Are you prepared to do whatever it takes to completely change your sims lifestyle to get them from living in rags, all the way to riches? In this challenge you will find a creative twist on raising to the top. You will also be able to customize most aspects of it to fit your gameplay style in hopes that you don’t feel too stifled by the bulk that sometimes can be overwhelming in challenges like this. Below you will find that some aspects of this challenge are similar to the original but I have since edited it to hopefully be a little less daunting.

In the Rags to Riches Mega Challenge you will have main goals to complete and inside of those goals are steps you must finish before you can start it. In the edited version of this challenge I made optional goals. You no longer are forced to have a family, or get married, or work a traditional job. You can customize the optional challenges based on if you have the packs for them or if that type of gameplay even fits your style. This challenge may look a bit daunting but when you take into consideration that most of the information here are optional goals you can choose to add, it becomes much simpler.

Below you will find that this challenge is broken up into multiple posts to make it a bit easier for you to pinpoint exactly what you are looking for.

This is a bit of the backstory on why this challenge was created. Completely optional to read, feel free to ignore it.

In this challenge there will be mandatory steps to complete for almost every goal. You must complete these steps before you can take on the bigger goal. Some of the goals will require you finishing others before you may begin them. There is also a list of optional goals for you to pick and choose from to go along with the main challenge but there are some mandatory steps to those as well.


Cheats and Mods
Cheating is not allowed unless it is to reset your sim, take away your money, or allow you to move objects
You may use mods that do not make the game easier for you. If you have a mod that does change gameplay, just make sure to not take advantage of it to get further in the challenge.

Getting Started
Make one sim of your choosing they can be as young as a teen or up to an elder. Your life span can be set to anything you wish: you can even turn aging off to be able to finish the whole challenge.
Move into the most expensive and empty lot in any town. Then set your money to 0. If you don’t know how to do that, look at the helpful hints.
You may not place anything on your Sims lot until you have unlocked the mandatory steps for building a home.
You are not allowed to place items outside the walls of your home or use seeds until you finish the Outdoor Building task.
To make money before you are allowed to get a job, take advantage of the things listed in the Making Money section. There is also a list of limitations below as well since some things are too easy to take advantage of.
If you add any sims into your house after your start, before they can work, they must meet the work requirements.
Before you own a bed, you must use public places to sleep, you may not place a bed on a public lot.
- When your friend level is full with a sim you may stay at their home one night every seven days. While at their home for that one night you are allowed to make and eat as many meals as you want to, but you cannot take them with you.
You can rummage for food, garden public plants or cook on the outdoor barbecues until you have built your home.
You may purchase a tent if you have Outdoor Retreat, but you must travel to Granite Falls and buy it from the shop there, you may only use it on public lots.
You may only have 10 stacks of items in your sims inventory at a time.

Making Money Limitations
Odd jobs are not allowed until you have completed the Get a Job Challenge, once completed you may take an odd job once a week.
If you are part of a club that can earn money by painting, writing, etc. You can not keep any of the money made by selling these items until you have finished every main goal. You may however hang the paintings in your home or delete them all.
Dust bunnies are not allowed to search for items.
Money trees may not be planted until you complete the Reach Riches challenge.
Before you can do things to make money with hobbies such as painting, writing and programming you must be working in that career path.
You may not use the wishing well for money or skills at any time.
You may not sell any items you have changed with the SimRay.
You may dumpster dive for items once a week and cannot sell the items unless you own a business to sell them at. You may salvage them for bits and pieces to use.
You may use the money-making trash can but do not take advantage of it and make over $200 each week intentionally.
Do not ask people for loans or swindle credits.
Do not sell your date and party rewards.

Main challenge goals and the mandatory steps to complete them
Have a fully furnished home
At least 3 Bedrooms.
A Kitchen.
A dining room.
At least 2 Bathrooms.
A family or living room.
A study with at least one computer.
An outdoor garden. (If you are using city living you must have a penthouse to achieve this goal)
A pool.
Mandatory Steps to complete before Building a Home
You must have a level 5 in the handiness skill and 3 levels in logic.
You must pay a fine of $1,000 to the city for noise disturbances before you begin building.


Outdoor Building
Have at least one small area outside for your sims to spend their down time.
Mandatory steps to complete before outdoor building.
You must have your handiness skill up to level 7 and your gardening skill to level 5 before you can begin building or placing items outside.
You must have at least one bedroom with a bed, a bathroom with a toilet and shower, a living room/kitchen (this can be one room, but you must have these basic items) fridge, counter, sink, stove, table and chair.
Blueprints cost $500.

Get a Job
Congratulations you can get your first job!
Choose any part time job you would like.
Mandatory Steps to complete before getting a job
You must have a starter home and have one of each in your house: bed, toilet, shower, sink, stove, counter, chair and fridge.

Go to College
If you don’t own the university expansion pack don’t worry. In that case just spend $2,000 dollars for the degree and you are done. This amount was chosen by how much each class is in university and a little bit of money off .

If you have university, please don’t skip these steps.
You may apply for one student loan and get accepted. If you don’t get the first one you can apply again for a different type of loan.
Apply for the school of your choosing and any degree you want.
You may take only 3 classes each semester that can be 2 regular and one elective or all 3 normal classes.
Graduate from college and earn your degree to complete this challenge.
Mandatory steps to complete before going to university
You must have a basic home to be able to get your acceptance letter. You must have at least four closed walls with a bed, toilet, shower, sink, stove, counter, chair and fridge.

Have a lifetime career
Pick any career of your choosing, this may include stay at home jobs, jobs you go to the site to complete and any of the businesses you can own.
Earn the Entrepreneurial lifetime reward.
Reach level 10 of the career branch of your choosing/Or if you are running your own business earn $500,000 with your business and have your employees be fully trained.
Mandatory steps to complete before getting a career
You must have a degree before taking on a career.
You must have completed the fully furnished home challenge to begin this one.

Aspirations Goal
Complete at least one aspiration goal for both your original sim and any other sims living in their home. This can be the same goal or different it doesn't matter.
If you have children, complete one aspiration for each child you have. (You can do this in their childhood years or make it harder on yourself and accomplish this when they become adults.)

Reach Riches
Have a home worth at least $100,000.
Have at least $1,000,000 in the bank.

For more of a challenge you can add any or all of these to your list of goals to complete.

Get Married
If you wish for your sim to settle down and have a spouse, there are a few things you need to do.
Before you can marry a sim you need a starter home that must include: a double bed and dresser for them to hold their clothes. A completed bathroom with at least a toilet, sink and a shower or bath and a mirror for your sim to admire their fine looks. There must be one form of each comfort and entertainment for your spouse, besides the bed.
You must complete at least one successful date with the sim of your choice.
You must throw a wedding party for each wedding you have in this challenge. This includes your family members getting married as well.
When your partner moves in, take away any money that comes with them as well as any items they bring.
Your partner may bring any of their children, but you must have a room in your house for them to live in.

Have a family
To be able to have a family you must have at least a starter home that must include at minimum a toddler bed, nightstand, light, potty and one toy. The rest of your home must have a toilet, a bathtub, a counter, a bed for the parent, sink and a fridge.
Every kid you have must max out all their skills as a toddler before they can age up.
To age up to a teen each child must complete one of these options: have 5 levels in any 1 skill and perfect grades, or 10 levels in one skill.
To level up to a young adult your sim must complete one of these options: Have 5 levels in any 2 skills and a part time job, or 10 levels in 2 skills.
Become a grandparent.

Best Friend
If you want to have a truly fulfilling friendship and have a sim be your true bff you must complete these steps.
Invite your friend to your lot 5 times
Watch TV with your friend for 10 hours
Spend time at 5 different lots in town with your friend.
Other Expansion Options
City living: Go to one event with your friend
Outdoors's expansion: Take a relaxing friend vacation.
Island Living: Take your friend digging for shells.
Snowy Escape: Take a hike with your friend.

Pet Palace
Have at least 7 pet items around your house and yard. `
Have at least 10 decorations from the Cats and Dogs Pack.
Adopt at least one pet of your choosing.
Take your pet to the vet for the first time.
Take your pet to the park to play 5 times.
Have your friendship bar full for each pet you own at least once in their lifetime.


Cottage Living Challenge
Set the lot challenge to simple living, you cannot remove this after it is enabled.
Have at least one animal of each type
You must befriend the animals you have
Participate in a fair
Grow at least one large crop to full size
Mandatory steps to complete before taking on this challenge
You must complete the fully furnished challenge

Star Struck
Have at least one bar of reputation, good or bad.
Reach a 3-star fame level
Have at least two quirks
Meet 10 Celebs
Sign autographs and take pictures with fans 5 times.

Seasoned Vacationer
Go on vacation at least 5 times.
Go on vacation at least once in each vacation place you have.
Explore around the world in each vacation.
Find one item around the world on each vacation to take home, this can be anything.

Lusty Lover
Have woohoo with 5 different sims
Woohoo in every available location once
Ask a sim to be just friends
Buy a sim a drink three times

Night Life
Visit a bar 5 times
Order six drinks.
Be invited to a party at night
Dance on the dance floor

Zen for Happiness
Exercise for 5 hours total
Take a yoga class
Get two massages
Take a mud bath
Get a level 2 wellness skill

Taking Away Money
Press Ctrl + Shift + C to gain access to the cheat bar, type in testingcheats on and then hit enter. Open the cheat bar again and enter money 0 and hit enter again, this will take away all of your money. When you are completing a mandatory step and you have to pay money before you can complete it use this step. For example: you have $1075 and you need to pay $500 for blueprints use the cheat and set your money to $575 and you have no bought your blue print.

Making Money
The options listed below seem to be what people think are the best ways to make money without having a career.
• Gardening (You can’t use seeds on your own lot but there are plenty of places around town that you can harvest plans from.)
• Painting (Find a lot with an easel and begin painting. If you can’t find an easel around town anywhere I suggest placing one in the park or on another public lot.)
• Writing (The library has full access to computers.)
• Programing (I’m not sure if you can do this on a public lot but if you are not allowed to, this would be a good way to make money once you have a home but no job yet.)
• Comedy (People say that this isn’t the fastest way to make money but it might help with this challenge. The nightclub has a mic stand that you can use.)
• Musical Instruments (You can make tips by playing the instruments provided for you in town or buy your own once you have built your starter home.)
• Collecting (When I started this challenge myself collecting was a major factor for me in the beginning. I sold the items I found and made some pretty good money off of it.)
• Video Gaming (Isn’t the most profitable earning system but you can still make some money off of playing games.)

Restarting this challenge myself

I've just started this challenge and so far I like it :D
I've decided to make a family lot where three generations can live. I'll see how far I can get.

I was wondering about the spouse:
If you create another a sim to be spouse instead of wooing one of the generated sims, would this spouse follow a similar track? Or would it be okay to start this spouse in an already established home and have him/her have a career?

It feels a bit weird that a future spouse wouldn't contribute in any way to the house before the marriage..

Fun to see, btw, that you are doing this challenge again yourself. How is it going so far?