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Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 27th Nov 2015 at 3:44 PM Last edited by lowrisim : 29th Nov 2015 at 10:17 PM.
Default Making the Most of Sims 3 Store Points or how to get cheaper or free stuff at the store
I found this out over the summer. I thought it was common knowledge and I was the last to figure it out as I had ignored the store until then but as I have shared it in several places and been surprised people did not know about CYS feature and DD spread sheet thought it might be good to get all in one place.

Getting Store points
1. Some can "earn" sims points by watching ads. You earn 5 points per ad. Some get unlimited ads to watch.
see this thread http://modthesims.info/showthread.p...g#startcomments
(I watch ads in a secondary window while I read MTS, FB, and other forums)


2. Some seem to have been given FREE sim points
see this thread http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=567513
pictures of where to find the button in the second post of this thread http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=567566

3. buy them. But I don't know the ends and outs of buying them cheap so you will have to ask others about that.


Getting the MOST out of those points.

1. Use the COMPLETE YOUR SET feature on ALL sets that are CYS enabled. It is amazing!
a. always check the set to see it CYS first. I got caught buying items in two that were not CYS enabled and so wasted sim points.
b. Always buy ONE item from CYS enabled sets first, even if you have to pay full price, as that FIRST ITEM ONLY drops the price of the whole set by about 10%
c combine the CYS with the sales and Daily Deal tips to produce CASCADES and get store stuff for A LOT less

See this thread for info on how CYS and CASCADES work: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/dis...-for-your-sp/p1

See this thread that particularly discuses the Animal abounds cascade (which I did and does work) http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/dis...-check-this-out

Edit: Animal Abounds Cascade is the MOST discounted so for around 400 sim points you end up with Tip Top Toddler Collection & the Kids 2010 sets from link "Buy a single item worth about 25 SimPoints from the Animals Abound Playground - Outdoor Fun set to initiate the CYS (Complete Your Set) discount. Then, you can buy the Animals Abound Playground set for roughly 375 SimPoints. Now go download the Tip Top Toddler Collection & the Kids 2010 sets for free." Note you can be gifted the items from the Animals abound Playground- Outdoor fun set to get the green download button i.e. get if for free, but word is it will not work it you are gifted the set outright.


2. Shop the DAILY DEALS (DD)

a. Use the DD spread sheet it is full of information
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...992794&vpid=H41

page 1: info and useful links
page 2: current rotation - (tells you what will be on sale when and for how much)
page 3 and on: different ways to search the dd, such as by item, by set, by repeat deal

b. Link to calculate what your DD price will be with CYS discount:
http://elianahere.jwhostings.net/

3. Sales change out on Wednesdays and you can sometimes get things there that are not in the DD rotation

4. Make me an offer. Normally the LEAST cost saving way to buy items, because it does not allow for the CYS discount but there are times it gives you good deals, such as: worlds not on the Daily deal cycle, but it normally packages them with stuff you would not otherwise buy, or with sets you can get for much less with the CYS feature.

Research what is offered at the store and if it is worth buying in the first place: so you can use the points for the stuff you will use and enjoy the most.

1. This old MTS thread offers a lot of info of store sets as they came out: http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=496567
might be tedious to look through. MTS search options might help. But lots of good info about how things actually worked or did not work. Plus better pictures than the store provides.

that is all I can think of now... I am sure others have info to add.
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Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#2 Old 27th Nov 2015 at 3:48 PM Last edited by lowrisim : 10th Dec 2015 at 4:50 PM.
links to additional info:

New Page added to DD spread sheet: The CYS price you need to get that DD# for FREE when it comes up
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...82002&vpid=A225






Have fun deal hunting.
Forum Resident
#3 Old 27th Nov 2015 at 4:03 PM
Here's one trick I recently discovered. I've been grinding for points (watching ads) for close to a month now. When a sale item pops up, check out the set it's associated with. I got several big sets for free or almost free by owning as little as 25% of the objects. The set will show that you own 50% or whatever, but there's a download button. Go ahead and download it and it will update that you own it all. It's always been true that if you own enough of a set you can get it completed for free, but the level seems much lower now especially when the item is on sale.
Forum Resident
#4 Old 27th Nov 2015 at 4:28 PM
@jmtmom I never noticed that, but likely because I never bought that big percent of a set before. Is there a way to see what percent of what sets you have at a glance? I would like to try that.

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Forum Resident
#5 Old 27th Nov 2015 at 4:52 PM
I don't think you can do it at a glance. You need to click on each of the big sets and it will show you how much you own. The percentage needed seems to fluctuate somewhat randomly. 80% or more has always worked for me, but the other sets have been as low as 25%.

The whole grinding process is pretty tedious, but for me it's worth it as I don't have the cash.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#6 Old 27th Nov 2015 at 5:01 PM Last edited by lowrisim : 27th Nov 2015 at 7:56 PM.
The percentage of the set you own is not really the key factor. It is the FULL PRICE VALUE of the items you own

You are credited about 90% of the full price item of each item you own in a set agaist the set price.

Actual math is in this thread: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/dis...-for-your-sp/p1

For easy explanation lets say there is a set that cost 1000 sim points

you buy a cheap 20 point item at full price. you get 18 points off the set for that purchase, plus 100 points as a 10% of set price bonus for the first item

set is now aprox. 882 sim points

now a great deal come up for an item out of the set. normally 100 points you get it for 50

set will now be aprox. 792

now let say there is a very pricey item in the set worth 500 sim points... you get in on a great sale for 250

the CYS price for the set is now 342 sim points... it goes on sale for 50% off you will have a green down load button. Hit that download button and the whole set is now yours! Don't and when it goes off sale it will be 342 again.

But lets say you did download it and now own this set. Then you find out it is part of a 5000 sim point compilation. Your set you own only gives you 35% of this set but it is all the most expensive stuff if purchased item by item.. so you would get 90% off of all the items individual price not their set price of 1000. So instead of getting 900 points off (90% of the set price) you might be getting 2500 ( or whatever 90% the full price off each item individually would be)

In this example by not planning ahead and knowing what amount you needed of CYS points and what the set would be on sale for you spent more sim points than you needed to by 70 sim points which is not that much. You could have just bought the 500 items for 250 and probably got the rest of the set for free when it went on sale on the DD cycle. However if you are using ad points you might not care. If you are using points you purchased or asking people to gift items you might want to do more careful planing.

I only owned 35% of a set with a CYS price of over 900 sim points, but when it came up for DD last night I got the green down load button.



So NEVER buy an item for less than 10% off unless it is the first item in a set, if you plan to buy the set. And always check related sets you might find nice surprises.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#7 Old 10th Dec 2015 at 4:46 PM Last edited by lowrisim : 10th Dec 2015 at 9:41 PM.
Up coming Daily Deals that could complete your sets.

Dec. 13 Country Living Set which includes the Chicken coup DD#450 (390 sp instead of 1500)
(actual date and time as it is only on sale for two hrs, will depend on your time zone. See exactly when for your area here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...992794&vpid=H66

If you own the Chicken Coup or have a CYS price of less than 999: You could get the Country Livin' store set free http://store.thesims3.com/setsProdu...&section=UpSell when it comes up on Daily Deal # 450.


Dec 22 Farm Fresh Folk Set (which includes the cows) DD# 552 (will be 448 sp instead of 1540)
(actual date and time as it is only on sale for two hrs, will depend on your time zone. See exactly when for your area here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...992794&vpid=H66

If you own the cows or have a complete you set price of less than 983 it will likely be free when offered on DD#552

To get the CYS price you will need to buy the set off the set page and not the DD page. On the Daily Deal page click on the NAME of the set which is in blue to take you to the set page.

Needed CYS price to get the deal for free taken from here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...982002&vpid=A27

These are the Cheapest these two set are offered in the daily deal cycle so if you want them even if you don't own any items in the set it is a pretty good deal.
And this should get you enough time to get some points via ads if you don't have enough points yet.

Remember if you don't own ANY items in a set, buy the cheapest item in the set before buying the whole set, to drop the set price by 10%. But only the first item... see above. Edit and ONLY if the set is CYS enabled. Check first. These two are Grandpa's Grove is not.
Scholar
#8 Old 14th May 2016 at 12:41 AM Last edited by Elynda : 15th May 2016 at 12:36 AM. Reason: Additional
Wow! Why didn't I see this thread before? I didn't know about any of this stuff. I've been 'grinding' away doggedly for ages now (and watching some pretty annoying ads!) trying to build enough points to get the 'Tutor of Tudors set' and now, most frustratingly, when I am just about 50 points shy of my target, the ads appear to have dried up. The info on this thread could have saved me considerable tedium, and not a few points! So, a belated thanks lowrisim and you other guys.

EDIT: Well, I finally I got there! And thanks to this thread I shaved over 70 points off the price. The reason I didn't start buying individual items before I reached the target was that I was concerned that it might cost me more than buying the whole set at once. Well, I'll know better in future.

EDIT2: Sorry to edit once again but I didn't want to double post. I just noticed something interesting, and useful. I already own a few items from the Happily Ever After set. To complete it, as it now stands, would cost me 690 points. But that set also forms part of the Once Upon a Time Cottage set, which I already own 53% of. If I complete that set, the same items will only cost me 385 points. That's some saving!

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