5 Smart Ways To Save Money In San Francisco

Living in San Francisco can be pricey, but with a little planning and a few smart decisions, saving money is actually pretty simple. Whether you’re building up your rainy day fund or you’re financially preparing for a bigger purchase such as a home or car, using these five tried-and-true tips will help you get closer to your financial goals.

1. Automate your savings and pay off debt.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t even have to think about saving money? With automated savings programs, you don’t have to! A number of banks, including Bank of America and Capital One, offer programs that round your purchases up to the nearest dollar. The difference between the amount of your purchase and the rounded-up amount is then automatically deposited into your savings account.

If your bank doesn’t offer such a program, there are a number of round-up apps that allow you to automate your savings. Acorns, Chime and Qapital are among the most popular mobile banking apps that help you save a little with every purchase.

Once you’ve tackled automated savings, a fairly straightforward way to keep a little extra money in your pocket every month is to work at paying off any debts you owe. It might seem like a daunting task, but the internet is filled with resources to help you pay down your debt one day at a time. There are fuss-free debt repayment calculators from sites such as Credit Karma and Nerdwallet, as well as apps like Mint that analyze your spending habits to help you determine the quickest ways to pay off debt.

In addition to credit card debt, other types of debt you may be paying off include student loan debt, medical debt and car loans. If it becomes difficult taking on the various types of debt on your own, it may be time to consider recruiting a financial adviser.

2. Cancel automatic subscriptions and memberships you don't use.

That $9.99 monthly fee might not seem like a major financial burden, but even a few automatic subscriptions and memberships can add up quickly — and if you’re not actually using them, you’re essentially throwing money away.

Take an inventory of all the automatic subscriptions and memberships you’re paying for, and see what you can cancel. Start with the memberships you rarely use or don’t use at all. From there, see which memberships you can consolidate. Most of us don’t watch enough movies and TV shows to justify having nearly half a dozen streaming services.

3. Pack your lunch.

Although the San Francisco food scene is impressive, you can save a lot by dining in or packing a lunch. According to a 2015 Visa survey, the average American spends $53 a week, or $2,746 a year, on lunch. If you're looking to cut costs, brown-bagging is an easy way to do it — and you're not limited to a basic PB&J, either. With a little creativity and effort, the lunch you pack for work can rival that of your favorite restaurant.

An added bonus to making your own meals is that you know exactly what’s in them. This is particularly helpful if you’re counting calories or need to avoid any specific food allergens.

4. Take advantage of free entertainment in San Francisco!

There’s certainly no shortage of free events in San Francisco. Whether you’re a lover of the arts or a fan of live music, you can find free options for both most weekends. If you’re up for a scenic adventure, there’s nothing like taking a stroll across the famous Golden Gate Bridge. When you’re done, you can head to Golden Gate Park for free outdoor swing dancing or a free concert.

If you’re ready to “root, root, root for the home team,” you can enjoy three innings of a San Francisco Giants game for free at Oracle Park. The stadium has a special viewing area that allows passersby to enjoy a handful of innings. Keep in mind that park security is on hand in case anyone wants to sneak in extra innings.

For an up-close look at murals that have helped beautify the city for decades (along with a few newer ones), pencil in a visit to San Francisco's Mission District to see the Precita Eyes Murals. As you make your way through the district, you’ll find over 450 stunning murals.

5. Use GoodRx to save on prescription medication.

If you and your wallet have grown tired of unexpectedly high costs on prescriptions every time you visit your pharmacist, there’s a smarter, savvier way to save. GoodRx, the leading resource in health care savings, makes it easy to find the lowest price for your medications.

Did you know that prescription prices vary from pharmacy to pharmacy? In fact, you could pay significantly less for a medication by walking to a pharmacy across the street from your usual destination for prescriptions. Fortunately, when it comes to finding your medication for the cheapest price in your area, GoodRx does all the work for you — ensuring that you don’t have to hit the pavement too hard. All you have to do is visit the GoodRx website to access its drug search tool to see the prices for your medications at the pharmacies in San Francisco.

Not only is GoodRx free to use, the process of finding coupons and presenting them to your pharmacist in person is super simple. Simply use GoodRx’s convenient search tool to find your prescription and any available coupons for that particular prescription. When picking up your prescription, all you have to do is show the pharmacist the coupon on your mobile device's browser or on the GoodRx app.

Ready to save? Download the GoodRx app or use their drug search tool on GoodRx.com to find the lowest price for your prescriptions.