Need advice on how not to have my game be a grind!

There are many ways to have fun. The things I don't like doing is having to meet sims needs and pay the bills. So...

When I start a new sim, and I have mods now and I have HUGE households.

I also play on the longest life span possible for all age stages other than baby. That gives me plenty of time to do whatever I want. I can always buy them a birthday cake to age them up earlier and I often do give them a cake. I usually decide on what they need to achieve before they age up and once they've done that I move them on to the next age stage.

When I start a new sim I have a few rules. It'll be slow at first. I satisfy all wishes possible to build lifetime happiness points. When LTH hits 7,500 points I get the Simunity reward. Now my sims don't catch cold and don't get allergic reactions to picking wildflowers. Picking wildflowers is lucrative. I like to send them to the Festival grounds to pick wildflowers to sell immediately. Don't keep them too long as they lose value.

If you have the Stones Throw Greenhouse from the store, or just the sunflower from that venue you can collect the little suns it produces and sell them for 100 simoleans each if you are in need of quick cash. I have the whole venue and always have it in my worlds. Sims can collect seeds, harvestables, and minor pets and wildflowers to keep or sell.

Next reward I work towards costs 10,000 lifetime happiness points. It is Steel Bladder. No need to worry about bladder need after they get this one.

Then I work on getting 15,000 lifetime happiness points and buy No Bills Ever.

Next one is also 15,000 LTH points. That's Fast Learner.

Then I work through all of the 5,000 point rewards such as Observant, Speedy Cleaner, Jetsetter and whatever else I think my sim might benefit from. Then there are many other rewards to collect. The more the sim has the more I can do with that sim with less effort.

I record my gameplay and made videos on YouTube if you're interested in seeing some of my sims in action. The link in my signature is to my YouTube Channel. I ran out of space to add more info down there.

Enjoy your game. It's fun.

I use one of the Nraas mods to slow down time so my sims have more time in their day. It makes a huge difference to the game. I think the mod is called Nraas Relativity if I remember right. I don't know if you use mods but I highly recommend it. My sims go to work, take care of their children and still have some free time for hobbies, socializing or whatever activities I want them to do. The days seem so short in the Sims 3 default compared to how they are in the Sims 4. I was having the same struggle as you are before downloading the relativity mod.

I use cheats or the lifetime rewards that are basically cheats (Moodlet Manager + Motive Mobile). Not all the time but I don't like the motive grind, I like achieving crazy goals instead and hitting up the club.

(That being said this nerfed Motive Mobile can bridge the gap between extreme motive managing and regular gameplay, haven't found a such mod for the Moodlet Manager but then again...don't want it :p)

NRAAS mods. Wouldn’t play without them.

Like others mentioned, NRaas Relativity is great if you're finding yourself with not enough time/energy to enjoy your Sims' off hours. I set mine up to slow down the clock by about 50% whenever my Sim isn't working or sleeping, so they essentially have twice as much free time to meet people and enjoy themselves.

Don't see where this has been mentioned yet specifically, but TS3 (like the others) is a time management game to the extent that we want to play it that way. Careers and basic daily tasks like cooking and taking care of the household become much easier as a sim gets better at them.

Socializing with others is very complicated and drawn out even with the LTRs that are meant to help, hence yet another grind, when either or both sims lack the Charisma skill and socially positive traits as you're only going to progress a new friendly relationship a tiny bit with each positive social interaction that way (and then lose some back if your sim accidentally says something annoying, boring, or embarrassing). At higher levels of the skill, you can practically walk past a stranger and they will like you as at least a friend and you might even discover a few of their traits just by saying hello or issuing a greeting from the sim's interactions menu that gets learned at the higher levels. The more realistic happy medium is, of course, somewhere in between.

Hi.

Sorry the game feels like a grind to you, that's no fun at all. I play with no cheats and no mod to alter the flow of time and seem to manage just fine - but that's me. While Sims 3 is a time/life management game (of sorts), it is also a big disjointed puzzle. It is all in the way you approach what you are trying to accomplish. Mix and Match things up!

I find if you don't immediately jump into things, but rather take your time (not meaning going slow necessarily), you will be able to accomplish whatever goal you want and build as many skills in no time flat.

Let's take socializing for example. There are a lot of ways to do it and Sims will always tell (or show) you something about themselves.

One of the first things I do is have my Sims (charisma trait or not) read the first chapter of the charisma book. It really isn't needed beyond the initial chapter. Because, after that your Sim will be speaking or interacting with other Sims and the skill will begin to build on its own.

Now let's mix socializing with various skill builders and try to make it a bit fun.

Would your Sim like to improve their cooking skill?
Make a group serving meal (or take a group serving) to the park, or library or any other place where Sims gather around dinner time (6-7pm) in my game. Have your Sim share a meal with the townies, they will talk and interact. Full bellies makes for happy Sims. Afterwards, just say hello to whoever happens to be there. After dinner, maybe select a sim to play chess with or just talk to. A portable radio can turn dinner in the park into an unofficial party.

Speaking or radios. Take a portable radio to the park and have your Sim exercise (build athletic skill). Other Sims will come to join you in the workout or come over to dance to the music. If your Sim is dancing, they will begin to talk with you.

Add a fire pit to a community lot. In the evening, light the fire and have your Sim read a book (skill or relaxing), have an open flame dinner (up to 3 items on the roasting stick) and just wait. Sims will come to share your fire, roast marshmallows and socialize.

Is your Sim out and about in town running errands? Take a moment to greet Sims who may be going into or coming out of your shopping places. A quick greeting is all it takes to add them to the relationship panel.

On days when you can't get out or don't feel like seeing other Sims, call them on the phone. Or, chat with them over the PC. Sim phone calls are generally about a Sim hour long but you can tell them when to hang up. This helps to maintain and build their relationship.

On days when you have a lot to do at home, invite them over to hang out. You have no idea how many times on laundry day or house cleaning day I have had my Sims invite their friends over. I always provide food for them. Don't worry, your guests will always find a way to entertain themselves so you don't have to stand chatting every moment they are there. When my Sims take a break (from whatever they were doing), I would have them ask their friends to play catch, or a video game (or a couple rounds of chess) or watch TV and even dance. This builds the relationship and memories. Plus, you get to learn more about the Sim by just watching what they do.

Pack a meal and go over to a friends house for dinner. Sims do not consider it rude if you bring your meal to their house and have dinner. They only consider it rude if you try to make dinner from the food in their fridge. So, grab a salad and go get to know that Sim you've had your eye on in their surroundings.

Break up big tasks and turn them into more manageable pieces. Set aside days which are better suited to some tasks (I have a laundry day, for example).

Remember, there are many ways to do anything in this game from making simoleons to building relationships to planning a course to having it all. It just takes a little imagination ;).

When I play a single sim just starting out, I almost always make them self-employed rather than taking on a career. The hours are whatever you want them to be, the pay is actually better after a while, and some of the activities (painting, fishing, sculpting) increase fun, leaving one less need to worry about. That leaves plenty of time for romance and other socializing, and eventually enough of an income to buy what you want.

I also usually have my sim learn the first level of charisma and meet 25 other sims, even if they're not going to actively pursue the skill overall. Knowing 25 sims fulfills a skill challenge and grants a relationship boost to any sim they meet after, so I usually start by introducing my sim to others I don't need them to be friends with. I can usually complete the challenge in one Sunday afternoon, sending my sim back and forth across the plaza that contains the bookstore and grocery store—the game itself will send sims to visit whichever lot your own sim is on, and a few will show up on their own.

I agree with the above poster, self employee career is usually more fun and you'll get more free time with it

thanks for those tips...that's kind of how I played Sims4 before discovering cheats and mods, was kind of "points farming" the reward system so I could free a Sim from the daily needs struggle.

All I have is the basegame for Sims3, so only that one basic world, nothing additional. And it plays with an annoying flicker at the top of the screen, or I'd feel okay buying, even at the high price they still command, other Sims3 worlds and add-ons. But with flickering gameplay, I'm afraid to put any new money into it. But maybe I will go check out mods for Sims3, then.

Thanks again and I will check out your link.