I will also level professions as I progress. I won't progress level wise unless my professions are up to par. Same goes for fishing and cooking.
I always had problems with gathering professions taking up too much damn bag space. But I never thought about bank alts before - the whole idea of being able to park an alt next to a mailbox as a fast way to mail mats off my character any time I'm near a mailbox should help. I think this time around I'm going to run with gathering professions to make money as I go.
I would say professions after 40, mostly using skinning/herbalism/mining to get items to sell while leveling for your mount.
How is it going?
Here is list of my "I will not be such idiot next time" things:
I took tailoring and herbalism and I did wrong thing - better combo is tailoring with skinning, because some of recipes requires leather.
My second mistake was rarely gathering flowers. So, you see flower on minimap, but you thing "meh, I'll better to the quest and don't waste time on mobs near flower to gather it" - totally wrong thing. I'm 35lvl now, but can't gather herbs in current locations, because my herbalism skill is too low.
My third mistake - learn all things from tailoring teacher - don't do that! It's waste of money, you will never craft "that sweety boots with +2 points to my stat", because you will get better one from dungeon in 1 hour and you literally never will craft that thing.
My fourth mistake - i spent resources on faction reputation quests (you know, "bring 60 wool" - that quests) and it was totally wrong. And too expensive.
I am doing something a little wonky.
I selected tailoring and skinning.
Tailoring for bags and gear and skinning for income, extra income.
Once i get high enough to farm Black Dragonscales in the Burning Steppes, I will drop skinning for mining.
I need 30 scales, I think for the epic warlock quest chain.
Then do mining to farm arcane crystals for the quest and a few extra for income to pay for the other things I need for the quest.
After that I will drop all professions and learn my end game professions which will be Alchemy and Herbalist!
That was my end game in Vanilla, I enjoyed being a chemist and made alot of gold selling flasks and potions!
I should be 60 by then and hopefully craft everything I need from tailoring by then!
Once bloodvine comes out I might drop herb to go back to tailoring then craft and drop for herb again....maybe idk...its going to be awhile till then so i will have time to think about how i am going to do it
Couple good ways to do it, really.
If getting to 60 as fast as possible is your goal, then just doing them later is what you want to do. Because even leveling gathering as you go, to keep them up with you will slow you down a tad.
If you aren't in a great rush, but want to pull in some gold on the way? Leveling gathering as you go is the best bet. Then switch to long term plans for professions 50+ or 60, or whatnot.
I am doing something a little wonky.
I selected tailoring and skinning.
Tailoring for bags and gear and skinning for income, extra income.
Friend of mine did this. Skinning helps tailoring because of income and the fact that bags also need leather!