Storytelling players: Do you ever use cheats to set up your stories?

Absolutely, especially freerealestate. I use less money cheats now than when I started and only if I really need to, but otherwise I cheat most of the time. At the start of a save I might give my sims some skill points if the story calls for it and I fix their relationships for them. Plus I usually end up maxing out their needs a few times.