There is a lot to do in The Sims 2, considering that there are various expansions that have added new activities to the game. However, sticking to your roots and maintaining your basic needs will take the most priority. If your Sims have trouble managing their income, that’s all the more reason to stick to the essential things first in the game.
As a beginner, it’s also essential to familiarize yourself with the complex mechanics of the game before taking on too much. The game also has some pre-build families and lots which include all the basic items to get started. As you progress, you can expand your businesses, get more pets, buy more fun things and do a lot more in the game freely without worrying about income.
The starting homes in The Sims 2 come heavily furnished. You don’t even need a lot of furniture, so if you are going broke, you can sell extra stuff that you do not use to make money quickly. Your Sim needs enough food, hygiene, and comfort to thrive, so getting rid of things you don’t need will improve your well-being in the long term.
If you are in urgent need of cash, you can sacrifice the environmental needs of the Sim to fulfill other essential needs. You can always spend on additional luxury once you get financially stable. However, the money in your hand may fluctuate, so selling extra furniture can help you if your businesses are failing.
Deleting a few items may reduce the environmental ratings, so make sure to keep a balance.
Complete Your Aspirations
Each Sim has a different personality based on the aspirations you selected for them. To make sure they feel content and happier, you should focus on their aspiration goals. Focus on meeting their desires as much as you can while avoiding their fears.
Following an aspiration path will also keep your daily tasks more streamlined, making you feel less lost about your next goals. Completing Aspirations also comes with unique awards that can make your gameplay less tedious. You also gain some influence points, which you can use to force other Sims to do your bidding.
Utilize Items In Public Lots
You can’t afford a lot of hobby items if you have just spent a fortune on buying a new house. But there is nothing stopping you from placing some community lots in your Neighborhood. It doesn’t cost you any cash, and you get many helpful facilities to improve your Sims’ lives.
You will get to meet many new people and animals if you hang out in public places often. We recommend visiting places related to your Sims’ hobbies as you can partake in activities related to them. This is also your chance to get to know Sims with better Chemistry with you. If your home appliances need repairing or replacement for any reason, you can try the ones here.
Don’t Get Too Many Pets
Pets are harder to take care of since, unlike humans, you cannot control them. This makes it much harder to take care of their needs, as they will behave totally based on their instincts. There are many factors that you need to consider while caring for them, and the fewer you get at the start, the easier it will be for you.
The first thing you need to immediately worry about is their training to condition positive behaviors from them. You really don’t want them sullying your floors and doing other mischievous behavior. Arranging separate beds, food bowls, and litter boxes for all of them will also cost a lot, so fewer pets at the start will not put much burden on your budget.
Monitor Your Needs
Your Sim will take care of their needs throughout the day automatically for the most part. However, they may neglect hygiene and eating habits, so make sure not to give them too many tasks that they might prioritize over essential tasks. You will also often find Sims engaged in tasks that you may need to cancel to manage their needs in case of emergency.
You should keep a check on their needs bar thoroughly to make sure they function well throughout the day. Avoid making them overwork and take a break by moving outside to fulfill your social and fun needs. You need basic items to manage your need,s such as a bed, shower, toilet, and fridge. We recommend getting stuff with the best comfort and environment ratings for your Sim’s better mood.
Fast-forwarding through the game is a convenient feature, but it also leaves your Sims unattended. Do not use it that much, especially when your Sim’s needs are fluctuating.
Start With Existing Families In A Neighborhood
A Neighborhood has some existing families that are living their everyday lives pretty much comfortably. We recommend controlling any of them if you are just starting the game out. This will help you familiarize yourself with game mechanics as you observe their daily activities.
That said, you will still be controlling them a lot. Use their established standing to focus on making new relationships and help them achieve their goals. Most of them will already have jobs, which also saves you the trouble of looking for a good job for them. If there are kids in the house, they will also attend school regularly. You will also have every item you need in a pre-built house to take care of them.
Maximize Your Skills
Your Sim needs some skills to achieve their goals in their preferred career. There are also some essential ones that every Sim should level up so they can handle more tasks on their own. You can make some basic meals without much trouble, however, you will have accidents in the kitchen if you try to cook an advanced meal that needs higher skill.
Similarly, if you want to go for a specialized career path, you need to increase your Creativity to become a celebrity. For jobs that require high intelligence, such as the Medicine career, you need high Logic. It’s better to focus on one skill at a time to make sure not to overwork your Sims.
We recommend reading books. They will give you more information related to daily tasks, making them easier.
Stay In An Apartment
Buying a house will cost your Sims a lot, and in most cases, it will leave them broke unless they belong to a richer family. It’s better to rent houses at the start of the game, as they cost way less than owning a home. Since you haven’t splurged all your savings, you can invest in other fun things for your Sims.
There are a few benefits to staying in an apartment, and one of the major ones is that you get to be more social with your neighbors. As they are residing in the same building, you will run into them in common areas such as the pools more often. Your landlord will also invite you to parties which you can attend to make important connections. You can also try networking with other people or your landlord to decrease the rent of your lodgings.
You should get a job as soon as you can. We don’t recommend renting a house in the long term, as paying the rent every week will end up costing more than a house if you stay there for a year. Keep saving your cash and then purchase a house anytime when you feel confident to do so. You can use your courtyard freely in your own house.
