A Tramp Around The Sims 3 (A Rags To Riches Challenge)

[Caspin]

This sounds an interesting challenge. I enjoy playing sims who live off the land I might have a go at this at some point.

I have a few questions:
1. Are we supposed to use any particular age span? Normally my sims have lives of about 150 days, with about 100 of those being spent as YA/Adult. Is that OK?
2. I am guessing that it's fair game to use lifetime reward points as they are earned - so you can get steel bladder, discount diner and so forth?
3. Presumably we are not allowed to buy anything like a painting easel for the lot? Just the bike, once funds allow, until the sim can afford a house?