By Paxcelli Flores

I feel extremely lucky to live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the cost of living in SF (#bestcityever) is among the highest in the nation, the cost of fun is quite affordable….

So much so that the area has an entire website dedicated to promoting cheap fun in and around the Bay. Being a grad student has really changed my spending habits and my available resources for fun. Gone are the days of frivolous splurges on spur of the moment trips to Vegas, bar hopping in SOMA at nightspots like 111 Minna and paying top dollar for concert tickets at AT&T Park — sorry not sorry Lady Gaga & Beyoncé. I now welcome stay-cations, free concerts, free comedy shows, movies in the park and working out under the skies instead of paying for a gym membership.

In case you’re a grad student like me or a bargain-hunter or a squirreler-away of your hard-earned paycheck, I’ve compiled a list of favorite free events and things to do I’ve found or taken advantage of since vowing to tighten the purse strings:

Exercise:

• Boogie on wheels at SF’s free outdoor roller disco
• Yoga for everyone at the SF main library

Comedy Shows:

• BrainWash Cafe (laundromat, coffee shop & comedy standup)
• Moonlight Comedy at the UpTown in Oakland

Concerts:

• Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
• Stern Grove Festival
• Friday Nights at the Oakland Museum of California
• SF Jazz & SF Symphony Concerts
• Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

Movies:

• Film night at the park
• A comprehensive list of free films in parks all around the Bay

This is just a taste of so many free things to do in and around San Francisco. So if you’re in a situation like mine where you have to stretch your pennies, why not ditch the trendy bars, the swanky nightspots, the expensive getaways and concerts and go the fun cheap route. See you at the roller disco!