply. A late Library return, an unfinished 8/8 yard objective, an uncollected bounty drop, or an interruption by guards can prevent the expected cash from being credited. Return to the normal schedule and verify each completion before changing your spending plan.