You cannot cheat in a single-player game. Who can you cheat in a single-player game, for heaven's sake? The only person involved is yourself, and cheating yourself is a logical absurdity. You go right ahead and play the game by whatever rules you feel comfortable with, and you'll have my whole-hearted support in whatever you decide.

My own attitude is that whatever the game permits is permissible, but as you point out, undue exploitation of "features" (i.e. beneficial bugs) is self-defeating because it spoils my enjoyment. But as I say, that is purely for your information, and should have no effect at all on what you intend to do.