azarhal just proved an old one - losing is sometimes better than winning. I didn't know about lockpicks, thanks!
Additions to it:
- You're playing a peasant, so get in that role. Picking herbs and flowers is not something to neglect. With all those flowers not only you'll smell nice, eventually with some "know how" your STR will also benefit from it - you'll be carrying tons of those with you all the time no wonder you've trained some muscles.
- In that first chapter, what you cannot sell in the first settlement (limited money on traders), just drop on the ground and forgeddit BEFORE giving nails to a girl that will come to your father. You need to be able to run.
- Buy the book (tavern).
- As azarhal said after that first chapter follow the main questline till you reach a miller. Do him all favors as soon as possible - BEFORE proceeding the main quest.
After you're done with miller's sidequests, he'll open a shop with 500 coins at his disposal that refreshes those coins daily. Till then, everything you cannot sell just stash in the chest by your bed. Buy the book from him!
- Done with miller's? Continue main quests till you get a freebie horse. After you get it, it's time for some actual game. Exploration and sidequesting!
Main story? Cmon, who play the main story before you complete all sidequests?! IGN and Gamespot reviewers, yea, I know. But I didn't know you're one.