Personally tested & recommended

Budget Picks

Services I personally use to save money in SF. These links support BudgetSF — and often get you a deal too.

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Phone Plans

Cut your phone bill without cutting corners

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Tech

The gear I actually use every day

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MacBook Air 15"

The best budget laptop for everything

Best Value Mac
From $1,299

Best balance of screen size, performance, and portability. The 15" is the sweet spot for productivity.

15-inch Liquid Retina display
Gorgeous screen, perfect for work & media
All-day battery life
Up to 18 hours — charge less, do more
Apple Silicon chip
Fast, silent, fanless design
Lightweight & portable
Thin enough for any backpack
Check Price on Amazon
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Credit Cards

Maximize rewards on everyday spending

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Capital One Venture X

Premium travel rewards, simplified

Net $0 Annual Fee

after credits

$395
Annual Fee

Easily offset by the $300 travel credit + 10K anniversary points — making it effectively free.

$300 travel credit
Applied automatically each year
10,000 anniversary points
Worth $100+ annually
2X miles on everything
No categories to track
Priority Pass lounge access
1,300+ lounges worldwide
Global Entry / TSA Pre credit
Up to $100 statement credit
Apply Now
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Banking

Make your money work harder

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SoFi Bank

A smarter way to bank

Up to $250
with direct deposit
High-yield savings
Earn more on every dollar saved
Checking with interest
Your checking earns too
No account fees
No minimums, no overdraft fees
Early paycheck
Get paid up to 2 days early
Open SoFi Account

Some links above are referral/affiliate links. Using them supports BudgetSF at no extra cost to you — and often gets you a bonus too. I only recommend services I personally use and trust.