OptimizationUpdated Sep 27, 2026Verified
Supply Runs vs. Steal Missions: The Real Math
Buying supplies looks lazy — the math says it is usually right.
9 minIntermediate$ per hour
Time
9 min
Payout
$ per hour
Difficulty
Intermediate
Buy
Cost per supply bar
Steal
Free but takes time
Rule
Buy if your time earns more per minute
Step by step
- 1Estimate how much you earn per minute from other work.
- 2Compare it with the supply cost.
- 3Buy supplies when your time is worth more.
Common mistakes
- Stealing supplies in a busy lobby.
Section 01
The brief
Every production business offers the same choice: spend cash on supplies or spend time stealing them.
- Stealing supplies saves money but costs roughly 15–20 minutes per batch
- Buying supplies is almost always the better trade once your hourly rate is high
- The exception is very early progression, when time is cheaper than cash
Section 02
Recommended route
At typical payouts, buying supplies wins whenever your session hour is worth more than the resupply cost — which it almost always is once passive income exists.
- Work out your current hourly rate from an average session
- Buy supplies whenever the saved time is worth more than the batch price
- Restock everything at the start of a session, not mid-way
Section 03
What good looks like
Reserve steal missions for bonus weeks, crew sessions, or days when the budget is genuinely tight.
- No session spent driving supply trucks when you could be earning
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Last verified: Sep 27, 2026. Figures are editorial summaries; in-game menus remain the final authority.