Outside of raids, I play about 1 1/2 to 2 hours every day. I'm presently sitting on approximately 22,000G.
Interested?
Here's the strat --
POINT ONE: Auctioneer - or how I maximize my Gold/hour while not even looking at the computer screen:
I'm going to go ahead and disagree with the OP on the usefulness of auctioneer, especially in its current format.
His main objection seemed to be the time it took for a scan - I start a scan in the morning before I hop in the shower, hit jump when I get out (to avoid the AFK), and let the scan finish while I'm shaving/making breakfast. The other objection was auctioneer underpricing items - the new market price functionality is MUCH better than the old version with its auto-undercut.
Additionally, the bottom scan feature lets you pick up some AMAZING deals on stuff that you normally wouldn't search for - and it is automated as well. You can even alt-tab while the bottom-scanner is running. The mod will even start remembering your preferences (although the first few times, you're gonna HATE that doorbell sound when it finds Green Hills of Stranglethorn Page 647 for 18 copper less than expected - but like I said, it eventually learns your preferences).
Another new feature sorts all items that you are searching for based on per-item price and gives you a percentage approximation of that item being over- or under-priced based on your historical scan data. For example, say I need to buy some Netherbloom to make Fel Mana pots. I search for Netherbloom and auctioneer shows something like the following:
Netherbloom 6 42s/per 42% of expected
Netherbloom 20 74s/per 74% of expected
Netherbloom 1 95s/per 95% of expected
Netherbloom 5 1.21g/per 121% of expected
(etc.- point being it automatically finds the best per-item price for you, and puts it in a convenient list.)
My pedigree with auctioneer: At the end of WoW 1.0, I was in a raiding guild in Naxx (not clearing, wiping a lot) and STILL managed to bring over close to 4,000G when TBC came out. That was almost entirely due to the (old, bad version) of auctioneer (and also due to the fact that very few other ppl on my server were using it). I'm presently sitting on over 20k gold, and most of that is due to auctioneer (new, better version). I farm about 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day, and raid 5 days a week, so I'm nowhere near poop-sock levels of grinding elementals.
POINT TWO: Farming - or how I maximize my Gold/Hour while holding the mouse. (Main=Herb/Alch Hunter, Alt=Tailor/Chanter 'Lock)
1. Have the main do the 6 dailies in BEM and Skettis. 66G/day, takes about 45 minutes
2. Have the main herb the
Talonsworn Forest-Ragers in Skettis while doing the dailies (if it is contested I'll do a lap or 2, if uncontested 4 or 5). VariableG (10-70)/day, takes about 10 minutes, also allows me to make all my own raid consumables.
3. Have the main transmute Primal Earth to Water. 10G/day, takes about 30 seconds. Lucky me.
4. Have the alt do his Tailoring Cloth spec (for me, Shadowcloth) with AH'd mats. Avg of 12.5G/day, Avg of 3 minutes/day (flying out to SMV)
TOTAL: 128.5G/day on average, for about an hour of actual effort. Of course, there are MASSIVE diminishing returns here - but I certainly like 1 hour for 128G better than 2 hours for 160G. Then you add in the Auctioneer stuff that required 0 effort or time and...well...that's how you end up rich. Right!
POINT THREE (Optional): As noted above, SOLOmance can be quite profitable as well. I go on the alt and DE everything. That can get you from 25G-45G/Hour depending on drops, and how much I'm paying attention. Also no competition for mobs.
POINT FOUR (Optional): Buy in the morning, sell at night. That's an auto-win
. The exception to this is Saturday morning - that's when a load of alts and lower-levels are on and grinding up their profession skills. Dump all your ore/cloth/leather etc. on the AH late Friday or early Saturday.