I use them to fix bugs or glitches and I don't consider that cheating.
I also use them to build but again, I don't think it's cheating to unlock items I should have had access to anyways. Something like a different skinned easel shouldn't be locked by arbitrary game play. (Just my opinion).
I'll also use the free real estate and sometimes the odd skill cheats when setting up a new neighbourhood. I don't see this as cheating either since Maxis would do exactly that when building and placing the Goths, for example. I normally don't play with the sims I've added this way though, they're just there to be townies and the odd one might marry into my family, but again, I don't see the difference between myself doing that or Maxis adding the Goths, Pancakes or Landgraabs.