I might be in the minority but I don´t use cheats. I always start from the basics and Sims are naturally earning all their skills, resources and simeleons by their work. I also love challenges so most my saves are based on a challenge by me or others. My first step is to create a sim who has "backround story" and personality. Then I choose colorscheme for them and decorating style for their home. The skills almost all of my household/families get maxed by doing/reading about them are cooking, baking, knitting, gardening, flower arrangement, candle making, painting and handiness. I love cooking and food in the game so there always a sims with great cooking and baking talents in my all saves. Then the next step in most cases is starting a family and most of my sims have children. I like that they all are different and usually choose their personality traits different than the other sibling has. I usually choose color scheme for the babies too after they become toddler. choosing their favorite colors, activities, music etc. gives them more character and depth. I do have few saves with single sims but thats rare. I have a flower arranger who holds a gardening shop and a bakery owner who are singles. My favorite save is a rotational save where i have placed many Sims I created and they all have unique character and backstory. Their lives tie together in fun ways. Such as the gardener/flower arranger sells things to the bakery owner and they are friends etc.
