So you just landed a job in San Francisco, California. Congratulations! Uh-oh!! Unless you just became a CEO of a major corporation, you may be facing a challenge. Bay Area cities in California leave little-to-no money in your wallet after your necessities are paid each month, if you survive on a low to moderate income. No one wants to live in a shoe box or in an area that you feel like your personal safety is at risk and/or you have to heave a sigh of relief every night you get home and your stuff is still there. No need for any of that. Whether you live in high-priced California or any of the other high cost of living cities across the U. S., here are some ideas that will give you a chance to live within your means:
#1 – There is an old English proverb that says: There is safety in numbers. This is very true, because if you want to safely pay your rent and continue to keep lights on and food in your belly while working in a high-priced economy, roommates may be your answer. The first place to look for a roommate is at your new job, because someone may be in your same situation. If your break room has a board with postings of various kinds, check to see if there may be an employee who is looking to share rent on their current home or apartment. If not, you may check online news sources in your future city for share rentals, and looking for those near any colleges in the area is a good idea. If you have a military background, you also may be able to find some help specifically for you. A few years ago, I was able to help my daughter locate a service when she was in New Jersey that matched veterans who wanted roommates with veterans that needed to share rent, and she was able to rent a room from a military service member just like she was.
#2 – The suburbs may be your friend. When dealing with a high-priced area, bedroom communities tend to also be high priced, but rarely will they match the big city where your job is located. Try a reasonable commute. Thirty to 45 minutes makes sense. Although some people may say that an hour is still okay, I would say that it only makes sense if the hour is inclusive of any traffic you may encounter on your commute. If the hour commute is actual drive time without consideration of accidents or morning or evening slowdowns, just say no. Making a one-two hour commute twice a day is not going to be something that will be amusing you for too long, no matter how many audio books you are getting through. You’ll be looking for another job because of burnout.
#3 – Plan to lower whatever payments you can. First to consider would be your food bill. Homesteading families with many mouths to feed that live on extremely limited budgets often share their tips and tricks for stretching food dollars. They may grow their own vegetables and fruits and make their own canned goods and breads, etc. They set aside a day or two to accomplish it, and they can eat for extended periods of time the foods they have created. It may sound like something accomplished away from the city, but that’s not true. There are container gardens that can be grown right in town. David, The Bioneer Blogger, shows how it’s done: Balcony Gardening – Big Food Production in Small Spaces. Not ready to go that far? A friend had to cut down the daily coffeehouse bill on her way to work. So she picked up an espresso maker for $70 and splurged on a bunch of flavored syrups. Voila, she made her own specialty coffee right at home for a fraction of what she was spending each month.
#4 – Handy around the house or extremely neat and tidy? You may be able to get a discount on rent. Check with your apartment management company or landlord, because they may be willing to use your light maintenance help or willingness to clean the laundry room of your complex in exchange for a rental discount. Many complexes also don’t have models to show potential residents, because the property owners would prefer to rent all units rather than hold one open to show as a model. Your property manager may offer a discount to you if you are extremely tidy and willing to allow him or her to show your apartment while you are not there as a model for potential renters.
#5 – Stick to a tight budget until you can accomplish any or all of the steps 1-4. Knowing exactly what you will spend for every area of your life will keep you from having the ugly surprise of too much month at the end of the money. Having the budget in your head is not nearly as effective as having it on paper, which will show you where you are lacking and encourage you to put an action plan together. Explore Dave Ramsey’s EveryDollar Budget.
All of these steps may take some effort, but with a little creativity and research, you can accept that job in the city, live within your means, and still plan for the future. Good luck!