***I know a lot of people diss the Cats & Dogs pack, but I think it's invaluable. I put two cats in every household I create; since I can pick their traits, I pick the ones that make owning a pet a pleasant experience. Sim cats allow my Sims to fill their social need by talking to them. When a Sim gets a good relationship with the cats, they can pet them & hug them, then reap 250 reward points! 500 reward points without achieving much beyond petting 2 cats. (To me, this is awesome and it's not even a cheat!) The Sims build their reward points quickly and can "buy their way out of" the annoying needs to constantly pee, eat, etc.
***Keeping expensive stuff in a Sims inventory will increase weekly bills A LOT. If you find or create high-value items like paintings, for instance. Don't keep them in the sim's inventory.
***The best way to get it out of inventory is to sell it or hang it in your Sim's house.
***I like to buy one of the storage chests available in build/buy to allow my Sims to keep collectibles in them.
***Bills are much higher in Sims 4, even after you "buy" the reward traits of frugality et. al.
***If you owned a lot of Sims 3 stuff, check in build/buy for some special table lamps. You might have gotten some included for free that you can buy, and they're not too expensive! They will help boost your Sim's emotional state in a given direction like "Focused." Later in the game, your Sim will be able to create paintings that will boost moods, but the lamps are a non-cheat way, early in the game, to get your Sim "Inspired" while painting or cooking, for instance. These skills increase faster while your Sim is Inspired. Computer and Science skills build faster when "Focused," etc.
***Don't forget about those earbuds. Check 'em out!
***If your Sim becomes "Very Playful," be careful. It's possible for them to die Laughing. Literally. I recommend that you hit "save" whenever you see a Sim in that mood, so if they die, you can go back to the save and change the circumstances.
***SAVE your game before making major Sim Life decisions like getting married or having a kid. Sometimes you will be very grateful, after you play a new scenario, to be able to UNDO it if you hate playing it.
***I have one Sim who started the game as an heiress (motherlode!) from the base pack. As each new pack comes out. She's easy as heck to play. but the advantage of playing her as immortal is that she can easily find out what the benefits of a given job are, and whether it's worth having my other Sims do it. She's my test-Sim for how the fame system works, finding fishing spots, etc. I can
***I absolutely love to play an active Scientist from the Get to Work pack. What a Sim "discovers," like the Sim Ray, they are allowed to keep. The cloning machine will allow your Sim to replicate endless potions and many collectibles.
And a gazillion other things... Happy Simming. :)
