Success in The Sims 4 relies on simoleons in a sim's funds. Every sim requires funds in order to live in shelter, look after their needs, and to live to see another day of play. With new Sims DLC content being released by EA this summer, there is a growing number of ways to make ends meet in the game.
Some methods of making money in The Sims 4 are quicker and easier than others. Many methods can be performed at home, and can generate more simoleons than a whole day of work at a sim's job. These are often hidden away in hobbies or recreational activities where many players may not think to look.
The Wishing Well
The wishing well is an item that comes with the Romantic Garden stuff pack, and if a sim plays their cards right, the build item can give big cash payouts. Should the sim come across a well, they can choose the "wish for the simoleons" option, and can receive up to hundreds of thousands in return. Players can also ask the well to help sims cheat death by granting eternal life, or wish for love and potentially gain a partner.
Be warned, however, that the well has a bit of a temper. The well, if in a bad mood, may take all of a sim's funds, or even decide to kill the sim. Gamers can increase their chances of success by bribing the well with simoleons, so getting rich in this way requires spending money to make money.
Submitting Knowledge
The research machine is a hidden Sims secret most players won't discover due to its niche use. This item is only available through the University expansion pack and can be found at the university libraries. If a sim has a high research and debate skill, they can submit knowledge of the skill or certain other skills (e.g, cooking) to the machine in exchange for hundreds of simoleons.
While profitable, this method requires players to have a lot of preexisting skills in order to earn money. This takes time to accumulate. Additionally, Simmers can only use the machine for a short time. Using the machine while dazed from its use will cause the sim to die instantly.
Dust Bunnies
If players have the Bust The Dust kit, they can turn dust into cash. When a home gets dusty enough, it will develop dust bunnies. Rather than vacuuming them away, having a good relationship with the bunnies can allow people the option of asking the bunnies to search for valuables, which can then be sold for simoleons.
Simmers have found that these bunnies rake in thousands in valuables, although in recent patch updates this amount has gone down somewhat. Additionally, having a dusty enough home to have lots of dust bunnies will make the player's home filthy and make the sim deeply uncomfortable and give them many negative moodlets. This method of getting rich involves exchanging comfort for cash.
Dumpster Diving
If anyone is looking for a greener way to earn some money, try the dumpsters that come with The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle expansion pack. Players can click on any local dumpster and choose the option to go dumpster diving. Many top Sims YouTubers have made dumpster diving challenge videos, and for good reason - the lottery of what a sim might find makes for an entertaining watch. Gamers can find various materials and goods in the dumpsters, even furniture worth potentially thousands of simoleons.
As it is a gamble, a sim may not get rich easily from this method. Many of the furniture found in the bins is burnt and cannot be sold for simoleons. It is a trial-and-error method of earning money, and it is not a straight path toward making money in the game.
Programming
Who said being on the computer all day was a waste of time? When a sim passes level 2 of the programming skill, they can use their computer skills to hack into servers, even local sims like Don Lothario. Players can earn hundreds of simoleons per hack, and even more as programming skill develops.
The issue with this method is that it is time-consuming to build the skill. Additionally, there is a cool-down period of 24 hours between certain server hackings. While it can offer a lot of simoleons, there is a lot of waiting in between and it may be more of a lucrative hobby rather than a way of earning a livelihood.
Ask Other Sims for Money
Why spend a long time working to earn simoleons when someone else can do it? When a sim has a high charisma skill, they unlock the option when interacting with other sims to "ask for a small/large loan". Players can earn a few hundred, even thousand, simoleons from this single interaction.
The good news is that a sim doesn't have to pay back loans unless they want to - other sims don't ask for their money back. The problem is that players need a high level of charisma to unlock this interaction, and this takes a long time to earn, both through practice and interactions with other sims.
Become a Black Widow
Who said earning simoleons has to be ethical? Should players want to engage in a darker style of gameplay, they can get their sim to marry wealthy sims, take their funds, and when it's time to move on, "accidentally" help the spouse sim meet the Grim Reaper.
This is a good way to earn money quickly in The Sims without cheat codes, as anyone can earn tens, or even hundreds of thousands, of simoleons with relatively little effort. However, quite a bit of effort needs to be put in to flirt with other sims and convince them to get married. This more morbid style of gameplay also only appeals to certain gamers rather an all Sims players.
Playing an Instrument
There are many musical instruments available in The Sims 4, including piano, guitar, and violin. Once a sim practices enough and builds their skill, they can play in public spaces in the game and get generous simoleon tips from other sims passing by.
Even better, sims with a high skill level can write songs with their instrument and submit them via the mailbox to earn royalties. This method can result in getting enough generous tips to earn more money than a day at work, but a lot of time needs to be put in to build the sim's skills to a high level. Sims are also reliant on playing in a good location at a good time, with lots of sims willing to tip.
Painting
Sometimes the old, classic methods are the best. The painting easel available in the base game has long been a popular method of getting rich, as the painting skill builds up quickly. Sims can soon rack up thousands of simoleons per painting as their skill develops, earning even more if they paint a treasured "masterpiece" level painting.
The main drawback of this method is that starting a painting costs around 50-100 simoleons, which is not great if players are already low on funds. Sometimes, a low-skilled painting does not turn a profit, but practice makes perfect and riches will quickly be made.
Go Foraging
When looking to get rich, the answer may have been in front of players this whole time. Most Sims residential worlds have items outside that everyone can forage around for. In doing this, players can pick up these items and add them to inventory, which can then be sold for simoleons - the amount depending on how rare the item is.
These items include, but are not limited to, frogs, fish from fishing in local lakes, and wild plants. Certain packs, such as the Country Living expansion pack, offer extra, as well as valuable items for a sim to collect, such as mushrooms. It is easy for any sim to rack up thousands of simoleons in a good outdoor area, and it can be completed in very little time compared to most hobbies or careers in the game.