I let them live in their own house, but I sold all thing I didn't need and build them a quite simple house. That left them with enough money to start.
I started the challenge file by having Jack and Judy make a child (needed twins for my plan to work, so I had the radio on children's station). I had Judy work on her gardening, fishing and handiness skill for the skill certificates. She also managed to max the gardening self employement career, but was just short on finishing the fishing career (she was at level 8 at the end). I made sure to get the kids to an A in school as soon as possible, I wanted to pick their traits (workaholic was a must). After Both Ethan and Lisa had a logic skill 5 I made them tutor their younger kids.
The careers that I did max:
Military, all 5 part-time jobs, Firefighter, Science, Culinair, Ghost Hunter, Private Investigator, Painting, Gardening, Film Career (Acteur for child #1 and director for child #2)
I did use all the vacation time, but had I done a proper test run, I would have made some changes in the careers. I didn't get so many career rewards from the Firefighter career as I expected, Judy didn't max her fishing career (should have fished more then I did), and I missed out on a few skill certificates by mistake (only maxed one of the skill on the last day, so didn't recieved a certificate, and I got the opportunity to learn a new skill from one of the careers, but only reached level 6 by the end, with a little more planning I could easily got to level 10 as I got the opportunity quite early)
I do have to remember that a degree bought with LTR als can be used, I forgot about this all together.
Femke82