Best Ways to Make Money with BaseGame Guide – The Sims 4

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Whether you’re starting a new rags-to-riches challenge or simply want your Sims to live comfortably, there are plenty of profitable ways to earn Simoleons in The Sims 4. From creative skills to gardening tricks and even good old-fashioned cheats, this guide covers the top five money-making methods.

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1. Painting

The Painting Skill is one of the fastest and most reliable ways to make money in the base game.

• Getting Started: Buy an easel for §350, or for maximum efficiency, invest in the Digitalistic Sketchpad for §750. Paintings are created in half the time with the sketchpad.
• Profit Potential: Paintings sell for increasingly higher prices as your Sim levels up. Combine with the Marketable Trait (from the Rewards Store) to boost sales even further.
• Career/Aspiration: The Painter Career and Painter Extraordinaire Aspiration both tie neatly into this skill.
• Scenario Tip: This method is highly effective in “Making Money” scenarios, even if you only own the base game.

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2. Writing

Writing is a slower burn, but it pays out in royalties over time, making it a steady passive income source.

• How It Works: Sims write books, then publish or self-publish them via the mailbox. Each book generates royalties at 10am daily for 20 Sim days, and royalties from multiple books stack.
• Career/Aspiration: Useful for the Writer, Critic, Style Influencer, and Freelancer careers, as well as the Bestselling Author Aspiration.
• Marketable Trait: Increases royalty value on published books.
• Types of Books: Children’s stories, romance novels, skill books (once learned), and the ultimate Book of Life, which can bring Sims back from the dead.

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3. Gardening

Gardening is extremely profitable, especially when you focus on one high-value crop instead of a mixed garden.

• Best Plant for Profit: Dragonfruit, which can be sold for around §1,400 each at high quality.
• How to Get It: Reach Gardening level 5, graft a Snapdragon with a Strawberry to create Dragonfruit, then replant until you have a full garden.
• Scaling: Large Dragonfruit gardens quickly produce thousands of Simoleons per harvest, making it one of the most lucrative money-makers in the game.

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4. Woodworking

The Woodworking Table allows Sims to craft both useful items and profitable pieces.

• Getting Started: Buy a woodworking bench and level the Handiness Skill.
• Profit Potential: High-value items like bathtubs cost §377 to craft but can sell for §750–§7,000 depending on quality and the Marketable Trait.
• Bonus: Sims can furnish their own homes with crafted items, saving money while decorating.

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5. Cheats

Sometimes, you just need instant cash. Cheats are the fastest way to boost your household funds.

• Motherlode: Instantly adds §50,000.
• Money [amount]: Replaces household funds with the exact number you enter.

How to Enable Cheats:

• PC: Press Ctrl + Shift + C, type testingcheats on, then enter your cheat.
• Console (PS4/Xbox): Hold all four triggers, type testingcheats on, then enter your cheat.

Full Cheat Guide Here

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Final Thoughts

The Sims 4 offers a wide range of ways to earn money, from creative skills like Painting and Writing, to strategic gardening with Dragonfruit, or hands-on crafting through Woodworking. Whether you want a steady royalty income, quick lump sums, or instant cash via cheats, there’s an option for every playstyle.

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