I don't know who needs to hear this, but your save doesn't have to be "perfect".

One of the best decision I did was playing strictly "wants-based" in the Sims 2. For example, if there's no want to gain a skill point, then I will not instruct the Sim to gain the skill. I have a lot more Sims not maxing out their career or getting a 4.0 from university. Once I stopped being afraid of failure and making perfect Sims, the game became more enjoyable and filled with more diverse experiences.