Game guide:Earning simoleons

How To Earn Simoleons

Simoleons are the unit of currency in The Sims series games. A Sim family must have them in order to buy anything.

The usual way to earn Simoleons is to find a job- look in the paper or on the computer to begin earning. But what if a job just isn’t enough? What if children prevent parents from going to work? What if working just isn’t your Sims’ thing? When that happens, it’s time to look for other ways to get the money you need.

Creative Moneymakers

If your Sim is good in the creative field, perhaps they should become an artist or a novelist.

To become an artist, all you need is an easel. This is a good job because it raises your Sim's Fun meter, and builds Creativity or Painting skill while painting. Once a painting is completed, it can be sold. In The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, it can also be hung on the wall. If the painting is hung on the wall for a long time, it often goes up in value, and therefore can be sold for more money.

To become a novelist in The Sims 2, a Sim must have a computer - the cheapest computer sells for $1000. Then, your Sim can write a novel. This takes awhile, and the Fun meter will decrease while writing, but writing a novel builds Creativity. (The blue bar over the Sim's head shows progress in building Creativity, not in writing the novel.) Once completed, a novel can sell for between §1000 and §3000, depending on its quality.

In The Sims, if the woodworking or gargoyle carving bench is owned, a Sim can make garden gnomes or gargoyles (respectively), which can then be sold in buy mode. Early on, you will get little money (say §3-4 for your first creation). However, as the Sim works, his or her Mechanical skill will increase. The higher the Mechanical skill of the maker the more each gnome or gargoyle will be worth, to a maximum of §100 with a skill level of 10, and speed also increases. This does take a lot out of a Sim, especially comfort and energy early on, and social after a few days (since little time is left for socializing if most of the day is used on crafts) but a Sim with 10 mechanical can make §1000-1500 in one day.

In The Sims 2 Open for Business, items made on the workbenches can be sold off the bench, or in Buy mode.

Career Reward Objects

After unlocking the Culinary or Science career track rewards, a Sim may pursue a new job as a chocolatier or as a medicine manufacturer, respectively. But watch out- it is possible to contract a mysterious disease from the Simsanto Inc. Biotech Station.

Simoleons in the Outdoors

With the Seasons expansion pack, it is possible to become a gardener or a fisherman without ever leaving the home.

To become a gardener, one must either buy orchard trees (for between §1000 and §2000 each) or buy garden plots and plant seends in them. After raising and tending your plant/tree, the fruits or vegetables it bears can then be sold. But watch out- overspraying of a plant or tree could cause your Sim to become a PlantSim.

To become a fisherman, just put in a pond (it must be deep enough), click on it, and select Fish With Worm. As time progresses, your Sim will earn new talent badges, allowing them to catch bigger and better fish that earn more money.

BOOT- $15

LARGEMOUTH BASS- $33

JUMBO LARGEMOUTH BASS- $61

BLUE CATFISH- $49

JUMBO BLUE CATFISH- $124

RAINBOW TROUT- $87

JUMBO RAINBOW TROUT- $221

GOLDEN TROUT- $518

This may not seem like much money, but if a Sim spends time catching fish and earning Talent Badges, large amounts of money can be earned- I’ve earned $6795 in one day with one Sim before.

Cash In The Cosmos

Another way to earn money is by stargazing- if your Sim is lucky, he or she will find an undiscovered star and be awarded $500 by the Sim City Astronomy Club. But watch out- stargaze too long and you may get abducted, leading to unwanted alien pregnancies in any male Sim.

Note: This is possible with The Sims 2: FreeTime.

It is also possible with The Sims 2: Apartment Life.

Dollars For Dating?

After going on a great date or a Dream date with an NPC (not playable character), your Sim might get a present left by their door from their date-sometimes flowers, sometimes large items such as telescopes, pool tables, karaoke machines, or Electro Dance Spheres. These can be sold for big bucks.

Marrying a Rich Sim

This is just what it sounds like- rich Sims will bring plenty of money to the family.

Getting Dead Rich

After a Sim dies of old age, they often will leave behind money for their friends and relatives.

If You're Lucky

If your child Sim has straight As, his or her 'relatives' will give them $100

If your teen Sim has a high Body skill, they may make the football team while accidentally throwing a chair across the classroom (strange, but ok...?) and get some money from it

If you get robbed and the burglar is caught, you will get $500 for helping to catch him

Cheating

Hold down control, shift, and C at the same time to make the cheat window appear. Type in kaching for §1000 or motherlode for §50,000.((Vgversion|TS2}}{{Vgversion|TS3)) The Sims has no equivalent of motherlode, but rosebud will give §1000. In the original, unpatched version of The Sims, this cheat code was klapaucius.

Disclaimer

Originally written by Katxopixie