Zhevra Mounted

Whether you're just rolling a new alt, or considering a serious re-roll, the prospect of starting over can be especially daunting.  I'm one of those freaks that finds it refreshing, so I have managed to collect a few tricks to getting on your feet. There are some basic things that you need on a character; bags, a mount, and gold to support any professions you may want.

Make a Bank
The first character that you make on any server should be a bank character. This character will be stationed at a major city and ready to receive all of the greens, cloth, ore, and other sellables.
A few tips for your bank;

• If available, use a Death Knight. For about an hour and a half of play time you get a guaranteed twenty gold, twelve slot bags, and a mount.
• Name your bank with a real name; names like Bankorama, Banku, Timsbank, etc... make it clear that you are a bank. Some people can be hesitant to give their gold to someone that they perceive to be an auction house sniper or already rich.
• Undercity and Darnassus are the two worst cities for your banks location. You want a place that you are comfortable with, and can quickly travel between the bank, auction house, and mailbox.
• Send everything that can be used for crafting or equipment of green quality or higher to your bank. Even if you only get twice the price of vendoring the item, it's still sixty silver rather than thirty. You'll be surprised how quickly everything adds up.
• Get Auctioneer or a similar addon, it allows you to quickly scan current prices, sell multiple stacks with one click, and do very simple vendor markups.

Buy Bags
Bigger bags mean more time out questing and less tossing of vendor junk.  Before you go spending your gold on that green bow, get some bags. Go to the auction house and you can typically find ten slotters for cheap, sometimes you will get lucky and someone that was leveling their tailoring will have a bunch of sixteen slot bags up for cheap.

Save for your Mount
Make sure that you have 45 gold set aside before you start spending on anything else. A mount means faster questing and faster farming, you're going to want it. Considering that mounts used to be 100 gold at level forty, you really shouldn't be complaining too much.
Professions
Professions can make or break you, it depends on what you decide to couple together. All professions, including secondary, can be classed under either gathering or crafting. You have a few options;
Self Sustaining-

• Skinning/Leatherworking
• Mining/Engineering, Jewelcrafting, or Blacksmithing
• Herbalism/Alchemy or Inscription
• Tailoring/Enchanting

Gold Farmer-

• Skinning/Mining (Least time consuming)
• Mining/Herbalism (Ridiculous for those of us with short attention spans, but nets more)

Crafty-

• Leatherworking - Armor patches, leather armor, and level 40+ mail armor.  Max leatherworking offers some craftable epics and leg patches that sell well. 
• Engineering - TOYS! Beyond that, goggles make some great helms that you can't get otherwise. Max engineering offers mounts and an epic gun.
• Blacksmithing - Mail armor, level 40+ plate armor, and weapons. Very costly to level. Max offers eternium belt buckles and a few craftable epics.
• Jewelcrafting - Rings, necklaces, and trinkets available at an early level. Can be expensive to level. Max offers gems.
• Alchemy - Stat enhancing elixirs and mana/health potions. Max offers flasks, elixirs, and jewelcrafting supplies.
• Inscription - Ability enhancing glyphs and an extra hearth stone. Max offers glyphs.
• Tailoring - Cloth armor and bags. Max offers bags, spell thread, a mount, and some craftable epics.
• Enchanting - Enchants and an early wand. Can be expensive to level. You will be in high demand, both to disenchant and enchant items. 

As far as early levels go skinning is the least time consuming, mining makes the most money, jewelcrafting and alchemy give the earliest rewards. End game, if you play it smart, each of the professions can make you good sums of cash.
The secondary professions; first aid, fishing, and cooking, are typically not profitable per se, but are excellent to have on your character anyhow. First aid can save you in a pinch, especially if you have no healing abilities. Fishing coupled with cooking is easy and cheap to level, though time consuming, but the foods can give you temporary stat boosts, and hunters will find the free pet food to be a welcome relief. End game, you would be laughed out of a raid or battleground for not having first aid. Fishing offers opportunities for minipets and other achievements. Cooking offers the only high stat foods and are in high demand from all raiders.