How To Make Money (Without Resorting To Cheats)

Summary

• Harvest and sell crops for a decent payout from gardening.
• Sell high-quality photos to earn profit through photography.
• Take part in gaming tournaments for a chance to win cash prizes.

In order to get anything done in The Sims 4, players will have to find one way or another for their household to make some money. Usually, the quickest and best way to do so is to actually get a job, but if that’s not an option or simply sounds boring, there are luckily many other ways to become rich that don’t involve typing in cheats.

While some of these money-making methods require the player to already own a few items of their own, such as an oven or a woodworking table, some of them don’t need any preparation. Ideal for challenges, there are many ways to make money in the game without resorting to cheats. Not only does this feel legitimate, but it also doesn’t take away from the immersion that players normally want to experience while playing The Sims 4.

Updated on February 1, 2025, by Stephanie Harris: Just like in real life, Sims need money to sustain their lifestyles and pursue their goals in The Sims 4. Thankfully, there are many ways for players to make money and expand their Sim’s wealth without resorting to cheats, with methods ranging from conventional to downright weird. While some methods require specific DLCs, there are still plenty of ways a Sim can make a living in the base game. This list has now been updated with new money-making opportunities The Sims 4 players can explore to have a steady income.

22

Sell Essences

Make Profit From Time Spent With Ghosts

For players who are following the Ghost Mastery skill tree in the Sims 4, which is unlocked with the DLC Life and Death, there’s always the opportunity to make some extra simoleons using Essences. The Life and Death expansion put ghosts on par with other occult creatures in the sims, like vampires and werewolves, and enabled a lot of new skills to explore.

Occasionally, while expanding the Ghost Mastery skill, players will gather Fear and Goodwill Essences, which are obtained by completing either Evil or Good abilities in the skill tree. Once obtained, Essences appear automatically in the inventory and can be sold to the Mysterious Merchant, located in Ravenwood. This is certainly not the most profitable money-making exercise in the Sims 4, but it does offer a neat benefit while exploring the Life and Death expansion pack.

21

Look For Seashells

Going To The Beach Can Become A Money-Making Endeavor

Going to the beach is a great way for any Sim to spend the day. Listening to the calming noise of the sea as Sims explore these locations either alone or with a loved one makes for a great time. If players want to turn their excursion into a profitable use of time, then there’s an easy way to do the same.

Players can ask a Sim to find seashells of varying sizes and values. If players are lucky, then a Sim from their household can find a rare shell that can be sold for a pretty penny.

20

Indulge In A Bit Of Archeology

Certain Relics And Artifacts Can Sell For A Ton Of Simoleons

Archaeology is an avenue that players can focus on in The Sims 4 if earning money is paramount. Certain Sims who don’t mind going on an adventure can be tasked with exploring ancient structures to uncover the wealth of treasures that lay within.

Going on these adventures isn’t without its risks, but players who want to experience this content for themselves will be rewarded with their fair share of spoils. Some relics can sell for a ton, flooding a Sim’s account with Simoleons in no time.

19

Attend The Romance Festival

Harvest Dragonfruit And Sell It For A Quick Buck

The Romance Festival is one of the many events that takes place in the world of The Sims 4 time and time again. Single Sims can head to this festival and try to woo someone, while couples can enjoy the festivities together and make some fond memories along the way. However, Sims who are struggling to get some funds can also head to this Festival for one great reason.

They can harvest the plants here to get a Dragonfruit that can be sown in their household and slowly multiplied over time. Selling these Dragonfruits allows players to amass a ton of money in no time at all, making it a simple and great way to earn some cash if a Sim is averse to a regular job or hard work.

18

Marry Into Money

Joining A Family With A Lot Of Cash Is An Easy Way To Live The Good Life

Marriage is a core aspect of The Sims 4‘s gameplay that allows players to form an everlasting bond with a loved one. Given how the act of creating a huge and diverse family is one of the core aspects of this title’s gameplay, it’s easy to see why most players would want to marry off their Sim and start a family as soon as possible.

However, there are many other benefits that players can enjoy from the union of marriage too. For starters, Sims who lack any funds can woo their partner and get married to pool in their cash. Suffice it to say, players will love securing the bag with a single union, although being a gold digger may not be the aspiration that most people would want their Sims to have.

17

Plant A Money Tree

A Simple, Easy Way To Regularly Harvest Simoleons

With the advent of The Sims 4: Seasons, the popular Money Tree made its way back into the game once again. With enough Aspiration Points, Sims can harvest and grow a Money Tree that sprouts golden leaves after a week to give players a lot of money. Ideally, players should try and take as good care of this plant as possible so that the returns are higher.

The plant doesn’t bear any fruit either, meaning that players will have to spend quite a few Aspiration Points if they want a truckload of Money Trees to help them enjoy an endless source of financing without having to do a regular 8-hour job. It’s a simple and great way for Sims to amass a fortune without having to rely on cheats!

16

Become A Farmer

The Cottage Living Expansion Pack Lets Sims Earn Money As A Farmer

Thanks to Cottage Living, it’s not possible to take the idea of living off the land to the extreme. Players can begin their farming journey in Henford-on-Bagley’s picturesque little farming community. There are a ton of new activities players can do to earn simoleons in The Sims 4, from growing bigger crops to making jam.

And of course, players can raise their own animals, such as chickens, llamas, and cows, which will all give back a bit of produce for a Sim to sell at a market stand in town. Better yet, wait for the regular Finchwick Fair to get a boost to all selling prices.

15

Freelance, Part-Time, And Odd Jobs

A Flexible Way For Sims To Occupy Themselves And Earn Money

If there’s one thing The Sims 4 has done right, then it’s introducing alternative and more flexible jobs that reflect the reality of the modern world. Not everyone works a nine-to-five office job, and Sims can now also work different types and kinds of shifts to make money.

It’s possible to become a freelance worker and do small tasks here and there for a bit of money. Part-time jobs allow for more free time and flexibility, with traditional examples including barista, fast food worker, or babysitter. Odd jobs provide an even larger variety of gig-like activities. The bottom line is, there’s something for every Sim out there.

14

Ask For Money

Sims With High Charisma Can Ask For Small Or Big Loans From Their Friends

Why work hard when Sims can simply ask for money? Those with high enough Charisma skill can just walk over to a Sim and ask them for a loan. At Level 7 of Charisma, Sims can ask others for a small loan, and at Level 9 they can ask for a large loan.

As with all loans, they usually need to be paid back, but the player never has to if they don’t want to. It’s the ultimate way to mooch off of other Sims in the neighborhood.

13

Sell Books

Pursue This Alongside The Writing Career

While Sims are busy pursuing a writing career in Sims 4, writing books goes hand in hand and offers extra cash that can be built up over time. Upon reaching level 5 of the Writing skill, sims can sell books they’ve written to publishers. This is easy to do and just requires a computer.

There are two branches of the traditional writing career in Sims 4, the Author Branch and the Journalist Branch. Both sides offer a fixed salary that depends on the level of the Sim. Meanwhile, writing books allows the sim to gain additional royalties every day from books published outside of work. As with other career paths in the game, the higher the level achieved in the Writing Skill, the more money sims are likely to make from their published books.

12

Selling Photographs

Capture High-Quality Photos And Sell Them For Profit

Not every photo captured in The Sims 4 will sell for a high price, but players can train a Sim to take high-quality photos. The better the picture quality of a photo, the more money it sells for. To click better-quality photographs, players need to level up their photography skills. At level five of the photography skill, players will be able to take better photos that sell for a decent price.

While players can start taking photos with their Sim’s phone, using a dedicated Camera will produce higher-quality images. For those who have the Moschino Stuff pack, purchasing a Tripod will be an excellent idea, since all pictures taken with a tripod will always be of Outstanding quality and sell for a higher price.

Once they have a ton of high-quality photographs, players can sell them by dragging the photos from inventory to the sell box. Besides this, they can list the photos on Plopsy for a stated fee and wait for good offers. It’s also possible to work as a freelance photographer and get some high-paying gigs.

11

Work A Traditional Career

The Easiest And Most Reliable Way To Earn A Living

The obvious way to make money in The Sims 4 is to find a proper job and stick with it. However, The Sims 4 has introduced a few additional features to these full-time jobs to gamify them a bit more. For one, there are active careers that let players follow their Sim to their workplace and perform small tasks throughout the day for maximum immersion. There’s also the Interior Decorator Career, which is between a gig-type job and an active career.

Sims who have been to university and have a degree in a related field can also begin a career at a higher level, with slightly higher pay. This also goes for Sims who are famous enough to get random phone calls from NPCs begging for them to take a job opportunity.

10

A DIY Style Hobby

A Simple Way To Earn Some Cash

For households that already have a little bit of cash in their bank account, they can simply invest that money to get their hands on special objects that can be used to craft items, which are then sold. This includes objects like the woodworking table, flower arranging table, and even newer ones like the fabricator from Eco Lifestyle or the candle maker.

The knitting basket from the Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack is also great for making a few extra coins, and so is the Cupcake Factory machine, which will eventually allow players to sell those cupcakes to a local bakery. Even better, if the player has quite a bit of money, they can start a full-on retail store where they can sell their creations, or even open a restaurant to flaunt their cooking skills.

9

Get Lucky

Participate In Competitions And Take Part In The Lottery From Time To Time

Sometimes, players don’t even have to do anything to have cash drop into their account out of seemingly nowhere. The various festivals in City Living include some fun competitions and games that give participants cash prizes or rewards that can be sold afterward.

Alternatively, if the player really wants to test their luck, they can play the lottery when it rolls around in the Seasons expansion. Sims have been known to earn up to a million simoleons, which can set them for life. Moreover, those with the Wishing Well in their game can try to ask for more money if they’re feeling particularly lucky.

8

Flea Markets

A Great Place To Sell Possessions That A Sim Doesn’t Need Anymore

Players with the City Living expansion should look forward to one particular festival, which is known as the Flea Market. Not only will it feature a ton of townies coming over to sell their items and objects for a good price, but the player can also set up some of their things to sell.

This is a great chance to sell any unwanted objects or collectibles, as well as any surplus furniture, without actually investing in a retail store. The only downside is that the player needs to wait until the flea market is in town to start selling.

7

Start Performing

Busking Is An Easy Way To Get Some Moolah

Musical geniuses are in luck because starting an improvised performance is a perfectly valid way to make money in The Sims 4 in just a few seconds. The only thing that’s required is a musical instrument, such as a guitar or a violin. Some museums will also feature a violin for free, which lets Sims practice the skill.

If that sounds like too much of an investment, Sims can also sing anywhere. The Practice Singing interaction attracts any nearby townies, and even if the Sim is bad at what they’re doing they might still give a few Simoleons out of pity. However, with higher skills, the rewards are better too.

6

Enter Gaming Tournaments

Available On Any Computer

This is an easy way of making money on a casual basis using only the base game. Sims only need a basic computer, on which they must develop their Video Gaming skill. As Sims progress in the Video Gaming skill, new tournament opportunities will become available. Sims with the Genius and Geek traits can be especially good at progressing along this skill path. Programming and Computer Programming are two other skills that synergize well with high-level Video Gaming abilities.

Tournaments can be extremely lucrative, even with low-level games. For example, first place in a Blicblock Tournament wins a prize of 450 simoleons. With increased skill levels come better games and much better offerings for winning tournaments, with the highest prize available being 4995 simoleons. With that kind of money on offer, pursuing a gaming career is definitely worthwhile in Sims 4.

5

Steal

An Illicit Yet Effective Way To Earn Some Cash

If any kind of honest work sounds like the worst time ever, rest assured there are a few ways to make money without doing any real work at all. The only requirement here is that the Sim has a specific trait given to them in CAS, otherwise, it will be impossible to do this.

Give them the Kleptomaniac trait, which will allow them to swipe just about any object they see. Be careful, however, since getting caught will give them the Embarrassed moodlet and prevent them from swiping again any time soon. Similarly, if they succeed in swiping, they need to wait for the adrenaline rush to end before they can do it again. The items can then be sold easily through the inventory.

When a Sim is still developing their thieving skills, they can only steal smaller objects. However, once they fully master the Kleptomaniac trait, they can steal more valuable items that sell for higher prices.

4

Harvest And Garden

Players Can Sell Their Crops For A Decent Payout

One of the favorite ways many Simmers make serious cash in the game is through gardening and harvesting plants. In the beginning, if a household can’t afford to buy anything, just looking around in the nearby area will usually reveal some plants and trees that might be in season and carrying some fruit or flowers. These can be harvested and sold.

Eventually, Sims can set up their garden, where they can cultivate whatever plants and vegetables they want. With higher skills comes better quality crops, which also increases the amount of money the player can make.

3

Dig Collectibles

Sims Can Find Valuables That Can Be Sold For A Decent Amount

For those playing a particularly grueling challenge that prevents their Sims from getting a real job, the easiest and most immediate way to make any money in The Sims 4 is to check the surrounding areas for any sort of rocks that can be broken for gemstones and crystals. Some of the rare ones sell for a really good price. While rocks and dirt mounds can be found scattered throughout the world, the park in Oasis Springs is a good place to start.

Players will also find tiny mounds on the ground which can be dug, and treasure maps that can be used to hunt down treasure. Time capsules will usually carry collectible statues, which, when sold fetch a decent price. Some critters, like frogs, can also be caught and sold.