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Working on Caltrain with a laptop
✨ Personally tested & recommended

Budget Picks

Everything I actually use to save money in SF. These links support BudgetSF — and often get you a deal too.

📱

Phone Plans

How I get fast hotspot everywhere for $25/mo

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Visible by Verizon

What I use daily — unlimited hotspot is a game changer

My Favorite
$25/moVisible+
  • Unlimited data on Verizon's network
  • Unlimited mobile hotspot
  • No annual contracts
  • Taxes & fees included

I hotspot off Visible everywhere — Ubers, Caltrain, cafes. Unlimited hotspot on Verizon's network for $25/mo is hard to beat.

Try Visible→
📱

Mint Mobile

Solid budget option if you don't need hotspot

Best Value
$15/mostarting price
  • 5G coverage nationwide
  • Unlimited talk & text
  • Plans from 5GB to Unlimited
  • No contract, cancel anytime
Get Mint Mobile→
💎

Hidden Gem Eats

Two cheap-eat spots I always come back to — both cash only

🥖

Saigon Sandwich

560 Larkin St, Tenderloin

Hidden Gem

$6 chicken banh mi in the Tenderloin — my go-to cheap lunch

$6chicken sandwich

Legendary banh mi, cash only, always a line — always worth it. Best $6 lunch in SF.

🥟

Good Mong Kok Bakery

1039 Stockton St, Chinatown

Hidden Gem

3 dumplings for $3 in Chinatown — unbeatable grab-and-go

3 for $3dumplings

Dim sum to-go, cash only. Grab a box of dumplings or buns for a few bucks and keep it moving.

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Groceries

How I get same-day grocery delivery on a budget

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Walmart+

What I use for same-day grocery delivery

My Pick
$12.95/moor $98/year

I stopped using Amazon Fresh — Walmart+ has same-day delivery at actual store prices.

Free delivery from store
No per-order delivery fee on $35+ orders
Walmart prices, not markups
Same in-store prices online — unlike Amazon Fresh
Free shipping, no minimum
Free next-day & two-day shipping on items
Fuel savings
Up to 10¢ off per gallon at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart & Murphy stations

Pro tip: I switched from Amazon Fresh to Walmart+ — same-day delivery, actual store prices, and way cheaper.

Shop My Walmart Grocery List→
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SF Neighborhoods Ranked by Cost

Where I'd look depending on budget — ranked cheapest to priciest

01

Tenderloin

$

Cheapest central neighborhood. Gritty but walkable to FiDi/SoMa. Safety concerns are real but improving in spots.

Studio: $1,200-1,8001BR: $1,500-2,200
Budget central
02

Bayview-Hunters Point

$

Rapidly developing. T-line access. Some of the lowest rents in SF proper.

Studio: $1,300-1,8001BR: $1,600-2,200
Up-and-coming
03

Visitacion Valley

$

One of the most affordable neighborhoods. Quieter, more suburban feel.

Studio: $1,300-1,8001BR: $1,600-2,200
Quiet, affordable

Housing Tips

  • -Start your search 2-3 weeks before move-in — SF moves fast
  • -Bring a checkbook to open houses — good units go same day
  • -Co-living and shared housing can cut rent by 40-50%
  • -Negotiate rent on older buildings — many landlords prefer a reliable tenant at a lower price
  • -Check for rent-controlled units (buildings built before 1979) — your rent can only increase ~2%/year
  • -Avoid broker fees — most SF rentals don't require them, unlike NYC

Housing Resources

DirectorySF
Curated SF housing directory
Apartment Buddy SF
Find roommates and apartments in SF
Flashmates Subletter
Short-term sublets and furnished rooms
SF Bay Housing (Reddit)
Active subreddit for Bay Area housing posts and roommate searches
SF Housing Facebook Group
Large community group for SF apartment listings and roommates
Craigslist SF Apartments
Still one of the best places to find direct-from-landlord listings
SF Housing Guide
Comprehensive housing resource by Aqeel Ali
💻

Tech

What's in my backpack — I work from cafes and Caltrain daily

💻

MacBook Air 15"

What I carry everywhere — lightweight, all-day battery, big screen

Best Value Mac
From $1,099

I went with the 15" — big enough to get real work done, light enough to carry everywhere.

15-inch Liquid Retina display
Big enough to split-screen code and browser
All-day battery life
I go all day without a charger — 18 hours
Apple Silicon chip
Silent, no fan, runs everything I need
Lightweight & portable
Fits in any backpack, barely notice it
Check Price on Amazon→
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Cash Back & Savings

How I get money back without thinking about it

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Rakuten

I get cash back on stuff I'm already buying — it just runs in the background

Up to $30
welcome bonus
Cash back at 3,500+ stores
I get up to 19% back on Temu, Amazon, Walmart, etc.
Browser extension
It just pops up and applies coupons automatically
Quarterly payouts
They send you a check or PayPal deposit
Stack with credit card rewards
I double dip — Rakuten + Venture X on every purchase
Start Earning Cash Back→
📌

Start Your Business

How I formed my LLC — taxes, banking, everything handled

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doola

How I formed my LLC — Business in a Box handles taxes, everything

10% Off

code DOOLAHARNOOR10

$297+ state fees

Cheaper than LegalZoom ($806), Atlas ($410), and Firstbase ($848).

Company Formation
$0 + state fees — they handle the paperwork
EIN & Operating Agreement
Included — no extra legal fees
Registered Agent Service
Required for your LLC, included in the $297
US Bank Account Setup
They walk you through opening a business bank account
Mailing Address / Virtual Mailbox
Included with Registered Agent — no PO box needed
Trustpilot: 4.5 stars
Higher rated than LegalZoom, Atlas, and Firstbase

My experience: I used doola to set up my LLC — way cheaper than LegalZoom ($806) or Firstbase ($848). The Starter Plan covers formation, EIN, registered agent, and a virtual mailbox for $297 total. Use code DOOLAHARNOOR10 for 10% off.

Start Your LLC with doola→
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Credit Cards

The one card I use for everything — pays for itself

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Capital One Venture X

My daily card — the credits make it basically free

Net $0 Annual Fee

after credits

$395
Annual Fee

The $300 travel credit + 10K anniversary points cover it — I basically pay $0/year.

$300 travel credit
Hits automatically — I don't even think about it
10,000 anniversary points
Another ~$100 back every year just for having it
2X miles on everything
I just swipe it everywhere, no categories to track
Priority Pass lounge access
Free airport lounges — huge when traveling
Global Entry / TSA Pre credit
Paid for my TSA Pre — skip the line every time
Apply Now→
🏦

Banking

Where I bank and invest — both gave me sign-up bonuses

🏦

SoFi Bank

Where I keep my money — high yield, no fees, and I got a $425 bonus

Up to $425
with direct deposit
High-yield savings
My savings actually earn something here
Checking with interest
Even the checking account pays you
No account fees
No minimums, no overdraft fees, nothing
Early paycheck
I get paid up to 2 days early
Open SoFi Account→
📈

Robinhood

Where I invest — we both get a free stock when you sign up

Free Stock
you pick your gift stock
Commission-free trading
Stocks, ETFs, options, crypto — no fees
Free stock on sign-up
We both get to pick a gift stock
Fractional shares
I started with just a few bucks
No account minimums
Just sign up and start
Get Free Stock→
🍄

Mushroom Coffee

How I replaced $6 cafe lattes with something that actually works better

🍄

RYZE Mushroom Coffee

What I switched to from regular coffee — steady energy, no crash

15% Off

code IHARNOOR15

~$1/cup

vs $5-7 for a coffee shop latte in SF. That's $150+/month back in your pocket.

Smooth, sustained energy
No jitters, no afternoon crash — just steady focus all day
6 functional mushrooms
Lion's Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Shiitake, Turkey Tail, King Trumpet
Way easier to make
Just add hot water and stir — no machine, no filters, no cleanup
Better for your gut
Less acidic than regular coffee, easier on digestion
Supports immunity & focus
Adaptogens help with stress, brain fog, and immune health
Half the caffeine
48mg vs ~95mg in regular coffee — enough to work, not enough to crash

My experience: I was spending $5-7/day on SF coffee shops. Switched to RYZE and it's ~$1/cup, takes 30 seconds to make, and I actually feel better — no midday crash. Use code IHARNOOR15 for 15% off.

Try RYZE — 15% Off→

Some links above are referral/affiliate links. Using them supports BudgetSF at no extra cost to you — and often gets you a bonus too. I only recommend services I personally use and trust.