Never Stop Salvaging

One mistake that players make, especially new players, is trying to skip trying to loot stuff from maps when doing quests. Most players tend to ignore materials like empty water bottles, rags, and scrap metal, but these actually play a critical role later on in the game. While rags may seem useless in the early game when you already have decent armor, you can use them to produce Thread and Twine, which is a staple for some of the more advanced in-game items.

Loot is gatherable in a lot of places that beginners might not even bother looking at. Aside from collecting it from dead enemies, crates, bags, and by the use of tools, going inside the house to check shelves and kitchen drawers or checking tents may prove to be a bountiful endeavor. Most of the more important materials in the game are gathered in hidden places. If you can find keys to basements or cars, you might also find something valuable that you can trade later on in the game.