Jennawyn, a lot of people find a wealthy rich sim (or a sim with an expensive car to move in with their founder) so they don't have to start off with so little at the start. Also, if you have access to the expansion pack that gives us the consignment store, that can give you a range of nice things. Thirdly there are potions/other items in the alchemy consignment store (Supernatural) that can help. And fourthly, there are gems/minerals/flowers/insects/fish/plants round the various towns that you can collect. There is also a thread found in the Immortal Dynasty story board that has a lot of tips for Immortal Dynasties. That may give you extra ideas and advice. Welcome to the forum.
Trip, thanks for that, I was impressed with that effort myself. He supermaxed both cooking and painting. I did not use the tabcast for him (I tend to not allow immortals to use the tabcast in case they work on something they shouldn't be), but he did read all the painting books as a toddler and used the play oven extensively as a child. I think that the fact that all 5 of his childhood school days were days off (4 days were snow days and the fifth day was the winter festival) and his grandparents (Morgana and Thornton Wolff) tutored him as a child helped a great deal with his amount of cooking/painting completed as a child. His son is unlikely to go anywhere near as well during his childhood with his skills.
Thanks again,
Dek