Stories have always been an integral part of the human experience. Through stories, a listener's experience is validated, and sometimes they learn a lesson or two. Today, the story tradition continues on television. Audiences love to see their stories represented on TV because it validates their lives. One of TV's most popular sitcoms, The Simpsons, became exceedingly popular because it connected to the everyday viewer.
Aside from most characters in Springfield apparently suffering from severe jaundice, most viewers can relate to the everyday stories of family life, job woes, and relationship drama represented on the show. One of the most poignant storylines in the show is the family's money problems. A working-class family, Homer has been forced to make additional funds in any way he can.
The Prohibition
Bart accidentally gets drunk on St. Patricks' Day, so Mrs. Lovejoy and her gang of concerned mothers complain to Mayor Quimby. It turns out that Springfield still has a centuries-old Prohibition Law, resigning Quimby and Chief Wiggum to enforce it. When new Detective, Rex Banner, is called to replace corrupt Chief Wiggum, Fat Tony gives up bootlegging to sell heroin, and Homer takes his place.
With Bart's help, he begins his trade by reselling kegs of beer thrown away at the city dump. When that runs out, he makes his own alcohol in the garage, causing his stills to explode from time to time. This would not be the only time Homer puts his and his family's life at risk to make money.
"A Fridge Too Far"
Homer doesn't want to be at work anymore. Mr. Burns makes the employees do calisthenics, and he hates having to do even a single push-up. To prevent any future exercise, he tries to disable himself so that he can be sent home with pay. When his efforts to get hit by heavy objects proves fruitless, he changes tactic, deciding to become hyper-obese.
Already dangerously obese, Homer enlists Bart's help on his journey to hyper-obesity. Concerned, Lisa tells him he can only go along with his plan if he finds a doctor to endorse it. Since Dr. Hibbert pointedly refuses, Homer visits resident scam artist and doctor, Nick Riviera, who encourages Homer to give up empty vitamins like vegetables in favor of desserts and fried food.
Bart's Elephant
Bart wins an elephant on a radio show competition and names him Stampy. Elephants cost a lot to feed and care for, so Homer begins charging people to see the elephant and ride the elephant, but the $58 per day he makes is not enough to cover Stampy's daily $300 food bill.
To make up the exorbitant costs of Stampy's upkeep, Homer increases his prices to ride the elephant from $2 to $500 overnight. Surprisingly, no one books the elephant ride. This convinces Homer to sell Stampy to an ivory dealer who shows up to their house wearing ivory boots and a hat with an ivory check. In the end, however, Homer is convinced that Stampy belongs in the elephant sanctuary with other elephants.
Simpson & Son Grease Co.
"Used grease is worth money? Then my arteries are clogged with yellow gold!"
Once Apu educates Homer that big companies buy used grease to make cosmetics and baby food, Homer sets up 'Simpson & Son Grease Co.' He pulls Bart out of school for weeks to help him run the business, but Homer's business runs into serious issues from the start. The grease ruins the interior of Marge's car, but, worst of all, the goons working at 'Acne Grease Co.' steal his grease and beat him up for standing up to them. "We run the grease racket in this town," they tell him.
Before quitting, Bart and Homer go for one last big score to steal the grease at Springfield Elementary High School. This turns out to be Willie's retirement grease, so Willie also beats up Homer.
Bart's Car Accident
After Mr. Burns hits Bart with his car, local shyster Lionel Hutz shows up at the hospital to convince Homer to sue "the fiend" Burnsy for a big pay day. Bart suffers only from a bump on his head and a broken toe, so they turn Hutz's offer down. To add insult to injury, Burns offers Homer a $100 check for Bart's medical bills in exchange for Homer signing a waiver. Since this would not cover Bart's medical bills, Homer goes ahead to sue.
Hutz convinces Homer to overstate Bart's injuries so that they can win a million dollar settlement. Further along the trial, Mr. Burns realizes that he is losing the case, so he invites Homer over to his mansion to give the father an out-of-court $500,000 settlement. Since Homer agreed to split his court settlement by half with Lionel, this is the amount he would have won anyway. Homer really proves his stupidity in this episode by rejecting the offer.
Homie The Clown
Homer initially enrolls in clown college because the subtle persuasion of billboard advertising works on him successfully. He decrees that his family has "stood in his my long enough. I'm going to clown college!"
Despite the overwhelming odds, Homer graduates from clown college and begins a new job as a replacement Krusty The Klown. He attends award functions, burger launches, kids' birthdays, and more in place of Krusty. The job is not as glamorous as he hoped, and he soon wishes to quit. Then, he finds out that there are also perks to the job, such as free things and no speeding tickets. Nevertheless, when the real Krusty is unable to pay his betting debts to Fat Tony and his mafia crew, Homie The Clown must become the greatest clown ever to save himself.
Homerpalooza
In an attempt to prove to his children that he is cool, Homer makes Bart and Lisa cut school to take them to Hullabalooza. At the concert, Bart and Lisa ditch him because of his uncoolness. But, when the manager of Hullabalooza's Pageant Of The Trans-Mundane offers him a job as a big fatso freakshow to shoot with a canon, Homer proves to his children that he is cool. Homer quits his stable job at the Nuclear Power Plant to go on tour with a traveling freakshow where a canon is shot into his stomach on stage every day.
When Marge tells him he doesn't have to go, Homer acknowledges the influence that his spontaneous personality on his decisions. Unfortunately, Homer's spontaneity often leads him to make stupid choices, and soon the canon causes him serious health problems.
Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net
Envious of Ned Flanders for having a successful online home business, Homer sets up Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net. Marge questions what Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net does, and Homer replies that "this industry moves so fast, it's hard to tell." Despite setting up the company, and being the only employee, Homer gives himself the title of Junior Vice President.
The Junior Vice President understands nothing about the internet, yet advertises his services online as The Internet King. This calls Bill Gates' attention, who, seeing The Internet King as a competitor, orders his nerd goons to destroy Homer's company.
Defraud Apu
Homer disappoints his daughter when he chooses to have a beer rather than buy her a reed for her saxophone. Without her reed, Lisa plays really badly, humiliating herself at the school talent show. To regain her love, Homer buys her a pony, ignoring Marge's reservations about ponies' expensive upkeep.
The Simpsons become broke because of Lisa's pony. At his wit's end, Homer buys a scratch card from Apu and fakes a winning combination. Pitying his friend, Apu offers Homer a night job at the Kwik-E-Mart.
Invested In Pumpkins In November
"This year I invested in pumpkins. They've been going up the whole month of October, and I've got a feeling they're going to peak right around January—and BANG! That's when I'll cash in!"
At 'A-1 Discount Broker,' Homer's broker chastises him for not selling his pumpkin shares before Halloween, as advised. Broke and ashamed to confess his actions to Marge, Homer goes to his last chance for hope: Patty and Selma. They loan him some money but use Homer's I.O.U as an opportunity to humiliate him, forcing him to crawl on his knees, bark like a dog, and other indignities.