I'm all over the place personally about using cheats. It might be because of the word cheat even. I'll motherlode to death if I want to start a story about a rich sim with no qualms. When it comes to getting sims traits that they didn't earn I seem to balk at that though. Thing is I'll have a story in my head about someone already accomplished at something but I take that path anyway about them learning or earning it which can be tedious if I've done it over and over. Not sure why it's so hard for me to just cheat it in then move on.
I do hate to look the cheats up too.. I like it when they build it into the game like they did for fame.