There are still quite a few ways to earn gold. You can steal things by engaging npc in conversation and picking things from stealth with another character. Going around Fort Joy like this will give you lots to sell and a decent gear set for one character. I am just going to give you a little spoiler here. You can be stealthy all the way up to the undead barricades in the Marshes beyond the fort without investing a single point into any civic abilities. Hopefully, it will give you enough to stand on your own feet.
Just be a bit patient and allow yourself time to learn how the npc system works.
