explore every ruin u can find get enough to buy an arming sword and solo bandit groups

For money: as a trader sell salt from Saltpans or pelts from White Harbor. As a warrior: Search the ruins especially the old Westerlands mines, south east Essos and the one near The Weeping Town. You get two gold nuggets, money, a weirwood branch and some other things.

Buy a Masterwork Two Hander with the 157 range because with this you have a longer range then most other melee weapons. Now go and hunt Sellsword man at arms groups mainly in mid Essos. They are pretty easy to defeat with this weapon and they are using good gear which you can use for yourself or sell it (you can make around 120000 coins a week when you find some groups). This will kick you renown up too. Caution!: Don't do it with a group because then the loot is shared (or you gain -75 moral)