Rent first: maybe SF doesn&#x27;t have any places with cheap rent, but the South Bay does. There are outliers in the market: $800&#x2F;mo for a room or $1200&#x2F;mo for a studio.<p>Car second: if you get an old car then the repairs + depreciation can be ~$500 &#x2F; yr.<p>Services third: look at your most expensive purchases (Are there things that could be bought cheaper?) and your monthly bills (Do I need Netflix and Comcast cable? Do I need Costco and Amazon Prime? Do I need that EC2 instance? Do I need the deluxe laundry service?).<p>Food fourth: budget $5-$20 &#x2F; day, leverage free food from your employer if possible.