Using the "most valuable potions" guide in this section, Most Valuable Potions | Skyrim Forums make as many of those as you can, and of course, the more valuable the potion, the quicker you level. Those potions are often unusable because they have serious adverse effects, so go sell them. I do it all in Whiterun at Breezehome where I keep all my ingredients in the chest next to the alchemy table. ( I also store any armor or necklaces with alchemy enhancements in the same chest.) Unlike smithing, you can purchase ingredients for a valuable potion at a fraction of the cost of the finished potion.
Go up the street to the potions shop, where the seller is also an Alchemy trainer, purchase training, then take back the money you spent on training by selling her your valuable potions. Do this every time you level up, and even though the training gets expensive, you have enough potions to get your money back. Do the same thing with any key ingredients she may have.
Take a quick nap upstairs before you start your alchemy sessions to get the well rested bonus, and also, work towards the gardener perk which gives you two items (plants and mushrooms) every time you harvest. Try to get that perk before you hit the major hanging moss picking grounds and the mushroom caves, as well as the swamps around Morthal.
FYI, the "Slow", "Paralysis" and "Damage Majicka Regen" potions seem to be the most valuable, in general. I also try to keep plenty of ingredients for "Restore Health" and "Weakness to (fire, cold, lightning)"--whatever type of damage you are dealing. Even mages can keep a bow and arrow handy to dole out a "Weakness to" potion before unleashing their elemental attack--very effective. This works for you, too, so keep resist elemental attack potions handy to fight those ice spike wielding mages and fire breathing dragons.
Potions are heavy, so you will soon run out of carrying capacity unless your char has tons of stamina. If not, stash, sell or discard unused potions--the merchants will run out of money long before you've ran out of potions. Don't bother picking up found potions unless they are the highest grade type like "Ultimate", or you are running out of health potions. I usually spend a point in Restoration for 1/2 majicka for Healing just in case.
Also, as you level up, you should be spending points on perks that make the potions stronger, so be sure to get rid of the older, weaker potions first when you are selling. Don't worry about making potions your character will never use, for example, you might find a particularly valuable potion for Fortify Two-Handed, and you are a Mage or an Archer. Keep making the potion and just sell it off--you get exp bonuses for both the value as well as finding new ingredient uses.
Go up the street to the potions shop, where the seller is also an Alchemy trainer, purchase training, then take back the money you spent on training by selling her your valuable potions. Do this every time you level up, and even though the training gets expensive, you have enough potions to get your money back. Do the same thing with any key ingredients she may have.
Take a quick nap upstairs before you start your alchemy sessions to get the well rested bonus, and also, work towards the gardener perk which gives you two items (plants and mushrooms) every time you harvest. Try to get that perk before you hit the major hanging moss picking grounds and the mushroom caves, as well as the swamps around Morthal.
FYI, the "Slow", "Paralysis" and "Damage Majicka Regen" potions seem to be the most valuable, in general. I also try to keep plenty of ingredients for "Restore Health" and "Weakness to (fire, cold, lightning)"--whatever type of damage you are dealing. Even mages can keep a bow and arrow handy to dole out a "Weakness to" potion before unleashing their elemental attack--very effective. This works for you, too, so keep resist elemental attack potions handy to fight those ice spike wielding mages and fire breathing dragons.
Potions are heavy, so you will soon run out of carrying capacity unless your char has tons of stamina. If not, stash, sell or discard unused potions--the merchants will run out of money long before you've ran out of potions. Don't bother picking up found potions unless they are the highest grade type like "Ultimate", or you are running out of health potions. I usually spend a point in Restoration for 1/2 majicka for Healing just in case.
Also, as you level up, you should be spending points on perks that make the potions stronger, so be sure to get rid of the older, weaker potions first when you are selling. Don't worry about making potions your character will never use, for example, you might find a particularly valuable potion for Fortify Two-Handed, and you are a Mage or an Archer. Keep making the potion and just sell it off--you get exp bonuses for both the value as well as finding new ingredient uses.
