If you're having trouble balancing business and pleasure, stick to these guidelines for managing your Sim.

Difficulty Level: Average      Time Required: As long as you want!

1. When creating your Sim, put lots of points in Outgoing and Active and no points in Neat. The first two help your relationships and energy. Neatness only wastes time since your Sim cleans up.
2. Start with the least expensive, open lot, or if in a brand new neighborhood, the lowest costing house.
3. Purchase the following household items in order: bed, toilet, sink, chair, waste basket, television, table, telephone, gas range, refrigerator, kitchen sink. These will meet your basic needs.
4. Try to have at least $200 left. Call for services and select "Maid". At $10 per hour, it is worth it. Also be prepared to order pizzas a lot until you can buy a gas range and refrigerator.
5. Find a job in the newspaper. Try to get a job in which you work normal hours. Otherwise, you'll be ready to socialize with other Sims when they're at work.
6. Your goals are to make and save a lot of money and to make a lot of friends. Friendships take the most time to development and, many times, you have the least control over it.
7. When building friendships, look at your relationship rating. Talk until 30 points, compliment until 50. Continue to try new activities: dance, flirt, and joke until 80. Always work towards 100.
8. In each career track, there will be one job that offers good pay and the least amount of hours to work. Use this as a setup job. Develop your skills and friendships to the max while milking this job level.
9. Time management is a key. Don't do activities alone that can easily be done with friends. Don't eat alone; serve dinner. Don't play pool alone; invite friends!
10. Always work towards career advancement quickly. Bonuses during the early career levels can really aid your standard of living.
11. A good way to plan your day is to: wake up, use the bathroom, eat a quick breakfast, pay any outstanding bills, and go to work.
12. The car that takes your Sim to the job will wait an hour. Use that time instead of immediately heading to work.
13. After work, immediately invite friends, then do something fast while waiting such as brushing teeth, drinking espresso, or going to the bathroom.
14. When you have $30,000+, move to a new house. Simply go to the Neighborhood screen and evict your Sim. Make a new, one-story house (going up and down steps takes time).
15. When you achieve the top of your career, you can enjoy your Sim's personal success by building a family! Work that final step to turn a love interest into a husband/wife.
    

1. Time management is a key. "Succeeding" at "The Sims" mainly involves using your time effectively.
2. Keep in mind these big time wasters: fish tanks, changing clothes, and cleaning/watering plants (easier to hire a maid/gardener).
3. $1000 cheat. If you need money fast, use the following keystroke: [CTRL], [ALT], [SHIFT]. and [C]. Then type klapaucius.