Sims 4 DLC are too expensive

If you can't pay for Sims, then you can't pay for Battlefield or Silksong either. You can check out the sales, the EPs are frequently 50% off, and bundles also seem like a good offer. I also hear that Instant Gaming website has very good prices for Sim packs, better than on the EA website.

Speaking as a person who owns everything from Sims 1 onward I think I can weigh in on this. If you would like a suggestion on packs that would be good just as basics I'll give you a few suggestions. 

Basics Beyond Base 

• Cats & Dogs 
• Discover University
• Get To Work
  • Pros - Added the Baking Skill 
  • Cons 
    • Added Baking but never, ever updated it
      • Left obvious Baking recipes in Cooking 
      • Made it a pain in the B**t to find specific recipes between the two 
    • a bit limited in its scope, kept most thing vague, added nothing new over the years and then had to create a whole new pack to Update it 
  • Complimentary Packs 
    • Dining Out 
      • Cozy Bistro Kit 
      • Cool Kitchen Stuff
      • Home Chef Hustle 
• Get Together 
• Laundry Day 
• Seasons 
  • Complimentary Packs  
    • Spooky Stuff Pack 
    • Paranormal Stuff 
    • Holiday Stuff Pack - I think was free 
• Spa Day

If You Like the Occults 

• Life & Death
  • Pros
    • Funerals 
    • Improvements to Ghosts 
  • Cons 
    • The Raven isn't much of a Pet 
    • The Bell tower is a Rabbit Hole and not very interesting to mess with more than once 
      • Missed Opportunity for Bell Ringing Activities 
    • No new Community Lot Designations for 
      • Purchasing coffins and making a will in a town square feels super disrespectful considering 
    • They should have added a Graveyard in the Vampires Town at least 
• Paranormal Stuff - Yes I listed it twice. It's Pretty Good
• Vampires 
• Werewolves

If You Like Travel 

• Snowy Escape
  • Pros
    • Has Japanese Culture 
    • Skiing & Winter Sports 
  • Cons 
    • Not Enough Japanese Culture 
    • Winter Sports would have been better in a European setting dedicated to these activities  like San Moritz
    • Missed opportunities 
      • Ski Chalets
      • Apre Skis Parties 
• Outdoor Retreat 
• Island Retreat 
• Horse Ranch - If you really want Horses, otherwise without an open world it really wasn't that interesting. 

Packs you could entirely skip without really missing anything 

• Eco Lifestyle 
• For Rent 
• Strangerville 
• Dream Home Decorator 
• Star Wars Journey to Batuu
• Moshino 
• Perfect Patio
• Most of the Kits unless it has things you are keen on 
  • Modern Menswear is NOT good 
  • Carnaval also not great 
• Lovestruck 

welcome to The Sims 4 is all I can say.

On another note. Buying it all is not worth it, at all. You need to be selective or you end up with things that makes your experience worse than just owning base game (in my humble opinion).