1. Early Game Begin by upgrading the work bench to level 2. Skip building the tier 1 items and start out with a tier 2 bed, toilet, and shower instead. You start out with enough resources at the beginning of the game to create one of each, and this way resources aren't lost on the lesser tier 1 items. As there are 4 family members, one should broadcast for Traders to fill in shortage of some materials while others work on crafting.
2. Water Butts Prioritize building a second water butt as soon as possible. This will make it easier to carry out expeditions and still have enough water in the shelter. Only build level 1 water butts when possible, they may have a lower space-to-storage ratio, but it costs more materials to build level 2 water butts than it does to craft level ones, and the material-to-storage ratio per level one water butt outweighs all other water butts, at the cost of space. The same applies with food storage and storage crates, only build level one food storages and level 2 crates, unless you are short on space.
3. Make the most out of each expedition by visiting as many locations as possible. Prioritize making a satchel for the extra inventory space. Remember that each expedition costs a gas mask per character, so always focus on gathering materials for crafting them. It is recommended to have up to 3 expedition parties at a time, as relentless radio transmissions slow game's progress. Each location requires some time to be able to loot again.
4. While it rains try to satisfy all of your character's thirst, toilet and dirtiness needs since these stats all require water.
5. Sending out new recruits on expeditions without gas masks or using any resources on them is an effective way to explore the map and conserve food and water. For members under Food Poisoning effect, send them out for long expeditions.
6. Lights speed up repairing and crafting times for any items in the same room and also have effect for repairing on ground. However lights also use power and can be turned off to conserve fuel.
7. Eating can lead to food poisoning if your character's hygiene isn't maintained. In auto mod, they will always go to sleep then take a shower before having food. If all showers are occupied at the same time, they will proceed to the next step, so build at least two makeshift showers to ensure expedition parties with 2 members not get Food Poisoning.
8. When out of gas masks, anti-radiation tablets are a necessary resource. Pick one brave soul to venture out. Make sure all of this person's needs are met. Search as many locations as water allows, avoiding human contact when possible (trading is fine, you do not want to take damage). Upon returning home, unload your loot, pop your anti-radiation tablets, and immediately send this person back out. The medication will protect your for 2 days (as long as the green + symbol is displayed near their health stat). Such person can as well drink contaminated water, repair ground filters without masks. Medicine Box should be placed close to the entrance, in case a member with very low health and suffering from Bleeding turns dead before reaching the medicine.
9. Toys and books cannot be stored in anything but toy boxes and bookshelves. Until you've crafted either storage container there is no reason to waste an inventory slot for these items while on expedition. Books, toys and music disks do have high trading values, so might be interesting to keep if you often broadcast for traders.
10. You can save anti-rad tablets and gas masks by recruiting survivors and sending them out scavenging, it does not matter if they get radiation sickness or start starving, as they only take damage when inside the bunker. Send them out as soon as they return to maximize their lifespan, and make sure to avoid fights, as their health will almost constantly be mid to low. If they die in your shelter they can be harvested for food. If you maximize their lifespan, by the time a second one dies, your trauma level should be 0, and if it is too high for your liking, you can wait for your scav team to get back (4 random survivors is a good amount of people, if you have enough water for constant trips) and let them harvest them. As of now, there are no repercussions to doing this, but this may change in the future.
11. The more people on an expedition, the more required water.
12. It's wise to pick "Small Eater" trait for as many family members as possible as food isn't easy to come by and cannot be grown up until later on in the game.
13. Get an incinerator. Gathering enough coal on expeditions can make it possible to not use the generator at all. It's also a good way to save space by burning the items you don't immediately need until later in the game, when you can have enough storage.
14. Let idle characters in the bunker broadcast for traders (and upgrade the radio). Aside from scavenging for loot, traders are an additional source of valuable resources and often allow you to exchange garbage and surpluses for food, fuel or other resources you are lacking. Also you can increase their stats by practice boxing, reading books or playing toys. Characters staying at home tend to have their stats stagnant, with Deep Sleeper shortens their sleep and allows them to increase their stats by practicing more often.
15. if there is a corpse in your bunker, you better burn it in an incinerator for fuel, and you can also get meat from a corpse by placing it in the freezer this way is more better than wasting your resource for making a graveyard