My sim's house isn't particularly big or fancy, I've stopped using the thermostat and rather have the sim dress according to weather (although it looks silly when they wear winter clothes inside), and she's got the frugal trait. My sim is a millionaire, but with bills claiming over 100K that won't last much longer. I'm considering having her move into a cheap apartment, at least the rent is a fixed price there.

Bills are like irl bills they are to challenge you to look at what you actually have in your collections and what upgrades you do to your home. If you have collections with rare items, the items may be adding a lot of value to your home. Bills cover electric, water, heating, cooling, and land taxes in Sims 4, as far as I know. You have expenses on food too as well as items that break down and need repaired. If you have a maid or a gardener, then you have bills for lot care. >.> It's like the real world. You have to think about what you have and what you are spending.

"reiureya;c-17261001" wrote:Bills are like irl bills they are to challenge you to look at what you actually have in your collections and what upgrades you do to your home. If you have collections with rare items, the items may be adding a lot of value to your home. Bills cover electric, water, heating, cooling, and land taxes in Sims 4, as far as I know. You have expenses on food too as well as items that break down and need repaired. If you have a maid or a gardener, then you have bills for lot care. >.> It's like the real world. You have to think about what you have and what you are spending.Glad it's not like that where I live or I'd be homeless. xD Well it turned out the household inventory was cluttered with stuff from previous homes (I wonder which part of "sell all furniture" the game didn't understand), got rid of them now, perhaps that'll help. Also I've moved to the haunted apartment in the spice district, looking forward to get monthly rent instead of half a million bills. xD

"MaggieMarley;c-17261009" wrote:I find it really annoying that you get huge bills if your sim owns expensive items. In real life, you could own a large collection of, say, very expensive paintings but the government wouldn’t raise your bills because of this.In real life, so long as your income was normal, your electricity/water/gas usage etc was not high and you don’t own a mansion, your bills would be a normal amount, regardless of whether or not you happened to own a painting worth millions (although of course you may choose to spend a lot on insurance).So I think that in the sims bills should be calculated on the basis of income and things like thermostat usage. Perhaps it should even include house size. But bills should not be raised on account of your sim owning a large number of expensive items.Yeah it just doesn't make any sense of me. It's not like I get bills for the things I own in real life (not that they're insanely expensive or anything), they're bought, paid for and done.

Bills in the sims4 are based on what you own, and not what you earn like it usually is irl. Which makes little sense to me, and it is also based on what your sims have in your inventory and your household inventory. So you can get huge bills just because you got a large TV when you got promoted at work, or because you have collected some items which you have in your sims inventory.I understand why they did it, because there is not that much difference in what you earn from your careers, and there are no taxes or loans in the game. Still, it makes me not want to build large houses for my sims.

"logion;c-17261020" wrote:Bills in the sims4 are based on what you own, and not what you earn like it usually is irl. Which makes little sense to me, and it is also based on what your sims have in your inventory and your household inventory. So you can get huge bills just because you got a large TV when you got promoted at work, or because you have collected some items which you have in your sims inventory.I understand why they did it, because there is not that much difference in what you earn from your careers, and there are no taxes or loans in the game. Still, it makes me not want to build large houses for my sims.Phone, power, heat etc. makes perfect sense, getting bills according to how fancy your TV is does not. It would if it was some kind of downpayment, but that's not the case, obviously. But I guess they had to find one way to punish your sims financially.

Seriously, what's the logic behind bills anyway?

53 Replies

invisiblgirl
6 years ago
"darrenfroggy;c-17261089" wrote:
"Stutum;c-17261067" wrote:
"darrenfroggy;c-17261058" wrote:
I've always figured two things: if you own expensive items, insurance for them is included in the bills (not government bills but still bills). And if you have too many items in the household inventory, it's a storage fee.

Sure, the bills don't make complete sense when compared to real life but I don't see it as that much of a big deal. Have a Sim do the Fabulously Wealthy aspiration and the deposit/interest pays for a big portion of the bills.

Unfortunately, the reward for completing the fabulously wealthy aspiration doesn't work anymore.

Huh. It works for me. I know it was wonky for a while but it started working again after one of the patches - I wanna say August but I'm not 100% sure.

My Sims just got their interest deposits, so yes, it still works.
Nielsern75
6 years ago
"darrenfroggy;c-17261089" wrote:
"Stutum;c-17261067" wrote:
"darrenfroggy;c-17261058" wrote:
I've always figured two things: if you own expensive items, insurance for them is included in the bills (not government bills but still bills). And if you have too many items in the household inventory, it's a storage fee.

Sure, the bills don't make complete sense when compared to real life but I don't see it as that much of a big deal. Have a Sim do the Fabulously Wealthy aspiration and the deposit/interest pays for a big portion of the bills.

Unfortunately, the reward for completing the fabulously wealthy aspiration doesn't work anymore.

Huh. It works for me. I know it was wonky for a while but it started working again after one of the patches - I wanna say August but I'm not 100% sure.

Guess it's just me then, it hasn't worked for me in a very long time. Oh well, doesn't matter, my sim is in an apartment now and pays 450 simoleons every time, sure beats 100K. xD
Netzspannung
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
"calaprfy;c-17261105" wrote:
I wondered why my sim's bills were sky high while living in a very small and cheap house. Then I realised my sim had 64 money trees in his inventory (don't ask me how). Sold them and well, the sim is obviously rich now but the bills came down.

What? I realize you said not to ask you, but for some reason that's all I care about right now. :D
telemwill
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
I have had problems with bills arriving while my Sim is on a community lot. The game will bill the Sim based on the value of the community lot. Perhaps it even adds the two lot values together; I'm not sure.

Then I get an outrageous bill that I just have to cheat the funds to pay.
simmyfroggy
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
"telemwill;c-17261166" wrote:
I have had problems with bills arriving while my Sim is on a community lot. The game will bill the Sim based on the value of the community lot. Perhaps it even adds the two lot values together; I'm not sure.

Then I get an outrageous bill that I just have to cheat the funds to pay.

Wow, that's weird. And something that you should probably report as a bug. (haven't seen that happen but then my Sims are generally hermits)
Sharooonia
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
I like having bills to pay. It would be a pretty unrealistic life simulation if life had no expenses. The only thing I don't like is how much of a difference the thermostat makes to bill amounts. My sims can rarely afford to use it.
Nielsern75
6 years ago
"Sharonia;c-17261201" wrote:
I like having bills to pay. It would be a pretty unrealistic life simulation if life had no expenses. The only thing I don't like is how much of a difference the thermostat makes to bill amounts. My sims can rarely afford to use it.

I don't mind expenses either, it's just no fun when they go from a bit stiff to insane.
RouenSims
Seasoned Ace
6 years ago
I have fun moving Sims with low-level or no jobs into a mansion and giving them only $1000 to start with. It's fun making them scramble to earn money quickly or sell their belongings in order to keep the lights on. I'm not cruel to my Sims, but I enjoy the challenge of paying those hefty bills. The teens learn responsibility (in my mind, not necessarily through the Parenthood pack) when they help earn the money.
Nielsern75
6 years ago
"Rouenpucelle;c-17261308" wrote:
I have fun moving Sims with low-level or no jobs into a mansion and giving them only $1000 to start with. It's fun making them scramble to earn money quickly or sell their belongings in order to keep the lights on. I'm not cruel to my Sims, but I enjoy the challenge of paying those hefty bills. The teens learn responsibility (in my mind, not necessarily through the Parenthood pack) when they help earn the money.

My sims would have to spend all their free time writing books to make those royalties pour in and hope it would be enough. xD
Wintermist
Rising Ace
6 years ago
Huh wait, so stuff you have in the inventory ALSO add to the bills?

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Seriously, what's the logic behind bills anyway?

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