Use the mean responses when necessary. Using the mean instead of the nice responses will still result in the same amount of money. Talk to everyone to get every opportunity to further your career. When talking to a character, if the "Use charm" option appears, use it. It guarantees you get the best possible outcome, but costs one K Coin. Spend money on many items as you can afford to increase your Star rating or Heart/Love rating. Items do not need to match in order to get the bonuses. Always wear the best star items to get the maximum bonus.