Not so much of a hack, but I try to figure out pretty much exactly how long it'll take my sims to get ready for work in the morning and only get them up with exactly enough time to get ready so they don't go running off ruining their mood or wake up too early and then come home from work with all their needs in the red. Sims who have focused as the ideal mood are one of the easiest because if I overshoot the time I little, at least I can set them on the chess table.
Oh, also, I found bakeries to be a giant pain for very little payoff as a retail store. I was drawn in by the 'no checkout needed' from the fridge things, but it's actually way easier to make money if you're actually selling things. Clothes are the easiest because if you select "re-dress mannequin" instead of re-stock it only takes a few seconds.