You just moved into the neighbourhood, got your small house built, and then you realize that all funds are spent, and you have not even bought all the facilities you will need! Here's some advice on how you can manage through a period with low funds.

Most of us have experienced the day when we are forced to look over our household budget, or even worse; to sell off some of our belongings in order to buy food or pay bills. To many this is a shame socially, but you should know that most families have gone through this before you. And, they made it - so can you!

There are many reasons why such a situation might occur; unforeseen occasions might force you to replace some items, or you just moved in and need a lot of things. Some families spend all day watching the phone, because with some luck a phone call can add greatly to any household's account. But there are many other ways to find your way economically.

Interior
When moving in or building a new room, always keep in mind that you don't need to fill the room right away. Start with the most essential items for that specific room. If it's a bedroom, get a bed and eventually a bedside table and alarm clock, before you start thinking of decor and additional furniture. You don't even need a lamp in the bedroom unless you plan to use the room for other things such as reading. If so, you can even bring a lamp from one of the other rooms for those rare needs.

If you can't afford the trendy furniture, stick with the cheap stuff for a while. A simple table is just as useful as an expensive, although it might not match your ideals, or give the same score to the room. The same goes for wallpapers and floors, they can be replaced when your account allows it, especially if the room is large. There's no use in impressing your neighbours if you can't serve them a meal.

Buy the cheapest toilet, and remember to flush it to save some hundred Simoleons by avoiding the service bill of at least §50.

Multi usage
Think double use of most of the furniture. A desk can be used as a dining table for 2 persons, and the dining chairs can be moved from the dining room to the tv set, serving double. If you can't afford a bed for each household member, consider to use a love seat or recliner which is much cheaper and also serves as seating. If you have a large (4 or 6 tiled) dining table, you can use half of it for kitchen appliances, and still several sims can eat at it. That saves you from 2 kitchen counter items.

Another way to get around, is to have half the seats and beds you need, and make sure that your household members eat and sleep at different times, using the same furniture. This works better if adults works at different hours. A bed is needed for about 8 hours per day, meaning that one bed can actually serve 3 individuals, at least for a period.

If you have a really really tiny house, you can even move away the furniture not in use; not by selling them cause then you would lose money if you need to buy them again. For instance the single beds can be placed along the living room wall, occupying only one floor tile width. The sofa can then be placed against the bed, hiding it. At night you will simply move the sofa to access to the bed(s).

Food
Make sure always to serve group meals even if you are alone, or only a couple household members. Don't serve until you are very hungry, then eat two portions, and about 7 hours after the meal was served, either eat again, or grab plates without eating, and the food will last longer. In that way one groupmeal (§20) can last for the entire day for 2-3 household members.

Do keep neighbours out of the kitchen, or put the group meal somewhere they can't reach it. It's easy to lock a room by placing a trash can and a chair to block the door. A trash can should also be placed in front of the fridge, eventually the fridge can be flipped, to avoid children eating snack all day long. A snack is only §5, but if you have 2 kids eating constantly, it can soon become §50 wasted per day.

A micro wave is cheaper than a stove, but you will need to eat more meals per day. If you can make a group meal last for a full day, this should not be a problem though. A micro wave is also taking up less space, as it can be placed on any table at all, even on your bedside table if needed.

Work
You will of course be working, or at least 1 Sim will bring home some money. If that one has got a minimum of education, you might earn extra money by switching career quite often. The promotion bonus you will get paid is not very large for the first levels, but it's normally a lot more than a regular pay check.

Try to avoid a full day off from work when switching careers. You can increase your income by switching job right after you returned back home, if you then get a job working night shift (i.e. security).

You can work at home by painting and selling your work. It requires that you buy an easel, but you will earn back the cost after just 5-6 days. If you have talented children, they might earn a little money by painting, too, but we recommend that they get their own easel.

Taxes and bills
Did you know that Social Services do support families having children? You don't get paid the money, but your taxes are reduced with a certain amount, something you will notice when paying your bills. The more children, the more support from us. So, children is definitely a good thing - even when funds are low.

Nevertheless, bills must be paid. Do not pay them right away, put them aside for at least one week. Avoid keeping more than 2 sets of bills though, and always remember where you put them. If the Collection Department arrives, they will take any object covering your debts, and their repossessing will normally be worth more than you should pay.

If you are forced to sell off some of your belongings in order to pay bills, sell off what you bought most recently. Most items' value are reduced daily after you buy them, but if you had them for a long time they might have reached their minimum value. That means there's nothing more to lose if you keep them. If you keep a recently bought item, it will continue to lose worth daily if you keep it. If you sell it, you might do the right thing, depending on how much you need the item.

Social Services' best offer - get what you need for free!
Our contributions are greater than you might believe, most Sims don't seem to know that we have a special service in order to help those with a low budget. You are always allowed to borrow any item you might want to buy, for the rest of that day, and if you return it during the same day, you will get all your money back. This means you can borrow whatever you like at any time - if you have a mood crises, you can borrow a super tv or 3D glasses etc. for some hours. If you feel like playing chess you can borrow a chess table for some hours, without paying anything. Even if you forget to return the item you borrowed, and return it the day after, the charge is often only 20% of the full price.

The catch is that to use this service, you will need to pay a full deposit, so in other words, you will need some cash.

It's theoretically possible to use this service for most of your household items, but you will get tired of borrowing every single item, and besides, you would surely forget to return some items over time. This service is perfect for your short term needs, and normally some economically crises will last for a limited period.