Budget traveling in San Francisco is not a beginners’ game.

There are some places in the United States that make it easy to find bargains, even if the area seems expensive (for example, New York City), but San Francisco is not one of them.

On a somewhat psychotic 23-year-old whim, I moved to San Francisco one day because I had never seen the Pacific Ocean. Some would schedule a vacation out there or just rent a copy of The Rock, but when I go off the deep end, I don’t just stick my toe in.

I moved to San Francisco with about $8,000 in savings, $1,250 a month rent (just my share) and no job.

Because sometimes I make bad life decisions.

Fortunately, I wound up finding a job on a cruise ship within a month of heading out there, which meant that I only spent a few months overall in San Francisco the year I lived there, but the sheer terror of living there unemployed taught me a lot about fun on a budget there and the actual experience of living there, despite how brief it was, oddly enough made me fall kind of in love with the place.

San Francisco is a place for your bucket lists, folks. But I don’t recommend waiting till you’re older and crossing stuff off that sucker to journey out there for the first time.

While there are plenty of hostels in the Bay Area, you can also find really reasonable hotels in San Francisco if you know where to look.

San Francisco is becoming more and more of a technological haven for the silicone valley millionaires, but there are still remnants of the 60’s counter culture that the city is famous for and it’s often easier to find inexpensive or free things to do than you’d think.

Are you into yoga? Plenty of the parks offer free yoga. While it’s becoming more common around America now, one of my most vivid San Francisco memories was going for a walk my first day living there, strolling through the park and watching 20 people doing yoga. That west coast mentality was just so foreign to my Jersey born and raised mindset.

A lot of San Francisco can be taken in just by strolling around. Fisherman’s Wharf has tons of ways to spend money, but even just walking through the area is an experience in itself (sadly, the World Famous Bushman passed away a few years ago, but there are still many interesting street performers you can check out!). You can walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. If you were a Full House fanatic, you’ll recognize the Victorian houses on Steiner Street, and even if Uncle Jesse and the Rippers weren’t your thing, the view from there is still spectacular.

If you’re into more offbeat stops, San Francisco also has a really crazy stretch of road called Lombard Street that’s famous for it’s eight hair pin turns. It’s fun to drive or walk down. While you’re strolling near the Golden Gate Bridge, you can also take a detour to check out the Wave Organ, but keep in mind you’ll get the best results if you time your trip for high tide.

The more you’re willing to think outside the box, the easier it become to visit a city like San Francisco on a budget. If you find a decent hotel with a fridge and microwave, you can save even more by stocking up on groceries at the supermarket.

And while budgeting is terrific and always highly recommended here at brokeGIRLrich, don’t forget to set aside some money for a few of the once in a lifetime experiences San Francisco has to offer, even if they’re not cheap. A trip to Alcatraz, some fresh bread from the Boudin Bakery, and even a ride on a cable car are all worth every penny.

The point of awesome personal finance skills is having the money for experiences you want to spend it on, not struggling to only pay for what you need.

And the love of all that’s good, have an ice cream cone at Mitchell’s for me. If you’re adventurous, the avocado and ube flavors are seriously delicious.