Table of Contents
Screenshots
Money Making Video Guide
Section 1: Income Sources Overview — All Methods Ranked
Here's every way to earn Paradimes in Paralives, ranked from most to least profitable per hour of gameplay:
| Rank | Method | $ Per Day | Effort | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Cheat Commands | $∞ | None | Casual players |
| 🥈 2 | CEO Career (Overtime) | $2,625 | High (grinding) | Long-term wealth |
| 🥉 3 | Masterpiece Paintings + Art Career | $1,500–$5,000+ | Medium-High | Creative players |
| 4 | Famous Actor/Actress | $1,400–$1,750 | Medium | Social players |
| 5 | Rare Collectible Hunting | $500–$3,000 | Variable | Explorers |
| 6 | Gemstone Mining (Mythic) | $Up to $15K | Luck-based | Lucky finds |
| 7 | Music Gigs (High Skill) | $300–$800 | Low-Medium | Hobby income |
| 8 | Pro Athlete (Top Tier) | $1,200 | Medium | Athletic builds |
| 9 | Cooking Sales (Sunday Market) | $200–$600 | Low | Chefs |
| 10 | Standard Careers (Mid-Level) | $200–$500 | Low | Steady income |
| 11 | Part-Time Jobs | $40–$120 | Very Low | Extra cash |
| 12 | Passive (Rent/Interest) | $50–$200 | None | Property owners |
Section 2: Career Income — Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs
| Job | Daily (Std) | Daily (OT) | /Week (OT) | Skill Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO (ClickWork) | $2,100 | $2,625 | $13,125 | Charisma Lv9 |
| CTO (Mapple) | $1,350 | $1,687 | $8,435 | Programming Lv9 |
| Famous Actor | $1,400 | $1,750 | $8,750 | Charisma Lv9 |
| Mayor of Melino | $1,100 | $1,375 | $6,875 | Charisma Lv8 |
| Surgeon | $950 | $1,187 | $5,935 | Mind/Surgery Lv7+ |
| Famous Painter | $1,200* | N/A | $Varies | Painting Lv10 |
| Dean (University) | $900 | $1,125 | $5,625 | Charisma/Mind Lv7 |
| Lead Developer | $880 | $1,100 | $5,500 | Programming Lv8 |
| Food Critic | $650 | $812 | $4,060 | Cooking/Writing Lv6 |
| Medical Researcher | $780 | $975 | $4,875 | Mind/Science Lv8 |
*Famous Painter is self-employed; income varies wildly based on masterpiece luck.
Section 3: Painting for Profit — The Artist's Path to Wealth
If you picked the Artistic Talent at character creation, painting can become your primary income source — potentially exceeding even the CEO's salary when combined with masterpiece luck.
The Painting Money Formula
- Base price depends on skill level (see careers guide for full table)
- Inspired emotion = +50% on all painting values
- Masterpiece quality (35% chance at Lv10 Inspired) = ×3 multiplier
- "Famous Painter" career perk (unlocked at top of Art track) = automatic ×2 sell price
- Combined maximum: A Lv10 Inspired Masterpiece sold by a Famous Painter = up to $9,000-$15,000 per painting
The Ultimate Art Money Strategy
Step 1: Pick Artistic Talent at creation (+2x Art XP). Step 2: Grind Painting skill to Lv10 (use Inspired bonus). Step 3: Get "Famous Painter" career perk from Art domain. Step 4: Always paint while Inspired. Step 5: Sell masterpieces through the Museum or Sunday Market. One good week of painting can earn more than a month of CEO wages!
Section 4: Collectible Selling — What to Sell vs Donate
Collectibles are reliable income if you know what to hunt. Strategy:
- Duplicate everything first: Keep one of each unique item, sell all extras
- Prioritize high-value items: Gemstones > Rare Artefacts > Mythic Mushrooms > Common anything
- Sunday Market sells best: Items sold at market get 20% premium over base sell price
- Museum donation threshold: Donate until you reach each tier reward, then switch to pure selling
Price Guide: What Sells Best
- Star Gem: $5,000-$15,000 → SELL immediately unless completing collection
- Diamond: $2,000-$5,000 → Sell (common enough once you find one)
- Legendary Artefacts: $2,000-$5,000 → Sell duplicates, donate first copy
- Rare Gemstones (Sapphire/Ruby/Emerald): $500-$1,200 → Good steady income
- Common Artefacts: $15-$200 → Donate these (low value, good for Museum progression)
Section 5: Cooking Sales at Sunday Market
High-skill meals can be sold at the Sunday Market for significant profit over ingredient cost.
| Dish | Cooking Level | Ingredient Cost | Sell Price | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gourmet Pasta | Lv5 | $15 | $65 | $50 |
| Exquisite Cake | Lv6 | $25 | $110 | $85 |
| Legendary Feast Platter | Lv8 | $80 | $350 | $270 |
| Mythic Rainbow Dish | Lv10 | $150 | $750 | $600 |
Best approach: Cook 5-10 high-value dishes on Saturday evening, sell them all Sunday morning. Weekly cooking profit potential: $300-$2,000 depending on skill level.
Section 6: Music Performance Gigs
Once your Parafolk reaches Guitar/Piano Lv5+, they can book paid performance gigs at venues around Melino.
| Venue | Instrument | Skill Required | Base Pay | Tips Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Daily Grind Café | Guitar | Lv5 | $80 | $20-$100 |
| Bella's Bistro (Dinner) | Piano | Lv6 | $150 | $50-$200 |
| Melino Theater | Any | Lv8 | $350 | $100-$400 |
| Grand Hotel Lobby | Piano | Lv7 | $220 | $70-$250 |
| Outdoor Festival Stage | Any | Lv6 | $180 | $50-$300 |
Tips scale with crowd happiness and your Charisma stat. High Charisma musicians earn significantly more in tips than base pay alone.
Section 7: Writing Books & Other Creative Output
If available in your game version, writing books provides passive royalty income after initial creation effort.
- Write a book (takes 4-8 hours depending on length)
- Publish via computer ($0 cost)
- Earn royalties: $5-$50 per day depending on book quality/popularity
- Multiple books stack — write 10 books = $50-$500/day passive income
- Book quality depends on Writing skill level + whether you were Inspired while writing
Section 8: Passive Income Methods
- Property Rent: If you own multiple lots/houses, you can rent them out. Small house = ~$50/day, Medium = $100/day, Large = $200/day
- Bank Interest: Money in savings earns ~0.1% per day (very small but accumulates on large balances)
- Book Royalties: As described above — truly passive after writing
- Painting Royalties: Famous Painter perk includes small ongoing royalties from paintings in public display
Section 9: Cheat Codes — Instant Money
Note: These console commands disable achievements/trophies for that save file. Use only if you don't care about achievement hunting!
| Command | Effect | How to Use |
|---|---|---|
JACKPOT | +$50,000 instantly | Open console (Ctrl+Shift+C), type command |
MAKEITRAIN | +$10,000 instantly | Same as above |
SETMONEY [amount] | Set exact amount | e.g., SETMONEY 999999 |
Section 10: Money-Saving Tips
- Cook at home. Restaurant meals cost $30-$80. Home-cooked meals cost $5-$15 in ingredients. Over a year of gameplay, this saves thousands.
- Buy quality over quantity. A $2,000 luxury bed that never breaks beats buying 5 cheap beds that break constantly.
- Use free activities. Parks, beaches, hiking trails, library, and community events are free entertainment that fills Fun/Affection/Peace needs without spending.
- Grow your own food. Gardening skill lets you grow vegetables and fruits. Free ingredients = free meals = massive savings.
- Repair instead of replace. With Handiness skill, fix broken appliances yourself. Replacement costs 5-10× repair material costs.
- Commute smart. Bus travel is cheaper than owning a car (if cars exist in your version). Walking between nearby districts is free.
Section 11: Wealth Milestones — Goals & What They Unlock
| Milestone | Amount | What Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Starter Home | $5,000 | Small lot + basic house, essential furniture |
| 🏡 Comfortable Living | $15,000 | Medium lot, upgraded furniture, car (if available), emergency fund |
| 🏰 Nice House | $50,000 | Large lot, fully furnished quality home, multiple rooms, decorations |
| 🕌 Mansion | $100,000 | Max-size lot, luxury everything, art collection, investment property possible |
| 💰 Financial Freedom | $500,000 | Multiple properties, never worry about bills, focus purely on fun gameplay |
| 👑 Tycoon Status | $1,000,000+ | Ultimate sandbox mode. Buy anything, build anything, experiment freely. |