Creative ways your sims have gotten around being poor

I never place any furniture until sims can afford it...some of my fondest memories are playing one of the challenges that have you start with absolutely 0, and my sim had to nap on park benches. Snarking food that other people don't finish eating near food carts is a thing too.

I've done a few rags to riches before where my sims had nothing at all. Like you, I've had them loiter around parks to find left over meals and to use the facilities in gyms. Once they have enough saved up, I'd get them a tent and a cooler, gradually expanding to a little house the more they saved up. I've mostly had my sims start on gardening to earn some money, or go around to find collectibles or go fishing. Last time I did this though I didn't have seasons yet, so it would be interesting to try this again.

My poorest sims absolutely hot rack -- the process of using a single bed and sleeping in shifts -- as well as showering at the gym. They will also mooch off of the people cooking out in Newcrest, and the Spice Festival is gold for a free meal. They will also set up a camp site on an empty lot instead of building a house.

Libraries are also gold for computer needs, and the occasional easel set up around Windenburg lets them develop their painting skills for extra cash. Karaoke contests can provide a boost in simoleons.

I also start with the very bare minimum of furniture, meaning one item only for each need if an item is needed at all. That means no windows either and everything is open-plan (except the bathroom) so you use as few walls as possible.

• Take turns sleeping, everybody else has to nap on a bench if they also need to sleep
  
• Use everything you can from public places, such as the BBQs at Newcrest for a meal (but make sure someone else cooked it first)
  
• If there are children and they bring a school project home, sell it (it's worth 80 simoleans when it's complete)
  
• Have children rummage through public bins to find all sorts of toys and sell them (keep one for the kid though, it's bad enough being poor)
  
• Kick over trash cans and rummage for parts to sell. Then clean it up, kick it over again and repeat
  
• Go to work or school hungry, they'll eat there
  

The humour and hijinks festival is a pretty easy one to win if you go in a group and do mischief interactions all night. Each person then gets a voodoo doll which is worth about 900 simoleons and fireworks. Sell all of those and find any posters and snowglobes in the city and you've got a pretty profitable night.

The last time I had a really poor sim, I didn't have tents yet, but I want to try a rags to riches now especially because I also have seasons.

"Stormkeep;c-16869756" wrote:
my sim had to nap on park benches.

I forgot about this! I've done that also. It's funny because we would never get away with these in real life.

"astera00;c-16869833" wrote:

• Go to work or school hungry, they'll eat there
  

I do this also. I was really drawing a blank when I made the original post.
I also send them to work or school hungry when they mess around all morning and miss their chance to eat. That's what you get for not eating on time.

make friends and ask for a big loan lol

I've done a lot of the above. And also fished until I snagged a violin, then played for tips. You don't get nearly as much as in the Sims 3, but in conjunction with everything listed above you can make a little bit of money.

Freeload off your sim’s significant other. Problem solved. :)

Sometimes I've bought everything from the flea market just to resell it all. You generally make a profit from doing so.

@hyrulerose I figured that out just recently in my game as well. It's brilliant!