I want to get my int implant before leveling up, where would you go for enough expendable loot that can be obtained with starting skills and without killing anything?

I sort of considered visiting the Silver Rush when i'm at the point where i can pass the credit check, but i'd like to keep that stuff for when i have a high barter skill.

Maybe try to leg it for the hidden valley and nick some of their gear?

The Silver Rush is in Freeside, not on the Strip. You don't need to pass the credit check to get in.

If you can make it that far without leveling up, your best bet probably is to just play blackjack at the Atomic Wrangler until you have the caps you need. It's right across the street from the Silver Rush. If your luck's decent, it shouldn't take too long.

ETA - you could also start the Garretts quests while you're there for a few more caps. Going after FISTO would be tricky without killing anything, but the rest of it could be done by avoiding a handful of Freeside Thugs.

Good catch!

Hmm. Initially i rolled 9 int and 7 end for this build but i might go back and do 9 int 9 luck somehow as i don't need all 7 END right off the bat.

I could also make a futile attempt at getting to the Peak Guardian Cave, over a dozen bricks of C4 there. On the other hand i recall quite a few scorpions on the path to the peak.

EDIT: This is funny, Boone and Rex are showing up on my world map for some reason. They're in their homes.

Okay here's what I did. Grab everything from the Doc's house in Goodsprings, raid Victors house and open the crates by the store. Now the hard part, get to New Vegas while avoiding killing or getting killed yourself.
Once in Vegas sell of all your loot (Gun Runners or Mick & Ralphs), now head to the Atomic Wrangler and start playing Backjack. Be sure to save before you start and save after each win. If you lose just reload.
By the time your banned you should have more that 4000 caps in chips.

Snowglobe in Goodsprings, snowglobe in Follower leader's sleeping place in Freeside, go visit Mr. House, turn them in? Means you only need to pay for the pass in Freeside.

If I recall, you can turn them into House w/out actually going down the stairs to talk to House, so you can avoid triggering the Benny quest if you don't want to yet. But I don't know if visiting House would trigger a level up first.

You get the caps for snowglobes from Jane, the Securitron who greets you at the elevator in Mr. House's suite. And while you're there, there is another snowglobe up in the Lucky 38 cocktail lounge.

You could also bypass the credit check by means of sneaking onto the Strip via the Camp McCarran monorail, but you'll probably need to get some NCR faction armor to do that. I think you can pick some of that up in Nipton - IIRC, there are one or two NCR soldiers who are already dead there, and you can loot their armor. Just don't aggro Vulpes and his boys.

Also, you'll be doing a fair amount of sneaking/sprinting by Fiends just to reach McCarran.

Several ways.

With a high luck, gamble. NCR monorail is your best bet (if you face the town hall and turn left there's some buildings, the furthest corner one has dead NCR troopers). Failing that you can probably get enough from loot in Goodsprings, Nipton (exc those buildings with enemies) and the destroyed caravan to the south east of Vegas (2 Van Graff thugs with combat armour sells for lots).

Without high luck, just loot everything you can find. I've made 12000 caps by Mojave outpost without stealing anything (however I did kill the convicts in Primm).
(I don't know how btw...just did...)

It's quite possible.

Here's an update, i decided to stick with my "unlucky" build. I headed straight north but the small road with the cazadors was a no-go despite Victor's help. On the second attempt i took the highway and managed to slip past the deathclaws (that was exciting).

I picked up the two black combat armors from Durable Dunn's sacked caravan, i managed to sell one of them plus some bits and bobs i borrowed from the Van Graffs.
All in all i'm at 3500 caps and 20 XP away from the level-up thanks to all the disoriented dikeing around. I might aswell grab the mormon fort snowglobe and say hi to Janet.

EDIT: Success! Also, curiously, a brahmin attacked me when i left the clinic. That's a first.

Way, way too much trouble for a handful of skill points.

+1 IN= 0.5 skill point per level = 15 or so skill points over the course of the game. Realistically, no more than 7-8 if you obtain it in mid-teens.

But it was a fun challenge?

I don't use implants much either. Rarely actually helps me re:gameplay....but yeah, the challenge/fun of seeing 'what you can do' is the thing for doing anything like this. Congrats on making it.

Go to silver rush and carry everything to the back without stealing it when hidden in the back steal it all. Sell it all.

Win 4000 caps at The Atomic Wrangler. Easy with 9-10 luck.

Did it first time (get Int implant before level 2) but was extremely lucky I think.

Essentially after getting snowglobe and looting/selling at goodsprings I headed through quarry juction for some extremely nervy/lucky deathclaw dodging, once through I looted the two 'cassidy caravans' wrecks (south and east of vegas) with the second one giving combat armour to sell.

I understand theres lots of different ways, and glad I've done it once now !