Go to keppon laffin and keep "sell beard" You'll have no need to hunt for money at all.
Then fill up on several hundred mana/vigor/healing and a few poison cure pills and all you have to do is spend a full day of training with weapons, (use vigor pills after each session), then go on out to the desert and raise your magic skills.
I found I just had to sleep until evening most days until the quests come along.
This game does have a set amount of days as well unlike the first game. It's very tight on the time frame. All up there's about 22 days from start to finish of in game time.
________
Starcract 2 Replays