It’s a problem most of us not living large in tech have faced: You’re ready to hit the town on a Friday night, only to realize there’s too much month at the end of the money. Actually, even people making six figures in the tech industry probably face this issue — the Bay Area is a crazy-expensive place.
We get that it’s sometimes easier to just grab In-N-Out and hang on your couch. But we think you deserve a social life even if you don’t work for a company that recently IPO’d. Because we care, we rounded up some little-known ways to enjoy what the Bay Area has to offer that don’t require you to pick up a second side hustle.
1. Use your library card to visit local museums for free (or on the cheap)
We love a library. Everyone should have a library card—because, reading—but they aren’t just for borrowing books anymore. Through an underused program called Discover and Go, you can use your card to get free and discounted tickets to local museums, zoos, theaters, and other cultural attractions throughout the Bay Area. It’s an amazing program that most people don’t know about. You can reserve tickets up to three months in advance at places like the Bay Area Discovery Museum, SFMOMA, the USS Hornet, and Coit Tower. Some venues allow passes only once a year; others allow them more often. Check your local library’s website to see what options you have.
2. Use Goldstar to get discounted tickets to ‘Hamilton’
When the award-winning musical Hamilton first premiered in San Francisco, tickets easily went for several hundred dollars, but you can score orchestra and mezzanine seats for only $49 to $99 through Goldstar, a company that offers discounts to sports, concerts, and other live events. The hit Broadway show ends its run at the Orpheum Theatre on May 31; tickets are still available for matinee and evening shows. Goldstar is free to join and is also a good resource for other events—it’s selling $45 tickets to The Book of Mormon and the SpongeBob musical currently running. The company also offers free tickets to other events (you’ll just pay a small service charge).
3. Sail the bay
Sailing seems like a rich person’s sport or leisure activity, and largely, it is. But thanks to the Cal Sailing Club — a nonprofit, volunteer-run sailing and windsurfing club — you can sail the waters around San Francisco for free. You’ll see dolphins and porpoises up close while experiencing a completely different view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. Other local companies’ hourlong tours start at $50 and go well beyond that, but you can board one of Cal Sailing Club’s keelboats for a free half-hour journey during its public open house events. This year’s events kick off on March 15; they’re offered 10 times per year on Sundays, 1 to 3 p.m., until November 8. Rides are offered on a first-come, first-served basis at 124 University Avenue in the Berkeley Marina.
4. See live music at Amoeba Records
You almost need a part-time gig just to afford all the great concerts that take place each year in the Bay Area; artists know they can keep their prices high here and people will pay them. Fortunately, for those of us who can’t, many talented acts offer free shows and signing events at Amoeba Records, an independent music store on Haight Street in San Francisco, when they’re on tour in the Bay Area. Past in-store shows include Durand Jones and the Indications, DJ Adam, and Chelsea Wolfe. The store, which opened in 1997, occupies a 24,000-square-foot former bowling alley, making it a roomy venue to enjoy live music. All in-store performances are free and open to all ages. Amoeba suggests calling several days prior to a show to determine how early you should arrive. Check out the store’s calendar of upcoming events.
5. Learn new culinary skills
Already binge-watched all 10 seasons of The Great British Baking Show, including the three in the U.K. not yet in the United States? Us too. Why not get off the couch and learn to bake or cook yourself? San Francisco has a lot of amazing cooking classes, but many run over $100 a person. But Williams Sonoma offers completely free technique classes, like how to prepare holiday recipes, knife skills, and more at its two San Francisco stores: 2000 Chestnut Street and 340 Post Street.
6. Take a free photography or music class at Apple
This is a city of Apple. But as devoted a fan as you probably are, even you might not know it offers free classes every day, including a photo walk, where a photographer will teach you how to take portraits on location, or a session on how to create a unique version of your favorite song using GarageBand. Check your local store to see what’s coming up.
7. Indulge in a haircut or facial
Paying someone else to groom you doesn’t always have to be a financial splurge. The San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology, located at 1067 Folsom Street, offers affordable rates on services like haircuts, coloring, facials, and waxing. Haircuts start at $10, bikini waxes at $20, and “guy lights” (hair color for men) at $15. It may be a bit nerve-wracking to have a newbie do some of these things—ahem, bikini wax—but they’re provided under the guidance of an instructor. Call 415–355–1734 or visit the website for more info.
8. Explore San Francisco on a walking tour
Curious about what San Francisco was like during the Gold Rush era or how one of the city’s famed hotels was built almost entirely with stolen money? Free Tours by Foot is an excellent way to get outside and discover San Francisco while hearing stories about the city’s past. Free Tours by Foot offers name-your-price walking tours to Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge, Little Italy, the Castro, and more. Tours are offered throughout the week and on weekends at various times. Pick your time and location, and book your tour online.
